Monday, June 18, 2007
Knocked Up
My sisters and I saw Knocked Up with Katherine Heigel and Seth Rogan. I thought it was funny and definitely a guy and girl type of funny. I was a little shocked by the vulgar language but I should have expected that since it came from the same director as the 40 Year Old Virgin. The movie did make you root for the couple to stay together and you begin to like Seth's character even though he is clearly a loser in the beginning. I will say that in real life there is a .001 chance that the couple who has a one night stand and end up pregnant will actually get together and last. They won't have these fun moments shopping for the baby or going to the doctor. The story was entertaining but if you put it in perspective and think about it in real life then it would never happen that way. The ending wouldn't be so clean and everything wouldn't wrap up nicely. I have seen this happen to people and they are forever broken - even when they are whole, the smallest part feels broken.
Monday, June 11, 2007
Big Love
I watched Big Love last night for the first time on HBO. It is a show about a polygamist family. The show is not short on star power with Bill Paxton, Jean Tripplehorn, Chloe Savigny, and Gennifer Goodwin playing the husband and 3 wives. The show was quite interesting to me. It was especially interesting to see that the 2nd wife said she married both the first wife and the husband not just the husband and then the 3rd wife said the same thing about the 2 wives and the husband. They seemed to work as a team and not really harbor any jealousy - but I do know it was a TV show. I have never watched this show but think I will continue to watch it to see how the storylines develop. The 2nd season just started with the family being outed as polygamists - the first wife had the hardest time with this b/c she was married to Bill for 12 yrs before he took in his 2nd wife and she was dealing with how her life had changed. I can't even imagine being part of a polygamist but they seemed like a typical family full of love.
One note on the latest book that I read - "Wild Justice" by Phillip Margolin. The book is a typical criminal drama/whodoneit kind of storyline. While the plot has a twist at the end, I thought the twist was pretty predictable. I will say that the book made me want to sleep with the lights on and had me jumping at any noise around the house making me think that there was an intruder!
One note on the latest book that I read - "Wild Justice" by Phillip Margolin. The book is a typical criminal drama/whodoneit kind of storyline. While the plot has a twist at the end, I thought the twist was pretty predictable. I will say that the book made me want to sleep with the lights on and had me jumping at any noise around the house making me think that there was an intruder!
Friday, June 08, 2007
Oprah's Debt Diet
I just watched today's episode of Oprah and the show was on getting out of debt. She had a lot of good suggestions and most are posted on her webite at http://oprah.com/jean. Jean Chatzky (author of Make Money, Not Excuses) gave her expert advice to do the following 4 things to start saving and get out of debt:
1. Max your Income
2. Spend less than you Make (ie pause before you buy)
3.Invest the money that you aren't spending (should be earning at least 5%)
4.Protect your money
I thought I would put this great advice out there on the web. I have said many times that I think colleges do a dis-service by not havine a required class about budgets, 401Ks, investing, etc. So now is the time to learn ourselves with a little effort. There is also a link to find money groups in your area - one group on the show was called the "Smart Cookies". They said it was good to find a money group so that you can have someone hold you accountable ans have people to share your financial goals. One point they made too was that it is important for women to have money in their own name so when you marry, make sure you have control over some of your own money.
1. Max your Income
2. Spend less than you Make (ie pause before you buy)
3.Invest the money that you aren't spending (should be earning at least 5%)
4.Protect your money
I thought I would put this great advice out there on the web. I have said many times that I think colleges do a dis-service by not havine a required class about budgets, 401Ks, investing, etc. So now is the time to learn ourselves with a little effort. There is also a link to find money groups in your area - one group on the show was called the "Smart Cookies". They said it was good to find a money group so that you can have someone hold you accountable ans have people to share your financial goals. One point they made too was that it is important for women to have money in their own name so when you marry, make sure you have control over some of your own money.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Google Earth
Tonight I was watching part of the Glenn Beck show on CNN's Headline News. The anchor that was in for Glenn - MICHAEL SMERCONISH - was asking "expert" - JOHN PIKE, DIRECTOR, GLOBALSECURITY.ORG - about this concern over terrorists using Google Earth.
His response was - "Well, I`m not overly concerned about it. I think that it speaks to the relatively low quality of this terrorist plot. I mean, the problem that you`ve got with the imagery in Google Earth is that you don`t know how old it is. You don`t know whether you`re looking at an image that`s a month old, a year old, or a decade old."
Then he is later asked about this type of technology falling into the wrong hands and he says - "Well, no, I think that we need to continue to look at this. I mean, one good example of it is that we`re going to be having a new series of commercial imagery satellites. They`re going to have much better pictures than the existing satellites do. And one of the speed bumps that the government has put into place is that you`re going to be restricted to getting yesterday`s image tomorrow. The satellite could give you this morning`s image this afternoon, but just to have that extra measure of precaution, there`s going to be a 24- hour hold back, I understand, to make sure that you`re only seeing what was happening a couple of days ago, rather than earlier today. So we`re always drawing the line as the technology develops to make sure that we`re striking a proper balance between security and freedom.:
Does anyone else think he contradicts himself? The moderator didn't even call him on his contradiction instead he just ended the show. In one answer he says the Google Earth is safe b/c you don't know if the imagery is a year old, a month old and as part of the interview he says that in the time between when the pictures where taken and when you view it then a security checkpoint could have been built or troops could have moved positions. But later he says with improved technology that you will be able to see this morning's images in the afternoon and that the government is drawing a line in the sand. I would argue a very thin line and although it isn't real time - a security booth isn't going to be built where there wasn't one in 12 hrs. I do think the government needs to better monitor tools such as Google Earth. They should log people who are looking at airport layouts for instance or maybe restrict access to potential risky areas on a map. (Quotes and full transcripts can be found at the Glenn Beck website for 6/5/07.)
Also Google Earth just release a street level map which is cool for users who may want to find a place down the street to eat but is a very scary tool if it is used in the wrong hands. I think we need to safeguard ourselves by monitoring what is put on the internet for just anyone to use. Why doesn't the government put restrictions on what Google Earth can do and better yet why doesn't Google Earth police themselves and ask what is best to put on the internet to keep our citizens safe vs potentially endangering them.
I hope this sparks discussion/debate or at least gets your wheels turning - this is my attempt at educate myself outside of the Hollywood knowledge and to spread the word on issues that concern me.
His response was - "Well, I`m not overly concerned about it. I think that it speaks to the relatively low quality of this terrorist plot. I mean, the problem that you`ve got with the imagery in Google Earth is that you don`t know how old it is. You don`t know whether you`re looking at an image that`s a month old, a year old, or a decade old."
Then he is later asked about this type of technology falling into the wrong hands and he says - "Well, no, I think that we need to continue to look at this. I mean, one good example of it is that we`re going to be having a new series of commercial imagery satellites. They`re going to have much better pictures than the existing satellites do. And one of the speed bumps that the government has put into place is that you`re going to be restricted to getting yesterday`s image tomorrow. The satellite could give you this morning`s image this afternoon, but just to have that extra measure of precaution, there`s going to be a 24- hour hold back, I understand, to make sure that you`re only seeing what was happening a couple of days ago, rather than earlier today. So we`re always drawing the line as the technology develops to make sure that we`re striking a proper balance between security and freedom.:
Does anyone else think he contradicts himself? The moderator didn't even call him on his contradiction instead he just ended the show. In one answer he says the Google Earth is safe b/c you don't know if the imagery is a year old, a month old and as part of the interview he says that in the time between when the pictures where taken and when you view it then a security checkpoint could have been built or troops could have moved positions. But later he says with improved technology that you will be able to see this morning's images in the afternoon and that the government is drawing a line in the sand. I would argue a very thin line and although it isn't real time - a security booth isn't going to be built where there wasn't one in 12 hrs. I do think the government needs to better monitor tools such as Google Earth. They should log people who are looking at airport layouts for instance or maybe restrict access to potential risky areas on a map. (Quotes and full transcripts can be found at the Glenn Beck website for 6/5/07.)
Also Google Earth just release a street level map which is cool for users who may want to find a place down the street to eat but is a very scary tool if it is used in the wrong hands. I think we need to safeguard ourselves by monitoring what is put on the internet for just anyone to use. Why doesn't the government put restrictions on what Google Earth can do and better yet why doesn't Google Earth police themselves and ask what is best to put on the internet to keep our citizens safe vs potentially endangering them.
I hope this sparks discussion/debate or at least gets your wheels turning - this is my attempt at educate myself outside of the Hollywood knowledge and to spread the word on issues that concern me.
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