Hamsters, Kittens, and Fish That Are Gold

Am I getting old?

Has being a parent warped my fragile little mind?

Or am I closely related to the little fishy swimming in a bowl on my countertop?

Lately, my memory has been worthless! It's quite the difficulty knowing what day of the week it is, but some bizarre things have been happening. Like, I will have something I want to do in say 5 days... and it will COMPLETELY slip my mind. I probably wouldn't even have ever remembered it was in there had someone not told me. Things like this have started occurring on a regular basis and it's freaking me out!

I don't know if it my elderly status or post pregnancy brain... like two years late? Anyway, I have no idea, but I do not like it! How can I appear to be a responsible adult when I can't remember something from one day to the next?

What was I talking about?

Oh yeah... turnips. I've never actually eaten a turnip, so I can't say that I know much about them. I don't even really know how one would go about preparing a turnip. Do you cook them, eat them raw? Do they grow in the ground like potatoes? I'm gonna go out on a prejudiced limb and say that I do not like turnips.

Army Wives- The Complete Second Season Review

I have seen every single episode of Army Wives. Since the first episode of the first season when I met Pamela and found out that she was getting paid to be a surrogate mom, it has been my goal in life to be paid thousands of dollars to be a surrogate mom!

Okay, but onto the point. Army Wives is a series on Lifetime (you know, the channel with all the movies that make you cry) that follows the lives of five women who reside on the same army base. Four of the women have married men in the army and the fifth woman is in the army and married.

We follow the trials they face of being on an army base and trying to coexist with all the other personalities they come across. They also struggle with raising kids as their husbands are deployed, not knowing how they are and when they will be home. There's temptation of straying while the husband is away. Plus, trying to find your own identity in a place where it is hard to build one.

In season two, my favorite storyline was with Denise. Her husband is deployed and she meets a cute doctor (played by the same actor who played Ian Devlin on General Hospital, woo hoo) at the hospital she is a nurse at and starts questioning her marriage. I like this because I think Denise's husband is a controlling jerk and it's nice that she can meet someone who doesn't treat her like a possession.

Some of the storylines can be a bit predictable and boring, but this is a show that I always have my DVR set to record! I've never been in the army or been married to an officer, but I feel like anyone can relate to the types of personalities and problems that these women have.

Season two contains 19 episodes. The set also includes bonus features such as bloopers and deleted scenes.

Family Time Factor: Would not interest young children, but is suitable for probably 12 and up. It's more of a woman's guilty pleasure type of show.

MOTR Grade: A-

Army Wives: The Complete Second Season is available on DVD June 2!!!

Follow Friday: @BethanPie

Today is day one of my Follow Friday posts. Each Friday I am going to recommend ONE person to follow and tell you why. I have made myself a spreadsheet, randomized the names and all that cool organizational stuff! I am doing them completely random because I don't want anyone to think I play favorites!

Today's #followfriday is @BethanPie. My memory is crap, so I can't remember if I started following her first as herself or because of her RPG vampire persona @celticgirl1913. Either way, she had me at hello. This Walenite (I suppose I could have said Welsh) feminista has the sass that I love and the emotional basketcase issues that make her a rollercoaster of fun. She's intelligent, chatty and adds some cultural diversity to my pallet.

She definitely has the rocking socks off potential!

The Guilt That Keeps On Giving

As you may already know, I hate emotions. I think they are a sign of weakness and I will pass on the emoting train. Of course, I have the occasional time where I let myself feel and then I try to shake it off and get back on track.

Then there's guilt. I hate guilt. Mainly because when I feel guilt it is because I did something wrong. And being wrong is not fun. (As aforementioned.)

The first memory I have of feeling guilt was when I was super young. My dad went to Chicago for something and he brought us all back these tee shirts that said Chicago on them. (At the time I recall thinking Chicago was around Florida.) Well, I felt jipped. I did not want some measly tee shirt. So, my dad went out and bought me some sort of Barbie because I think he felt bad for me. I was excited about the doll, but I remember playing with it later on and thinking, "did I hurt his feelings because I didn't want a shirt?" In hindsight, the shirt was much more significant that a stupid doll.

Anyway, back to today and guilt... and emotions. My mom is retiring and the other day they had an assembly at her school. I cried at the assembly because I know how upset she is about retiring but how she knows it is the right decision. She loves her job. But I cried because I felt her pain. It surprised me and I was sure she saw me crying... but she didn't. And she later commented on how my sister and I were so deadpan at the assembly. I didn't respond because I felt weak for crying and did not want to tell her. So now I feel guilty for letting her think that I didn't care and was emotionless.

Ah, life. Why we do the things we do, why we think the things we think is such an enigma to me. Just when I think I know myself completely, things happen that surprise me. I emote. I hate it. But I know that I'm a human being and it's okay. If I could just come to terms with that, things would be peachy.

Wordless Wednesday: John William Waterhouse Edition

I Want My Life Back!!! (part one)

The title is from an episode of Supernanny. This kid says to his dad, "I want my [toy] back" and the dad quickly yells, "I want my life back!" I laughed hysterically over this. It was sad, but only because he said it out loud! I don't condone saying mean things like that to your kids, but...

I sure wish I knew what I was getting into before I popped out my first bundle of joy. No one tells you about the fact that you are pretty much shackled to this being for several years until they get to the point where they hate you and don't want to be around you. Don't get me wrong, I planned BOTH my kids. With the first one, I loooooooved babies. I babysat and I was super jealous whenever I was around someone with a small child. I wanted someone to love me like that. I wanted to know what it felt like. It was my dream.

Boy was I wrong! Anyone contemplating having a child should definitely borrow one for a week. The media mocked the reality show "Baby Borrowers," but it was actually an awesome idea! There's a huge difference between WANTING a child and HAVING one.

Now here's where I feel I must point out a couple things. I love my kids! I am a good mom because I choose to be. It's not their fault that I'm not into the cookie cutter mold and that I want my own identity. I know there are mothers out there who will stare at their child all day long and praise Jesus every five minutes for this bundle of joy. Hang on, I just threw up in my mouth a little.

To those moms, good on you! That's great. Does it make me feel like you're a better parent? I wish it did, but I've known moms like that who ended up with totally messed up kids.

And to people who already realize kids are not an option anytime soon because you are too selfish, I applaud you for your wisdom (one of them being @aimeelady). I am NOT a selfish person, which is why I CAN be a good mom, but I want to continue to have my own identity. I used to be fun, I used to go out, have motivation to live life to its fullest. I still do, but where does one find the time? My friends all want to go out at 10pm or hang out on the spur of the moment, but those days are impossible for me. Plus, it's sad that if I have a choice between sleep and having fun, I'll always choose sleep.

I have lots more to say on this, but will spare you as this has gotten long... (to be continued.)

Elton John Red Piano DVD Winner!

Congratulations to the winner of my giveaway for Elton John: The Red Piano.

guettel78

Thanks to everyone who entered! Keep checking back as I try to have one giveaway going on at all times.

Nature of Friendship winner!!!

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway sponsored by Jackass Letters!

The winner was:

Courtney

Congratulations to her!

Tell Me How Much You Hate Me!!!

This is just a little post where I touch base with all my adoring (and hating) fans. First, I wanted to thank anyone that reads this blog because it's nice to know that people care! I question whether I fit into that typical "mommy blogger" mold, but I accept that people think that I do. Oh, well!

In terms of things coming up, I will continue to write original content as it comes to me. As you know, I don't just write because I feel like I should. I write when I'm inspired. And sometimes, I'm completely uninspired, so I'm not going to force a blog post. Also, I will continue to be doing movie reviews. Why? Cause I get the movies for free to review and no amount of complaining is gonna make me think that's bad! I loooooooooove watching movies... and I love free stuff. Sooooo... sue me! Also, I'll continue to post giveaways as things come in for me to give. Hopefully at some point all of my followers will win SOMETHING. Maybe I'll giveaway a lock of hair...

Anyway, the other point to this post was that I am welcoming feedback. Are there things that you like or don't like? What kind of posts do you prefer that I do? Also, you can tell me if there's anything about the layout that you'd like me to change. Chances are I won't cause I love it, but it never hurts to say.

Lastly, starting this Friday, I'm going to do Follow Friday posts where I recommend ONE new person that I think you should follow on Twitter. Again, my twitter is @hamsterkitten, so feel free to check me out!

Thanks again, guys! I've got mad love for you all!!!

Revolutionary Road Review

Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio have teamed up for a second time for Revolutionary Road. Based on the novel by Richard Yates, the movie focuses on a married couple named Frank and April. They had hopes, dreams, got married, had kissed, moved to suburbia and surprise, surprise, realized their lives were boring and cookie cutter. I believe the film takes place in the fifties.

April had dreams of being a famous actress, but finds herself stuck as a stay at home mom with no promising future in sight. Frank is in a job that he hates and is not appreciated for and longs for more in life. After a particularly heated argument, Frank cheats on April. She welcomes him back and they go back to their mundane existence. Both realize that they are in that trap that many couples find themselves in. They struggle to accept an existence that neither of them really want.

I think I could have loved this movie. I say could have, because I think it was a tad long and drawn out. Plus, for some reason they said Frank and April to each other a billion times too many and it drove me nuts.

But what I did love is how true this movie is! I mean, how many couples feel that they settled for the life that was expected of them? Being married, having kids, that's what society tells you that life is about. April hated this and wanted to break free of the mold. I really liked her character. Frank was quite a tool and I wanted to smack him in the face, but that will happen. There were so many aspects of April's life that I could relate to and that is a great element to have in a movie!

Family Time Factor: This is more of a date night movie. It is not suitable for younger children due to a lot of profanity and some very adult issues. I suggest you don't watch it if you're married and your marriage is no good.

MOTR Grade: A-

Revolutionary Road releases on DVD and Blu-Ray June 2!!!

Oh, and if you're curious, it's called Revolutionary Road because that is the name of the street they live on.

Jo Koy: Don't Make Him Angry DVD Review & Giveaway!!!

If you're asking yourself, "who is Jo Koy?" then you obviously don't watch Chelsea Lately as religiously as I do! Jo is one of the regulars at Chelsea's roundtable and he is a hoot! So, in that thinking, it would make since that his stand up performances would be equally hilarious.

Not necessarily true! Yes, I laughed, yes, some of the jokes were pretty funny, but I would not rate him up there with some of the best performers out today. For one thing, he tended to linger a little too long with some of the jokes. I was ready to move on as they weren't as funny as he thought, but he would dwell on them.

He does have quite a bit of charisma, though! This DVD was of his live performance in New York City. His stage presence is very good. I like his voice, I like his delivery, I just felt like the jokes were not all that great. I definitely liked his impersonations of his Filipino mother and his mockery of the people of Alabama, but for the most part, this performance fell short for me.

Special features include his Comedy Central Presents special and interviews.

Family Time Factor: Date night movie- not really suitable for watching with the kids!

MOTR Grade: C

Jo Koy: Don't Make him angry is available now on DVD!!!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

I have on copy to giveaway to one lucky winner! Contest is open to US and Canada residents and ends at noon on June 4.

To enter:

1) Tell me one of your favorite comedians or a good joke.

2) Stumble, tweet, digg or post a link to this giveaway and comment below.

Embrace the Sillies

Okay, so the economy's in the crapper, we've got soldiers stuck in Iraq, and the CW just canceled Reaper. Sometimes it seems like there is not light at the end of the tunnel.

I urge you to let loose! And to this you're probably saying, "But, Hamsterkitten, I get drunk every day. How much more loose can I be?" Okay, that is a good point, but I'm talking about the non alcohol or drug induced letting loose. Stand up, shake it out. Get silly! Don't be so uptight all the time.

Yes, life hands you lemons. That's how it goes. Why not paint faces on those lemons, buckle them into your car and pretend they're people? Have a 3 hour conversation about how ridiculous it is for soap operas to think that people can get shot 4 times, fall out of an airplane, have 10 miscarriages and still be okay.

Watch in fascination as your children look at you funny when you jump on the floor and start rolling around like you're on fire. They'll love it! Let them jump on you, pretend to be cookie monster and break out of your mold for once.

Getting old is not pleasant, but isn't it great when you can retain your youth by being carefree and realizing the world is not always a big bad place? I'm guessing if you're reading MY blog, you're not completely opposed to a little silliness.

Wordless Wednesday: Fun with a Duck Edition

Dexter The Second Season Blu-Ray Review

On May 5th, Dexter The Second Season was released on Blu-Ray. Ah, lovely blu-ray. The ability to watch a show about a serial killer will forever be enhanced by seeing blood in delightful HD.

If you've never seen Dexter, it is a doozy! It's about a man (um, Dexter) who is a serial killer, but one that is under the radar. He lives in Florida in an area where apparently not only are many crimes not solved, but it's not a big deal to have people disappear on a regular basis.

Dexter (Michael C. Hall) was adopted by a police officer and his wife as a child. His dad realized at a young age that there was something different about Dexter and pretty much trained him to channel his homicidal tendencies into a "good thing" by only killing criminals or people that did not get their just desserts.

The kicker is that Dexter works as a blood splatter analysis person for the police department. His sister is also a detective there. Crazy? Yes!

In season two, things get a little difficult when some of Dexter's activities start showing up on the radar. He has to be extra careful both outwardly and at his "evening job." Also, there's Dexter's weird relationship with his girlfriend as he does not have the same emotions and feelings as non homicidal people, but uses his girlfriend as a safe front to make himself appear more normal.

As aforementioned, seeing Dexter in blu-ray only enhances the cool factor of the show! The scenery on the locales is so much more realistic as are the corpses themselves... and who doesn't love realistic corpses, haha?

I think this show is very cleverly written and thought out. The plot is extremely unique, but at times, I thought the episodes got a bit monotonous. I think it spiced up more the second season, but at times it fails to hold my interest.

Family Time Factor: Definitely a teenagers and up kind of show. But, if you are like me and don't think gore is really that big of a deal, it could broaden the age spectrum.

MOTR Grade: B+

Dexter The Second Season is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray!!!

Blu-Ray Specs: 1080p High Definition/English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD/Spanish 5.1 Dolby TrueHD/English SDH subtitles

Essence of Twilight Giveaway Winners!!!

There was a great turnout on the Essence of Twilight giveaway! Thanks to everyone who entered.

The three lucky winners are:

Kelly F
quelleheure4
AngelaVampire

Congrats to them!!!

John Wayne Centennial Collection New Releases Review

Paramount knows that some of us are old school. We miss those classic movies that used to make us excited about films. In that school of thought, they have released a centennial collection of high definition mastered DVDs that have included such classics as Roman Holiday, Funny Face and Sabrina. Volumes eight and nine star the incomparable John Wayne. Who can forget his over the top acting, swagger and unique voice talents?

Volume 8: The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance also stars James Stewart (who I LOVED). It's about a local rancher (Wayne) who helps a big city lawyer (Stewart) in his efforts to rid the village of Shinbone of Liberty Valance (Lee Marvin), who is a lawless rebel. Add in a little bit of romance in the form of a love trangle, and you have a classic western.

I love Jimmy Stewart, so I was pretty happy with this movie. It was a little corny and what not (it IS a western) but the plot was good and it held my interest.

Volume 9: El Dorado also stars Robert Mitchum (another classic!) Mitchum plays an alcoholic sheriff. There's ruthless cattle barons, wild west shoot outs, brawling, land disputes and all the other things you'd expect to happen back in the day of drifters and lawless gunmen. John Wayne plays the sheriff's old friend.

This one was not as interesting to me as the plot seemed somewhat cliche, but if you're a John Wayne fan, that kind of stuff is quite alright.

Other than being mastered in high definition, these dvds come as a 2 disc set and include great special features such as commentary, trailers, galleries and featurettes.

Family Time Factor: I'm pretty sure children wouldn't enjoy these, but I've been wrong a couple times in my life.

MOTR Grade: C+

The Centennial Collection from Paramount volumes 1-9 are currently available on DVD!

The CP Chronicles: Chapter Three (Tawny)

Tawny blew my mind. Some days she annoyed me to no end, some days she was a barrel of laughs and other days, I wanted to adopt her due to my overwhelming pity for the poor woman.

I could be wrong, but from what I recall, Tawny had MS. But, it had started in her brain so she was no longer able to take care of herself. She has a terrible short term memory. She called everyone (male or female) "good lady." You'd walk in and there would be Tawny, sitting in the living area watching television and she'd turn with a chipper, "Hello, Good Lady!" This was usually followed with, "do you have a cigarette?"

Tawny loved her cigarettes. I remember, she smoked Dorals in a blue pack. We had to have her initial every hour on the hour when she got a cigarette because she would come back and ask for another one and when you told her she had just finished smoking, she'd yell, "Like hell I did!" She would occasionally attempt to break in to get her cigarettes from the office, but she was pretty harmless. We could only give her one an hour because she'd smoke every minute of the day if you'd let her.

The reason I pitied Tawny (other than her disability) was her family. She was kind of from a trashy family and had two daughters and a son that would occasionally visit her. They were in high school and would bring their friends who would make fun of her. I know one of the daughter's names was Tara because whenever Tawny would ask me my name, she'd say "That's like my daughter Tara, but not the same first letter!"

She was also known for doing just about anything for a candy bar, soda or cigarette. Sometimes I wonder, though, if it was better for her not to understand what was going on. She had a safe environment and was very friendly. Perhaps had she been out of the facility, she might have ended up being taken advantage of and abused.

Yes, Tawny was an enigma, but managed to put a smile on my face on an almost daily basis.

Taken Review

I was excited when I saw the trailers for Taken as it looked like one of those "action" movies that I might actually be able to tolerate! And it did not fail to deliver. There was only one problem I had with the movie and I will share that later.

Taken is about Bryan Mills(Liam Neeson), a man who has previous experience as some sort of secret government agent. He has a 17 year old daughter named Kim (Maggie Grace) who has become a bit distant from him since his divorce from his wife Lenore when Kim was young. He has decided to retire and move to Los Angeles in order to form a better bond with her. Life of retirement is not all that exciting, but he would do anything for his daughter.

When his daughter and wife spring the idea of Kim going with a friend to stay in Paris for the summer, Bryan is not happy at all. He has become paranoid over his years of service and knows what kind of danger is out there. But, in an effort to keep his daughter happy, Bryan consents. He must sign a form allowing her to leave the country, otherwise the choice would not have been there for him.

And surprise, surprise, in the biggest form of "I told you so" I've ever seen, the first day Kim is in Paris, she and her friend Amanda (played by Katie Cassidy- David Cassidy's daughter) are kidnapped by traffickers. Kim happens to be on the phone with her dad when the kidnappers come and he heads to Paris to try to save her.

This movie was fantastic! It was well written, well acted and kept my attention from the word go. I'm usually not a fan of action movies, but since I loved seeing a dad whoop up on some people in order to save his daughter, I watched each scene gleefully.

The ONLY downfall to this movie was that Lenore (the ex wife) didn't get punched in the face- not once! He didn't say "I told you so" or anything! That woman deserved a beat down like none other!

Family Time Factor: It is something that could be enjoyed by teenagers and up, by males and females.

MOTR Grade: A

Taken is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray!!!

My Thoughts On: Dust

Dust is stupid. Why do we have dust? Okay, don't answer that, cause I do know.

I actually enjoy doing laundry. I enjoy vacuuming, I enjoy the smell of bleach and the feeling of an extremely clean room. I may be a freak like that, but hey, you gotta love the small things in life!

But I will NOT dust. I'll wash the curtains that get dusty. I wash my bedding all the time, so no dust there.

You will NOT catch me with a dust rag or a swiffer.

Want to know why? Cause it's never ending! You dust today, it's dusty tomorrow. Dust is like a veil of dirty that covers everything you own, but will not stay away. And since I currently live in a cruddy old farmhouse, dust comes in every crack and crevice imaginable. Also, I'm allergic to dust and just washing the curtains will give me a 3 day sinus infection. This is part of the reason for my mini blind rampage in which I decided to burn them all as they are nothing but dust magnets.

And now that I have you thoroughly disgusted thinking about how dusty my house is, let me quasi assuage your fears. My house DOES get dusted from time to time, just not by me. Luckily I married a clean freak who actually enjoys dusting. When they invented Swiffer, he developed a crush and it's his favorite cleaning product. He also uses the WetJet on the hard wood floors. If he wants to clean, who am I to get in the way?

What are your thoughts on dust? Do you despise it as much as I do?

Take Part Presents: Beth's Story- A Call to Social Action

The economic crisis is driving homelessness in the United States to new levels as individuals and families face financial stress, and traditional social and familial networks fray. The evidence is clear—from tent cities in Sacramento to empty shelves at food pantries.

But the statistics don’t tell the whole story for homelessness is not just an economic issue or a social services issue or a community issue—it is a human issue. Every person that finds themselves homeless shares one thing in common—they didn’t intend to start that way.

In “The Soloist” we learn that Nathaniel Anthony Ayers (Jamie Foxx) was once a music prodigy who attended Julliard, but is now living on the streets. He represents over 3.5 million homeless people in the US, which includes nearly 1.4 million children. Nathaniel stood out to Los Angeles Times reporter Steve Lopez (Robert Downey Jr.) because of his talent—but what captivated him was Ayers’ story.

“Beth’s Story” was created to shine a light on the millions of people living on the street who are often times overlooked. She is a composite of their many complicated, often heartbreaking realities and of the issues and challenges lead to homelessness.

Response from Johnsonville Brats

In reference to my Dear Johnsonville post, I have received an answer from the company:

May 14, 2009


Dear {hamsterkitten}:

We appreciate you taking the time to write us with your questions regarding our sausage products. We are pleased to hear of your interest in our products.

Thank you for sharing your blog with us. It is always delightful to read how much our consumers, such as yourself, enjoy our products. We would also like to apoligize to you and your family member for the cheese burn sustained while enjoying our Cheddar Brats. When properly prepared on a grill, the temperature inside of a brat can reach 180 degrees or more, causing the cheese to become liquified. It is always recommended to allow our products a fair amount of time to cool off before consuming.

We would love to send you some coupons for our Cheddar Bratwurst. The coupons will arrive in the mail within 7 days and can be redeemed at any of your local stores.

At Johnsonville, we don't want to just satisfy our customers, we want to elate every one of them. We truly appreciate you contacting us with your questions and comments; please feel free to contact us if you have any other questions and/or comments in the future. We would love to hear from you again!

Sincerely,

Brooke {M.}
Consumer Relations

I am super impressed! Not only were they quick to respond, but they seemed equally fun in their response! I will keep you posted on whether I receive the coupons or not (which I will of course share with my injured family member!) But, receiving a response such of this, just affirms why they are such a great company!

A Bug's Life Blu-Ray Review

One of my favorite Disney movies has just been released on Blu-Ray!

A Bug's Life is the charming story about Flik, an ant who aspires to be more than just one of the legions of workers that lives a mundane existence. His inventions and lack of conformity is alarming and frustrating to his fellow ants. Upon collecting an offering for the mean grasshoppers, the other ants wait for them to come, get there food and then leave. Unfortunately, Flik has inadvertently knocked all of the grains and food into a puddle, making them useless.

After the grasshoppers come and pass on their threats, the ant community is in an uproar about what to do. Flik offers to go get help. He stumbles upon a group of bugs that he mistakes for workers, but really they are circus performers.

Laughter and good times along with crazy mishaps ensue as this awkward bunch tries to save Flik's friends and his lifelong love from the evil grasshoppers!

As I mentioned, I have always loved A Bug's Life! It is cute and fun and has lots of great voice talents such as Dave Foley, Julia Louis Dreyfuss and David Hyde Pierce.

Family Time Factor: This is definitely one that the whole family can enjoy! I think it spans all ages.

MOTR Grade: A

Blu-Ray Special Features include:
A Bug's Life- The First Draft
Filmmakers' Round Table

Specs:
Video: 1080p High Definition/2.35:1
Audio: English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio/French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital

A Bug's Life is available now on Blu-Ray and includes a bonus digital copy!!!

Changing Lanes Blu-Ray Review

Changing Lanes is a thriller starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson that reminds us that perhaps we should be extra cautious when exhibiting road rage or think very hard when we're determining what is right and wrong.

Gavin Banek (Affleck) is a successful New York attorney with a lot on his plate. While driving erratically in a rush, he hits the vehicle owned by Doyle Gipson (Jackson.) In his rush, Banek decides to write Gipson a blank check and hurry off to where he needs to be, without a care for the fact that Gipson wants to do the right thing and call the police. Banek blows him off and leaves, but leaves behind an important document. His life continues to go downhill from there as Gipson holds his future in his hands and is very ruthless in his will to make Banek pay for his lack of common human decency.

This is the first time that Changing Lanes has been released on Blu-Ray and it is well worth it! Of course, it looks so much better in HD, but the fact that this movie has many fast paced action sequences, makes it that much more important to have it in better quality! One of the cool features is that it also has the theatrical trailer in HD. Other special features include: commentary, making of documentary, deleted scenes and an extended scene.

Family Time Factor: This would be more of a date night movie for parents. Teenagers might enjoy it as well, but it would not appeal to young children nor should it really be watched by anyone with sensitive ears!

MOTR Grade: B-

Changing Lanes is available on Blu-Ray May 19!!!

Specs: 1080p High Definition/English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD/Subtitles

The Machinist Blu-Ray Review

If you're unfamiliar with The Machinist, you owe it to pop culture to give it a view! It's kind of a cult classic, despite the fact it's only been out since 2004. Plus, Christian Bale plays dark, brooding and creepy very well!

The Machinist is about Trevor Reznik, a machinist, who has had chronic insomnia for a year and has become emaciated and detached from reality. His coworkers are afraid of him and right so as he appears to be going out of his mind! He becomes paranoid and mysterious things begin to happen around him. After a work incident that leaves a coworker without an arm, Trevor is fired. He goes even more crazy and continues to spiral into madness.

This movie is definitely bizarre, creepy and at time insane. It can be a bit hard to follow, but is very interesting in its originality.

I was looking up information online about this movie and found a couple interesting notes (some mentioned in the bonus features as well). First was that Christian Bale got down to about 120 lbs to play this role! That's insane! (Commitment?) And the other interesting thing was that there were several homages to Nine Inch Nails and Trent Reznor throughout the movie and it's inception. There is apparently a lot of inspiration drawn from Russian novelist Dostoevsky.

In terms of this being on blu-ray, it totally makes the experience even that more bizarre and other worldly! Some of the special features are also in HD, and there are deleted scenes a trailer and several making of documentaries.

Family Time Factor: This is definitely a date night movie or something you'd watch by yourself is it is not kid friendly whatsoever!

MOTR Grade: B

The Machinist releases for the first time on Blu-Ray May 19!!!

Blu-Ray Specs: 1080p High Definition/English 5.1 Dolby TrueHD/subtitles

Wordless Wednesday: Outdoor Mini Me Edition

Dear Johnsonville

To you wonderful makers of the world's best brats, I have two key points to make, so please read all the way through.

First and foremost come the compliments! You have perfected the art of the brat in a way that can not be touched. Other brands pale in comparison to the mingling of delightful flavors that you have encapsulated in your meaty links. In fact, just yesterday I was saddened when at a cook out discovered that the brats were not Johnsonville, and as expected, they were uber gross and tasted like roadkill. No amount of saurkraut could redeem them.

Then there are your cheddar brats. How did you know that my motto is "if it's got cheese on it, it's the best food ever!" Meat, cheese, classic combination. Ever since I was introduced to cheddar brats in my youth, I have vowed to make them a staple in my diet as an adult. Grilled to perfection, the juicy cheese flavor explodes in my mouth and causes a slight dairy high in my senses.

BUT

This is where the unsettling part comes in. A week ago, someone near and dear to me was accosted and injured by said cheddar brats. One of my favorite relations (whose anonymity I must protect) was egregiously injured while eating a cheddar brat. This man, who has been a master of the grill for decades had chosen to prepare your scrumptious chedbrats on his grill. He allowed them to cool and sit on the table before taking a bite. He was shocked when a slew of hot steamy cheese shot onto the side of his face. He recoiled in pain and wiped it off, commenting on how painful it was. Upon finishing his dinner, he looked in the mirror and realized he had a big chunk of skin missing from his face. A week later, he has a VERY visible wound and is a bit traumatized by what happened. Will he ever eat your cheddar brats again, I don't know. I will, but will be very careful when eating them as I do not want my face marred as well!

In closing, thank you again for your fine products and perhaps you should start a campaign to warn people of the ramifications of hot cheese.

Sincerely,

hamsterkitten

The Nature of Friendship Book Giveaway!!!

Jackass Letters is sponsoring a book giveaway for my readers! He writes hilarious letters to random famous people and companies to see what kind of response he'll get out of them. I originally found his site due to his twitter account, and have been hooked ever since! And in keeping with the idea that I consider him a friend (not sure he reciprocates, lol) it is fitting that the book is titled:

The Nature of Friendship by Maryjo Koch. Maryjo Koch is an artist and naturalist. Her book is illustrated by herself and is done in brilliant watercolors! It's beautiful and each page has a different friendship related saying. It's small, hardback and definitely a quick and cute read!

To enter:

You MUST visit Jackass Letters and leave a comment here telling me what you thought of one of his letters. (Other than the one posted on the home page.) Some of my favorites are his letters to WalMart, Snickers, etc. And I say etc, cause there are so many!

For additional entries:

1) Digg, stumble, tweet or post a link to this on any website. If you want to add me on twitter or jackass letters, feel free to do so!

2) NEW SUBSCRIBERS ONLY!!! If you have NOT subscribed, you can get an additional entry by subscribing and leaving a comment letting me know you did.

3) CURRENT SUBSCRIBERS ONLY!!! If you currently subscribe, leave a comment about one of your favorite posts of mine (not including this one.)

Okay, that's all the rules! This contest will end at noon on May 25. Good luck and this is only open to US and Canada residents!

Speed Racer: The Next Generation Comet Run the Movie Review

For those of us that grew up on Speed Racer, it is important to know that a new generation is out there and has been on Nicktoons since 2008. It revolves around the world of Speed, Conor and Lucy.

This new release is the third DVD of Next Generation. In Comet Run, trillionaire Dickie Radford has an extraordinary eco-car that he believes is the fastest car ever. He is so confident in its capabilities that he has offered his entire company to anyone that can beat him in a 3-day race. Speed and the gang are convinced their Mach 6 is up to the challenge! Unfortunately, Radford is not going to let anyone win easily, so he has some evil tricks up his sleeve to make sure that no one besides him wins this race.

Although it is fun, I feel like Speed Racer is not going to be a huge hit among girls who are used to watching cutesy shows. Plus, as a mom, although it teaches kids that gas guzzling SUVs are not the way to go, it doesn't have a whole lot of educational attributes.

If you buy the nifty set that comes with a toy car (mach 6) your kids will definitely appreciate that!

Family Time Factor: This could potentially be enjoyed my most children from young to old, so it has that bonus to it. Dads might not mind watching it either! So that is definitely a plus that it spans such an age range!

MOTR Grade: B-

Speed Racer: The Next Generation Comet Run the Movie releases on DVD May 12!!!

Disney Animation Collection Classic Short Films Review

Disney pictures had release six volumes of classic animated cartoons that were previously locked up in the Disney vault, collecting dust! They are:

VOLUME 1: MICKEY AND THE BEANSTALK

VOLUME 2: THREE LITTLE PIGS

VOLUME 3: THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER

VOLUME 4: THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE

VOLUME 5: WIND IN THE WILLOWS

VOLUME 6: THE RELUCTANT DRAGON

Each of these volumes is the classic tale plus several bonus shorts that total anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half. They have been revived in technicolor for a more enjoyable experience.

My daughter is very flexible with her cartoons. She will watch old cartoons and new ones and doesn't seem to care about the animation quality. But, if your children are picky about that, these may not interest them. Although the color is much better, the animation is still the older outdated style. But, I love the idea of bringing back classic hits that some of us can recall from our youth! And, many of these are famous fables and stories that we have been reading to our children, so they will recognize the familiar story and be excited to see it played out as only Disney can do!

This set is a very nice addition to your child's movie collection as they have different shorts on each DVD- many familiar classics! Although there is not a whole lot of learning going on with the collection, they're fun and enjoyable!

Family Time Factor: Older kids might be a little jaded towards the picture quality and the fact it is a set of cartoons, but it's not unpleasant to watch as an adult!

MOTR Grade: B

All six of the Disney Animation Collection Classic Short Films are available now on DVD!

Elton John: The Red Piano DVD Review & Giveaway!!!

Elton John has been breaking records with his sell out crowds of over 200 performances of his The Red Piano concert at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas! He's a legend for both his vocals and his sensational abilities on the piano! For the first time, they have released a live performance of his Red Piano concert on dvd and blu-ray.

I love Elton John! From his oldies to his more recent music, he's always been an artist that I could listen to and enjoy. One of my favorites of his is Candle in the Wind and I was excited to hear it played on this DVD! The songs he performed are:

1) Bennie and the Jets
2) Philadelphia Freedom
3) Believe
4) Daniel
5) Rocket Man
6) Answer in the Sky
7) Tiny Dancer
8) Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me
9) Candle in the Wind
10) Pinball Wizard
11) The Bitch is Back
12) I'm Still Standing
13) Saturday Night's Alright for Fighting
14) Your Song

I normally don't enjoy dvds of concert performances, but what I like about this one is that I can listen to it while doing other things, as if it were a CD, but being live, there is the crowd interaction and the showy performance factors, so it can also be watched and enjoyed as well!

Family Time Factor: Anyone that loves music can enjoy this, but small children are going to lose interest and want to do something else.

MOTR Grade: B-

Elton John: The Red Piano is currently available on DVD and Blu-Ray!

GIVEAWAY DETAILS!!!

I have one copy of this DVD to giveaway. It is open to anyone, anywhere. Contest ends at noon on May 26. Good luck!

To enter:

1) Tell me what your favorite Elton John song is.

2) Tweet, stumble, digg or post a link to this on another site and comment below.

3) NEW SUBSCRIBERS: Subscribe via email or follow me and comment below.
OLD SUBSCRIBERS: Tell me a recent post of mine you found interesting.

My Apology to the Bat Community

Hey, Bats,

You know I love you! You're adorable, you're like hamsters with wings- so cute! And I'd NEVER purposely hurt one of your kind!

Well, then there's the old man. He is deathly afraid of you guys. My biggest fears are death and spiders and his are bats, bats aaaaaaaaaaand bats.

Picture it: today we were watching TV and he thought of a witty comeback to put on Facebook, so he hopped out of his recliner and went to the computer. I heard this funny noise and looked around curiously, but it stopped. Then when he hopped back in the chair, the noise started again and we looked at each other. My first thought was that there were mice nesting under the chair- gross, but not unbelievable. So, I went and got a flashlight and took a gander.

It.was.a.bat.

Instantly, the old man jumped out of his chair and I went into animal saving mode. The poor little guy was stuck in the gears and struggling to free himself. He looked mighty angry, so I did not want to get my bare hands near him. We got a cup and I nudged him into said cup. I looked him over, established that his wing was not torn, but maybe injured and took him outside. I found a dark place to put him that wouldn't be accessible to the cats and let him be. I've checked on him occasionally, but am hopeful for a full recovery.

Are you mad, Bats? As I mentioned, it was an honest mistake and his cuteness broke my heart. You can feel free to swarm the bugs outside my house anytime you want.

Sorry!!

hammy

LeapFrog Letter Factory Review

If you're a parent, you're probably familiar with LeapFrog. They create toys that promote learning from birth to school age. My kids love LeapFrog toys and I love that it helps them be creative and learn! We've had several of their toys in our house as my children have grown.

One of the toys we've had for awhile that gets a lot of use is the ever popular Fridge Phonics game. It's a set of magnetic letters that you put on your fridge and there's a base to put each letter in and it will tell you the sound the letter makes in a catchy song.

Well, they've translated this to DVD! Tad the frog and his friends are on a mission to teach your child their letters! They go around the letter factory and introduce you to each letter and its sound from A-Z.

I watched this with my 3 year old and she loved it! She knows her alphabet already, but liked to answer their questions and sing along with the songs. My 16 month old loved it because he plays with the fridge phonics and likes to try to repeat the sounds. And of course, I love anything educational that my kids can also have fun with!

Family Time Factor: Something that probably would only interest kids six and under, but is great for toddlers as well! It's a good DVD to put on for the kids while you're cleaning or busy with other projects.

MOTR Grade: A

LeapFrog Letter Factory and LeapFrog Talking Words Factory release on DVD on May 12!

Russell Brand in New York City Review

If you're unfamiliar with Russell Brand, he's famous... in the UK. Or you might recognize him as the hilarious host of last year's MTV VMAs. Then there was his role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Oh yes, I know who Russell Brand is!

His one time comedy central special releases on DVD May 19 and features approximately an hour of stand-up where he covers anything from his views on American politics, his hatred for tabloids and why it is okay for him to have such crazy hair. One of the bonuses on the DVD is the opening monologue he did for the VMAs. I happened to catch it, but for those that didn't, it's definitely worth the view!

As you know, comedy and humor rate quite high in my book. And this performance delivered laugh after laugh for me! I love Russell's off the wall remarks and somewhat intelligent comedy. There were a few raunchy segments that I was not too amused by, but overall, I loved it! I became even more enthralled with Russell Brand than I already was and am considering stalking him- I know he'd appreciate it!

Family Time Factor: This is uncensored and is quite inappropriate to watch with your children of any age! It's definitely more of a watch by yourself or date night DVD.

MOTR Grade: A

Russell Brand in New York City releases on DVD May 19!

Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories: Giveaway Winner!

The winner of the Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Book Giveaway (courtesy of MyBlogSpark) was:

Flying Giggles and Lollipops

Congratulations to them and thank you to everyone that entered!!!

Wordless Wednesday: Au Naturale Edition

Essence of Twilight Giveaway!!!

Back by popular demand (and their wonderful giving attitude) I am doing another giveaway sponsored by Essence of Twilight! Not only do these ladies offer stuff that girls go gaga over, they know the books like the back of their hands!

They make body sprays, lotions and lip balms that are inspired by characters and elements from all of the books in the saga. Their descriptions are eloquent and reflect well on the character they are portraying.

Essence of Twilight is offering three of my readers the chance to win! The winners get to pick any three things from their website. As an added bonus, they are currently offering these specials for those reading this:

With any order you can choose a free 1 oz lotion in any scent.
With any order over $10 you can also receive a free lip balm or 2 oz product.
With any order over $20 you can receive the 1 oz free lotion and any free 4 oz product.

In order to receive these specials, you must mention that you are stopping by from Mom on the Random in the comment section of the order.

To enter, you must visit their website and return here telling me one thing you particularly liked and why. Example: I would pick the Edward lip balm because the honey and ice combination would make me feel like I was actually kissing Edward! And THAT would be yummy!

For additional entries:

1) Tweet this, digg it, stumble it or post it on any other website.
2) Subscribe or follow my blog!

That's it! Good luck to everyone!! This giveaway is only open to US residents and it ends at noon on May 19.

Remember When Vampires Weren't Cool?

Neither do I! I recall elementary school when the library got in a crisp new copy of an abridged version of Bram Stoker's Dracula. I was hooked. I wanted to know more about these immortal bloodsuckers. As I got older, I continued to be fascinated. I wanted so badly to see Interview with a Vampire, but it was rated R and there was no way I was going to convince my parents to let me see that. So, I opted to read the book. I recall doing a book report on it in eight grade, in fact.

Well, years passed, my interests went elsewhere, and I slightly forgot about my love for all things vampire. Oh, there's been things here or there, like the revival of Dark Shadows on TV, that didn't live long, the excitement of the rumor they were going to make it into a movie and the bummed outness when it didn't happen.

And then of course came Twilight. I'll admit, I had vaguely remembered my sister in law telling me about it, but at the time, I was way too busy to read for fun. Then the movie came out and I really wanted to see it. I forgot how captivating the stories of immortality and undying love could be. I think we all fear death at some point and who doesn't love the idea of love and it being all consuming and all encompassing? I was smitten and had been bitten- by Twilight fever.

I ventured into reading all the books in the saga, but was incredibly disappointed at how not well written they were! The story was superb, but the writing was not. So, 600 pages into Breaking Dawn when I could not bear to read one more word, I googled the ending. I love happy endings!

Of course this is old news. But, I am so surprised by all of the websites, blogs, chats, twitter characters devoted to the romantic world of the vampire! Recently, I was dragged into a chat at Olympic Coven and was amazed at how detailed these people are! They have created a whole world of characters, inspired by Twilight. Each character is portrayed by a real person and they each have a twitter account for that character. The dedication these people put into these roles is mind blowing! But IRL, they are some of the nicest people you could meet!

As aforementioned, I know I am not first in line to talk about this newly surged love in all things vampire, but have only recently been reintroduced to an idea that is delicious in its theory and design.

If you'd like to follow some of these characters on Twitter, check out:
@EternalEsme
@CelticGirl1913
@ScarlettDane
@Go_Ask_Alice
@GarrettDenali
@Renee_D
@AngelaVampire

Imagination Movers- Warehouse Mouse Edition Review

If you're unfamiliar with Imagination Movers, it's a show on Playhouse Disney in which a group of guys that are in a band play music and entertain preschoolers while trying to solve "Idea Emergencies." They are a fun way for your young child to work on skills such as brainstorming and problem-solving while also promoting them to dance and sing.

This is great for young children because it incorporates fun characters, gets them to expend energy and promotes learning. The band, I believe, is an actual alternative band. I think if they did birthday parties, they'd be booked 365 days out of the year!

While my daughter tends to prefer animated shows still, she will watch Imagination Movers. I love that it helps her learn and she loves that the people on the show are so quirky and make her laugh.

This DVD features four episodes: Bucket Trouble, Tooth Hurts, Whose Afraid of the Big Bad Mouse and Finders Key-Pers.

Family Time Factor: I would say this is another seven and under show that older kids would think was too juvenile. But, anything that promotes learning can't be bad!

MOTR Grade: B

Imagination Movers- Warehouse Mouse Edition released on DVD May 5th. Watch a clip of Finders Key-Pers here.