Author Archives: Kristy Nicole

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest directed by Gore Verbinski

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Cover ArtIMDb link

I wanted to love this movie. I really did! But I found myself groaning more than I found myself laughing.

The first movie was surprisingly fun to watch so I had equal hopes for this one. I had company at my house for the evening and was ready to enjoy an action film that was witty and had fun fantasy wardrobe stuff. “Swashbuckle” is fun to say, too, and I planned to sprinkle this review liberally with the term.

*sigh*

The costumes did not disappoint, and the actors’ performances didn’t either. But the movie did. The script was tight and the wit was intact; however, the writers of the action sequences threw in every possible cliche’ they could. I often talk about “suspension of disbelief” and the amount of it required to watch a film. Obviously a movie with an undead octopus-faced character requires it. However, action sequences should be cleverly choreographed and demand that the characters have superhero-like grace and ingenuity. I do not need to see two characters on a runaway mill wheel and think “surely that wheel would have already hit a tree.” The sequence was so long that I thought that thought over and over. It totally ruined my immersion.

Also, the movie “ended” about four times. Each time was a big, dramatic, loud action sequence with all the overtures of a denouement, but then the film just wouldn’t end. It left me begging for the real ending instead of enjoying any more of the movie.

Verdict: watchable, yes. But not as swashbucklingly swashbuckle-y as I’d hoped.

[rate 2.5]

Public Health Junk Science: Bill HR 1038

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In the interest of disclosure, I work for a pharmaceutical company.  However, this post is purely my opinion and not that of my company.

I heard about this bill and I was intrigued.

View the bill here.

I am all for bringing medicines to market as quickly as possible, especially lifesaving drugs.  However, this bill is dangerous.  In one section, it states that rather than having to prove equivalence through clinical trials, medicines can be considered equivalent and marketable if

Two protein biological products with differences in structure between them solely due to post-translational events, infidelity of translation or transcription, or minor differences in amino acid sequence.

The part that worries me is “minor differences in amino acid sequence.”  What is “minor?”  Just a few changes is the difference between insulins for different species, or in the bioavailability of the insulin in the body.  What makes this even more complicated is that just a different ethnicity can affect the uptake of insulin by the body.

The difference of even one amino acid can be the difference between a lifesaving insulin and a degradant that must be limited.  Using language as generic as “minor difference” could lead to a product being marketed as “equivalent” with little or no safety testing.  My test for what is right is: would I give this medicine to my mother or another loved one?  In this case, I would not feel like there was enough clinical data and I would not give it to someone I loved.

Surely there is a better way to bring medicines to the market quickly.

Random Thoughts on a Friday

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Wet Doggie!You can make fun of the shoes on my dog, but all this walking without shoes made her filthy. So it was bathtime for Sunny. Look at that poor drowned rat!! Bathing her reminds me of one of the many reasons I like small dogs: I can bathe her in the kitchen sink. She’s always been very easy to bathe, but now that she’s older, she fusses when I touch her joints, worried about pain. I have to reassure her and be very gentle.

I drove to my sister’s house for the day. It was “No Refusal Friday” on a local radio station, and they played Patience, from the beginning note to the end, uninterrupted by annoying DJs. It was beautiful. I whistled and sang the entire thing. What a throwback to being a teenager. My brother and I would be in the Pumpkin with the custom speakers cranked and the Warp Drive enacted, he strumming his air guitar and both of us belting the lyrics and concocting lip-syncing scenarios for the high school talent show. Were we on our way home from school, using the super-secret right lane and blasting past everyone to the stop sign? Were we on the way home from church after going to Sap’s and buying a make-your-own dozen, wolfing down all 12 before even finishing the two-mile drive home? Those simple moments were the best. The windows were down, the car was worth a couple hundred bucks, and the $20 allowance made me feel rich. At those times, I was truly in the moment. Nothing mattered except the next lyric and it felt like total freedom. As I heard the song today, I remembered those fantastic times. I sat in my sister’s driveway until the song was finished. Ah, memories.

Lastly, is my blog becoming more and more blathery? I think that being home so much has made my posts a little banal. I don’t care. On most days, the internet is my connection to the outside world. But honestly, it doesn’t seem like I’m adding anything of value. I read other people’s blogs, and at least they’re funny or original! It just reminds me that I’m unique. Just like everyone else.

OK, not lastly. 🙂 So, why do people blog? I know many people who do; I read even more. Why do we fling so much personal information out into the public eye? I would say that it’s an extrovert-style thing to do, but I know many introverts who blog. A quick scan of Google revealed this article and other interesting opinions on why we do it.  But more interesting than the articles was, ironically, a blogger’s blog linking to five other blog posts about blogging.

I guess I blog because I like to write and it’s an interactive way to stretch my literary legs. I write recipes and movie reviews and hope someone somewhere finds them useful. I like the idea that I can Google for an idea and connect with a random blogger and feel a sense of global community. Isn’t that unique?

Just like everyone else.

Still…41 to Go?!?

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OK, I’m eating healthfully, I’m drinking lots of water, and I’m walking 1-2K daily. But my weight won’t budge. In fact, it’s gone the wrong direction!

Before you start composing a cheery and encouraging comment to post, I’m totally fine with my lack of progress. Sure, I barely fit into my “skinny” maternity pants (just the term makes me laugh), but the fact that I’m doing everything right and also taking care of the nutritional needs of an entire other person…well, that’s enough for me.

AEB Three WeeksYesterday was week number three for the little girl. Here’s a picture; I think the blanket makes her look like a peapod. I look at pics to remind me of what the ultimate goals really is- healthy me, healthy baby!

I’m off to walk- hopefully the rain will stay at bay. I’ll take an umbrella just in case.

Baby Hair Cowlicks Plus Bedhead!

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aeb_bedhead.jpgFirst of all, the word cowlick is kind of gross. I think the spelling should be changed to callic to remove the animal spit reference.

Second, Ainsley’s entire head is covered in cowlicks. One of them is exactly like Carlton’s; the rest just add together to make her hair look like a tempest. Mix in a nap and you have a big kewpie swirl on her head! This picture doesn’t do it justice.

Clerks directed by Kevin Smith

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clerks.JPGIMDb link

Of course, this isn’t the first time I’ve seen this movie. Allow me to date myself: the first time I saw Clerks was as a poor college student; the movie was shown as part of a free movie series. It was projected onto a white sheet in an empty classroom; the start time was ten at night; admission was free. The atmosphere- complete with one-arm student desks- was addictive. The audience had an immediate bonding experience, and the fact that none of us had spent money meant that we felt free to laugh harder and quip about the movie. Watching free movies in classrooms, and two-dollar recent releases at the student union, nurtured my love of movies and is probably why I’m writing reviews now. The atmosphere does contribute to how one sees a movie; I’ve heard professional critics talk about the rest of the audience in the screening.

But I digress. I watched the movie again after over ten years, not knowing what to expect. It was fun ten years ago; would it be fun now?

Yes. The low-budget brilliance was just as funny. The pace was a bit slow in sections but the comedy played very well. Though I’ve only seen the movie twice, I could understand why it was a cult classic worthy of viewing over and over again. It is, of course, entirely implausible, but who cares? The film pushes the envelope just far enough to make the audience shocked into laughter.

All considered, I wasn’t as in love with the movie as I thought I would be. As I said, the pace was occasionally very slow; while it adequately conveyed the numbing pace of working in a convenience store, it wasn’t entertaining as an audience member. The acting is spotty in places, completely pulling me out of the experience.

This is the first three-star movie that I’m still highly recommending. It’s not the most entertaining epic of our time. But it’s part of the American pop cultural fabric, referenced repeatedly in television, print, and movies. I recommend that if you are thirty-something, you should watch Clerks and understand the brilliance of Kevin Smith.

[rate 3]

Your Vote Matters! Oktoberfest Brewing 2007

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I knew that between being pregnant and having a newborn, my usual huge brew party would be impossible.  This year’s Oktoberfest will be a much, much smaller version of previous years.  I’m thinking it will be a close group of friends, sipping brews on the back porch and watching the sun set.

There will be exactly two homebrews available, as well as that draught Shlafly Wheat beer that tastes like Bud Light.  The first brew will be a bottle-aged Belgian tripel, the same batch on which I’ve been working since April.  The second brew will be…

YOUR CHOICE!!!

I am not able to do a three-hour, complex brew, but I can still brew a 20-minute kit.  Descriptions of each of these kits are at Midwest Supplies’ website.  Please vote, and you’ll score an invitation, too!

(PS, Amy– no cider kits exist.  I’ll buy you some though 🙂 )

{democracy:3}

Good Day, Bad Day: Still 40 to Go

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Well, it’s like the title says.  Yesterday was a little of both. It started well; my sister made a nice healthful breakfast of eggs and toast for me.  I had cereal with dried berries and soymilk for lunch.  The baby’s feeding and sleeping schedule was relatively stable, which always helps.   But late in the day, with my helpers gone and my husband not feeling well, I crumbled.  I was tired, had no caffeine, and wasn’t sure I could make it upstairs to cook anything.  So I caved.

Carlton’s mom had brought us chicken salad and ham salad.  I was so happy that she brought food, especially for Carlton, since I am not cooking lately.  Sure, I’m not eating much meat at all, but the salads would make good sandwiches for Carlton.  That’s the theory, anyway.  I was so hungry and there was so nothing in the fridge that I caved and ate several enormous spoonsful of ham salad.  I really needed some protein and I was tired and my willpower was low.

(PS- I thought it was “spoonsful.” That’s what they taught me in school, anyway.)

The New Rig!I decided that I simply couldn’t be mad at myself for eating the most unhealthful thing I could find.  I drank lots of water to counteract the salt and realized that I couldn’t skip the evening walk!  I’m proud to say that I walked a whole mile instead of the usual half.  This was also my first outing with Ainsley and Sunny together.  Sunny did very well; I forewent her usual footwear because I thought the stroller was enough confusion for her without adding shoes.

Today, I’m totally without any baby help for the first time.  I am still having trouble with stairs so I’m limiting my trips.  Lunch was organic pasta with soyburger (OK, from a can, but still low fat and nutritious).  Ainsley’s napping and I’m feeling half well rested.  I’m feeling pretty good about things now.