LiggyzDreamz™

My Top Five Picks for Male Vocalists

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Sun, 20 May 2012 12:44:00 PDT

Actually the title of this post should read "My Top Five Picks for Male Vocalists Whose Voices Identify the Hard Rock Band" but I didn't want the title to be so long!

Music lovers know that there are a lot of recognizable voices in the music industry. Sometimes the lead vocalist's distinct voice even becomes the identifying quality of a band. Then again, sometimes the vocalist can be so bad that he or she becomes the band's downfall. So choosing the right lead singer is always a must for any band.

Now I'd probably end up leaving out too many singers here if I tried to list vocalists from all genres of music that I think "make the band". So I decided to pick just the ones from hard rock bands that I like to listen to and whom without them, I just can't imagine the band ever sounding the same or being the same.

1) Steven Tyler - no doubt about it, or shall I say - no lips about it - Aerosmith just wouldn't be Aerosmith anymore if the band replaced Steven Tyler (as has been rumored many times). That unforgettable rasp, that ability to scream like it's so easy (but so hard to actually imitate), and that endlessly youthful personality...there simply is no replacement for this rock legend.

2) Sebastian Bach - Is Skid Row anything like it was when Sebastian Bach was in it? I say, "No Way!" Yeah I've heard their new lead singer but even when they perform songs from Youth Gone Wild days, they just don't sound the same. Sebastian Bach was Skid Row!

3) Axl Rose - Who doesn't hear the name Axl and automatically think of Guns N Roses? Okay, I suppose a mechanic might, but any hard rock music lover would definitely think GNR immediately! I just wished Axl didn't take so long to get new music released. It seemed like forever before we got to hear GNR again. Then again, I wished the band members didn't have so many personality and ego clashes with each other because they were one of the pre-grunge era bands that I would've liked to see still holding up together after two decades.

4) Joe Elliott - He is the British rocker that made American women (and women all over the world) screaming "pour some sugar on me!" Def Leppard is one of my favorite rock bands who I am glad have a great sense of love and comraderie for each other. Even when one of the members would have an independent project, they always seem supportive of each other. And so I don't think they would even consider letting Joe Elliott be replaced for any reason at all. Thank goodness because I don't think Def Leppard would ever sound the same without Joe's voice.

5) Jani Lane - RIP, Jani. I still can't believe he is really gone but I had to mention him in my list because Warrant just never was the same without Jani Lane. He was a very talented singer, songwriter, and musician. His voice was so boyish, so rich, so wonderful to hear, especially when he sang those popular Warrant ballads ("I Saw Red" and "Heaven" to name a couple). To me, Jani Lane was and always will be the true voice of Warrant.

Two Thoughts on Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Tue, 15 May 2012 15:43:00 PDT

First off, I got a late start to writing my Tuesday post for BlogDumps' Top Sites Tuesday meme. Maybe because I get so involved in reading on my new Nook color that my hubby got me for my birthday/Mother's Day present. (This year my birthday fell the day before Mother's Day).

I had the choice of getting the very popular Kindle Fire from Amazon but I have been checking out the different readers at the local electronics stores and really liked the Nook Color. Sure, I'm aware that there are so many added features on the other readers/tablets, but I didn't want all that. I'm not the kind of person that wants to have the small 7 inch display cluttered with a bunch of apps that I could already use on my laptop computer. I just wanted something I could enjoy reading on (even at night, in the dark, in bed) or have a few other available activities to do when I'm on the go. So the Nook fit my needs perfectly and I told my hubby that that's what I wanted...and I got it. Whoot whoo!

My second thought today is about The Claiming of Sleeping Beauty novel which was written by Anne Rice under the pen name A.N. Roquelaure. I have this on my new Nook and have been trying to finish reading this. But I honestly don't know if I can finish it. I mean, I love the way Anne Rice writes, especially with the Vampire Chronicles series she published. But this one - oh my gosh! - is extremely shocking for me. It is by no means anything you'd expect if you are a fan of the original fairy tale. Don't let your kids get a hold of this book!!! Seriously...it's not even romantic or close to what they can call erotica. It's really a sick, twisted tale of mental, physical, and sexual abuse upon young royal captives.

I guess I should've done my research before I started reading it. I think I'm gonna have to load up on some Dan Brown, Robin Cook, or John Grisham novels instead...these are other adult novel writers I like who don't write that kind of sickening material. I just hope the people who read A.N. Roquelaure's Sleeping Beauty novels are sane enough to know where fiction ends and reality begins. So if you decide to read this book after I've warned you about it, I hope you are not expecting a dreamy adult version of the classic tale because this one definitely is not that.

Before you leave, don't forget to click this blinking button below to see other BlogDumps posts for Top Sites Tuesday!

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

A Closer Look At James Michael

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Thu, 10 May 2012 16:25:00 PDT

Sixx AM recently released their latest single, "Are You With Me Now?" which is track 9 of the This Is Gonna Hurt CD and it just got me thinking about some of the talent that went into the making of this album. Together, the band - Nikki Sixx on bass, DJ Ashba on guitar, and James Michael singing lead for Sixx AM collaborate to make this one of the most inspiring rock albums I have ever owned and listened to. But today I wanted to focus on James Michael who is also a producer, musician, songwriter, sound engineer, and mixer. This guy is just amazingly talented!

I was reading a little bit more about James Michael to learn how he reached this level of success. If I were actually employed as a journalist for a celebrity magazine, I might've actually had the opportunity to interview him instead. Then again, I'd probably be so star-struck by his bad-ass good looks and talent that I'd never be able to conduct an intelligent interview. Ha! So as a big fan, I just try to get as much info as I can from the sources available.

And here's something interesting to know - James Michael's last name is actually Michel but he changed it to avoid it being it being constantly misspelled. Makes sense. And as a youngster, he learned to play piano (wow! just like me!) and sang in his high school show choir. He moved to Los Angeles in the 1980s and started on his way to pursue his dreams.

Did you know he even recorded a solo album in 1990 - Inhale? I think he sounds totally different on that album than he does with Sixx AM. It's a rock album but more of a pop-style, kind of reminding me of Rick Springfield. It's a pretty cool album, although, I really think the hard rockin' style of Sixx AM was a much better fit for him.

As a music producer and sound engineer, James Michael is the genius behind much of the successful music that we listen to from other bands as well. To name a few of those other artists, check out Papa Roach, Meat Loaf, Alannis Morrissette, Hillary Duff, Motley Crue, Halestorm, Saliva, and Trapt. I don't think James Michael gets much sleep with all the work he does with all these artists. Whew!

But if you want to read more about James Michael, visit his official website at The Official James Michael. And if you like the collage I made at the top of this post, you can make one yourself very easily at Photovisi. It's really fun!

Waiting for Breaking Dawn Part Two

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Wed, 02 May 2012 19:08:00 PDT

Just wondering...are all the Twilighters still anxiously awaiting Breaking Dawn Part Two? It seems like forever until November gets here!

The collage above was made using the exclusive new template available only at Photovisi. Go check it out and make one, too!!!

Melancholia Movie Review

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 19:21:00 PDT

I recently decided to upgrade my Amazon account to Amazon Prime so I can take advantage of the many additional benefits of being a Prime member, including the ability to stream movies and shows that I can't find on my Netflix account (many of which are at no extra costs to Prime members).

One of the recently added movies available for streaming on Amazon is Melancholia starring Kirsten Dunst. Since I've heard so much about the movie, I thought I ought to check it out. Besides that, Alexander Skarsgård is also in it. Remember him from True Blood? He was voted Best Horror Actor three years in a row at the Scream Awards!

I am not really sure how to feel about Melancholia because I've never seen anything like it. It moves slow...like Castaway slow. But yet it had a uniquely artistic quality to it that is attributable to its director Lars Von Trier's distinct, psychosocial, expressionistic style. He managed to show the cast in compelling, believably dysfunctional roles and yet, allow these characters to change in ways we'd understand the reasons for during the movie. And he managed this without a lot of characters yelling and screaming their heads off or becoming physically violent to one another. A lot of this was shown through the careful display of the actors' ability to show emotions through their facial expressions and body language. Not something you see in a typical movie. I can see why he is such an acclaimed director.

A great part of the characters' evolution centers around the impending planetary collision between earth and a new gaseous planet called Melancholia (hence the movie's title), which supposedly was just going to be a "fly-by" and not an actual collision. But you can see how all this anticipated doom affects the characters as they try desperately to focus on life and not on death.

Justine, played by Kirsten Dunst, tries her hardest to look happy and keep her composure on her wedding day despite the belittling remarks made by her mother and despite the constant criticisms expressed by her boss (who was also at the wedding). Her sister, Claire, played by Charlotte Gainsbourg, doesn't seem all that helpful either at first because it seemed she was more worried about how much she and her husband spent on this lavish wedding and reception than she was about how her sister truly felt.

Yet later on, when Justine became so depressed that she could barely function in her daily activities, Claire was the unrelenting caregiver who seemed that she would give up everything (including her husband, played by Kiefer Sutherland, who was already angry that Justine was living there with the couple and their child) to take care of her sister. You wonder why Claire was doing all this instead of simply taking Justine to a psychiatrist. Perhaps there were none? Or maybe I missed it when I started to wonder if I should even finish watching this very slow movie.

In another turning point in the story, Claire becomes more and more obsessed with the possible planetary collision that she ends up going through some kind of manic phase herself. It was kind of a sad twist to the story which ends up with the two sisters and Claire's son being together at the end, watching their world come to an end.

If I had to rate this movie on a score of 1 to 5, I'd give it a 3 - only because I think the director and the cast did excellent jobs on the movie and truly deserve an award. But I couldn't give it more because I don't think the storyline left me feeling like I'd want to see it again. I actually felt kind of "melancholy" (no pun intended) after watching it.

Two Thoughts for Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:01:00 PDT

In mid-February this year, I noticed a very swift-moving wren flying in and out of the warehouse near the graphics room where I go to do some printing jobs at work. It was also about that time that I noticed that it was actually building a nest in one of our bookshelves there. This is what it looked like:

Even during the month of March, I saw the bird coming back and forth every so often but there were also large gaps of time where I didn't see the bird coming back. I didn't do anything about the nest because there were some days that I didn't see any birds there at all. I figured the bird gave up and decided to build another nest somewhere else - like outside the building, perhaps?!

What a surprise when last week, we came in to work early one morning to the loud chirps of the tiny baby birds being coached out of the building by their parents. It was amazing!!!

I tried to take some pictures and videos of the baby wrens as they were learning to fly. Here's a couple of stills I got of two of the babies:

Here's a video of the baby bird that was on top of the cylindrical drums as he was trying to fly away:

Now that you've read all that, I must say, my first thought today is that I am still in awe about the amazing way the parent birds kept coming back for their young and taking time to get them to fly out of the building on their own. In fact, one of the four babies had challenges getting out and one of the parents tried very hard the next day to coach it. Finally, one of my co-workers got the baby to fly into a box and took it out to where the rest of its family were gathered. Now they're all outside and free.

My second thought today is that I'm really gonna miss those birds. That was such an amazing nature story to have witnessed. Reminds me of the robin family that had built a nest on top of the pear tree in my backyard about two years ago. All I can say is,"WOW!"

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

A special thank you to my readers

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 07:19:00 PDT

I just wanted to take a moment to let my readers and followers know how much I appreciate all your support, comments, and feedback. THANK YOU so very much!!!

Katy Perry Shocker

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:41:00 PDT

I'm not old-fashioned but I do set some limits on what I think is appropriate for young children and teens. So it comes as no surprise that Katy Perry's album Teenage Dream really shocked me. I never really listened to the album since I hear songs from it all the time on the radio. And while I realize that sometimes Katy Perry can dress rather provocatively, I never paid mind to her dressing style because it is mainly her music (and not really her clothes) that is popular with the youth of today. When she popularized the song "I Kissed A Girl (and I Liked It)", I even kind of thought of it as a song with a sense of humor.

So I never thought there might be anything shockingly suggestive in her well-selling album, Teenage Dream, or anything inappropriate for her fans who might be as young as my 8-year old daughter. Besides that, there was no adult advisory labels on her album which I was able to borrow and listen to from my local library. I figured this would be a fun, danceable, innocent album to listen to.

Boy was I wrong!!! (Warning: if you don't want to read explicit or suggestive lyrics, go no further).

Did they stop putting warning labels on music CDs? Or are warning labels only found on heavy metal, rock, or rap albums? Unless someone removed the sticker, I didn't see one on this album so my jaw dropped when I listened to what Katy Perry was singing in the track "Circle The Drain". Here she goes:

You fall asleep during foreplay
‘Cause the pills you take are more your forte
I’m not sticking around to watch you go down
Wanna be your lover
Not your fucking mother
Can’t be your savior
I don’t have the power
I’m not gonna stay
And watch you circle the drain
Watch you circle the drain
Watch you circle the drain

And what about the song "Peacock"? Here's what she sings:

Are you brave enough to let me see your peacock
Don’t be a chicken boy, stop acting like a bee-otch
I’ma peace out if you don’t give me the payoff
Come on baby let me see
What you hiding underneath

In that same song, she also repeats this chorus:

Peacock, -cock, -cock,
Your peacock, -cock
Your peacock, -cock, -cock,
Your peacock
I wanna see your peacock, -cock, -cock,
Your peacock, -cock
Your peacock, -cock, -cock,
Your peacock

The song "Last Friday Night" was not any cleaner. Here she sings:

We went streaking in the park
Skinny dipping in the dark
Then had a ménage à trois
Last Friday night

I was glad I didn't let my daughter listen to this before I had gotten the chance to. Definitely not something I'd want to hear my daughter's teacher tell me she's been singing in school!

The Commuters - Free Album Download

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:50:00 PDT

Back in December I blogged about a cool indie band called The Commuters. Today, they finally released their full-length album entitled Rescue. And for a limited time - check this out! - it's available for free download through the band's website.

Here's the track listing:

1. As I Make My Way 03:59
2. Lines On Your Hands 03:52
3. Rescue 03:12
4. Hope To Be 03:35
5. Take a Step Back 03:44
6. Great Escape 04:29
7. Kneeling 03:22
8. We Are Breathing 03:49
9. Fallen From Grace 03:13
10. Bombs Away 03:22
11. You'll Stay Right Here 03:37

All songs (words and music) written by Zeeshan Zaidi
Produced by Zeeshan Zaidi and Uri Djemal
Recorded and Mixed by Uri Djemal at Madpan Productions, NY, NY
Mastered by Fred Kevorkian at Kevorkian Mastering/Avatar, NY, NY
(C) 2012 Communal Records and Solistic Music Publishing

Just for fun

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:20:00 PDT

I had a lot of fun with my Dream Guy of the Week "mini-series" last summer that I decided I'd collect all these dream guys (and more) in a new blog. Just for fun, I decided to call it The Male Showbiz Hotties Place. It's hosted here on Blogspot. :)

The blog is more of a photoblog site which features mostly collages that I put together or that I found on the Internet. There's very little writing in it...just mainly eye candy. LOL! Come check it out - THE MALE SHOWBIZ HOTTIES PLACE.

Two Thoughts - Madonna and her Music

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 21:01:00 PDT

When it comes to solo female musical performers, I've always counted Madonna as #1. I think she is very versatile and talented as a musician, singer, and dancer. I can't say the same about her acting although I did find her 1987 movie Who's That Girl quite entertaining at the time. Who remembers that movie?

For this week's Two Thoughts on Tuesday at BlogDumps, I thought I'd share two thoughts about Madonna's latest music. (LiggyzDreamz, after all, started out as a blog about my music interests).

First off - I am currently listening to Madonna's new album, MDNA. She performed the song "Give Me All Your Luvin" at this year's Superbowl and I thought it was pretty cool! I was impressed with its cheery and upbeat sound and it was hard not to want to dance along to it. But the other songs in the album are just not grabbing me...seriously, I'm kind of disappointed in this latest album by Madge.

In one song titled "Gang Bang" she says the word "B*tch" so much you start to wonder if she's developing Alzheimer's and has only a limited vocabulary. And the profanity in the other tracks shocked me! I expected a fresh new dance album from an artist who's displayed immense talent over the past three decades. Real talent does not necessitate the use of profanity. Madonna's need (or senseless desire?) to use profanity in this album only undermines what little creative talented that my aging favorite female singer may have left. Does she not believe in talent anymore? Or does she believe that listeners don't appreciate real talent, real music anymore?

I had a feeling this album was going to disappoint me as soon as I started playing the first track. It began with a recitation of a Catholic prayer. Okay, I thought, what was that supposed to be for? When I got to track number nine, titled "I'm a Sinner", all I heard was Madonna proudly proclaiming "I'm a sinner and I like it that way" over and over until you want to say, "So what?! Now shut up!"

That brings me to thought number two. I may not be a very devout, religious person but I feel like Madonna is mocking religion in this album. And by mocking, I don't mean like her controversial 1980's song "Like a Prayer". I consider that song more of a positive metaphor to prayer. It was the accompanying music video, not the song itself, that drew the ire of many religious groups. The story in the music video didn't really follow the lyrics either. So the video, more or less, was just an attention-grabber. And grab a lot of attention it did successfully, as far as I can remember. Pepsi even cancelled their advertisements which were supposed to have featured this song. Anyone else remember that?

To me, any religious expression should be positive - no matter what denomination is represented. I just don't think any religion or religious practice should be mocked - period. After listening to this album, I think that this time, Madonna has gone too far. I'm sorry, Madonna...I just think you're trying a little too hard to get attention this time and I think you're going about it the wrong way.

Don't forget to click the blinking button below before you leave :)

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

Two Thoughts on The Hunger Games Movie

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 21:01:00 PDT

I took my kids with me to the AMC Movie Theater this week-end and watched The Hunger Games together. While my son is old enough to have read the book, he didn't read the book because he prefers to read Fantasy and Humor books over this type of novel. My daughter is still in elementary school so she, of course, has definitely not (yet) read the book. They both came willingly anyway because they've heard from others about the movie and know I've been waiting to see it.

The first thought I wanted to share with BlogDumps and other blog readers this Tuesday (on Two Thoughts for Tuesday) is that I'm glad my kids both wanted to see the movie because when I read The Hunger Games, I thought there were a lot of lessons to be learned about life and making choices, especially choices that mean sacrificing yourself for the safety or comfort of someone you love. There are also lessons to learn about being a quick-thinker, particularly when it means your survival. In The Hunger Games, being the best warrior doesn't necessarily guarantee your survival. And that was something that was pointed out to the main characters when they were taught lessons from previous hunger games.

My second thought is that the entire cast of this movie did a phenomenal job in their performances. It's not just hype either. Young and mature cast alike did an excellent job. We can give credit to both the director for bringing out the best in these actors, and credit the actors themselves for proving that they deserved to play the parts they were cast in.

I did want to point out one special character that touched my heart and my children's hearts (and even the heart of my son's best friend who saw the movie with his mom during the first week-end showing). This character was Rue. I won't spoil anything by saying that she died because we all know that in "the hunger games" only one victor is to emerge anyway...and even if you hadn't read the book, you'd know the main character (Katniss) has to have made it somehow. So anyway, Rue just seemed so out of place to be pitted against other tributes in the arena. She was so young, so caring, so innocent, so unafraid...even Katniss knew this young girl didn't belong there in a fight to the death. But they had no choice, no stopping the annual games. There were a couple of other very tender, emotional moments in the movie, but I think that it's because of Rue's character you might need to bring yourself some tissues to wipe your tears. See for yourself.

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

Hunger Games Fan Art

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 05:31:00 PDT

Just as there had been a lot of fan art being shared for the Twilight movies, there are also a number of beautiful fan art being shared for the new Hunger Games movie. Here's one I like from KawaiiKarissa on the Deviant Art site.

I think this digital painting of Peeta (played by Josh Hutcherson) captures a pondersome moment from the story!

Now this is absolutely amazing...a crocheted piece! Too late for me, the artist, Shywalker, has already sold this piece. But now that truly took some time and patience to make!

This pencil sketch by dbrytpurl09 is also brilliant. Just check out the lighting details incorporated into the sketch. Love it!

Two Thoughts Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 21:01:00 PDT

First off, The Hunger Games movie was released this past week-end - whoot whoo!!! And it was the #1 box office draw, too - whoot whoo again!!!

No, I'm not posting a movie review this time because - believe it or not - I actually haven't gone to see it yet. I stopped watching movies during the first week-end release after deciding that I was never going to put up with the annoyances of people constantly pushing or kneeing the back of my seat (among the many other rude behaviors many movie-goers seem to think is acceptable inside a dark room where other people are simply trying to have an enjoyable time). So I either wait for a movie to be out a little while or I get it as soon as it comes out on DVD/BluRay. In the meantime, I'm still reading Mockingjay, the third book of the trilogy.

So, my next thought is The Avengers movie is coming out the week-end of my birthday. Hmm...now, I know I said I don't see movies the first week-end of its release, but this one has such an amazing, awesome cast...plus it's gonna be my birthday...what do you think I should do?

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

The Hunger Games book

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 11:52:00 PST

Last night, I finished reading Suzanne Collins's 1st book of The Hunger Games trilogy. This first book, The Hunger Games, was released in September 2008, followed the next year by Catching Fire (The Second Book of the Hunger Games), and later, of course, by Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, Book 3). These were best-sellers in the Young Adult (ages 12 to adult) fiction category...the same category as other best-sellers like The Twilight Saga and The Vampire Diaries , which have also been dramatized on-screen.

It was really hard to put the book down to take a break once I got past the part where Katniss "volunteered" to be tribute right after her scared 12-year old sister's name got drawn from the lottery. (And that was early on in the story!!!) You start to feel the emotional pressure and struggle building from there on when Katniss describes her disbelief and shock upon hearing her sister's name get called.

Out of thousands of names, she explains, how could her sister's one and only "entry" get picked from the lottery? And when you figure that Katniss had voluntarily added her name in multiple times in exchange for tesserae (which allows her to get more food for her family) you would think that Katniss had more chances to have been picked. And so goes the story...

Katniss enters the Hunger Games in place of her sister and has to battle 23 other "tributes", some of whom are called "Career tributes" or simply "Careers" because they train their whole lives to become tributes and have mastered many fighting and survival skills to be able to win the games. They come from the wealthier districts which consider it an honor to become a tribute. But is it an honor to be placed in an arena with 23 other tributes, only to be allowed to have one emerge as winner - after having to hunt down and kill each other in front of cameras that broadcast the yearly event to the villagers of their districts?

The entire novel is written in an easy to follow prose and is written from Katniss's point of view. It details her emotions and her thoughts as she goes through the events. There are some flashbacks described in the story but all are written without the choppiness that I find very difficult to follow in many flashback style books.

I enjoyed reading this book a lot and look forward to seeing how these characters are portrayed in the upcoming movie starring Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss, although I'm already pretty sure the book will be superior to the movie. That's they way it always is. Anyway, I'd also like to see what happens next in the story. The ending of the first book concludes the 74th Hunger Games but it also lets you know that there's more in store for our heroine in the future. And that - I've got to see!!!

The cast of the March 2012 movie, The Hunger Games.

Tuesday Thoughts - The Vow

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 21:01:00 PST

Two of the top movies this past week-end were Safe House and The Vow. Although Safe House looked like a very exciting movie to watch, I convinced my hubby to go out with me to see The Vow as our post-Valentine's Day date movie. Wanna know what we thought about it?

For starters, I brought a pack of tissues in the expectation that my hubby might need them - LOL! (After all, I did see his face getting with a few tears when we watched Nights in Rodanthe).

Well, we didn't end up using the tissues. It wasn't as much of a tear-jerker as we thought it might be. But that doesn't mean we were disappointed. Heck no! The Vow was actually a really great movie with a very touching story. It gets you thinking about how love can make you feel and how far you'll be willing to go to ensure the happiness of the person you love. You'll wonder what you would do if you and your loved one ended up in the same situation - where some unfortunate accident causes the one you love to lose all memories of the love you both shared or who you are.

The concept of love in the movie also stretches beyond the couple without complicating the plot much. It touches upon the kind of love that exists between friends, parents and children, siblings, and even an ex-lover. I won't go into detail about it so I don't spoil it for anyone who hasn't seen the movie yet.

And while there are some similarities to Rachel McAdam's other movie (The Notebook) where she also loses her memory, this is not The Notebook and should not be compared to The Notebook. I will honestly admit that I think The Notebook is by far the BEST love story ever written or portrayed on the big screen. So it wouldn't be fair to compare anything else to it. Everything will always be second-best to The Notebook.

I must say, though, that all the actors in The Vow played their roles very well, whether they played your average city person, upper class professional, or someone you just know is a plain old hypocrite. Some roles were just minor parts that didn't require an Oscar-winning skill to do so I wouldn't really put much thought into their roles. You'll know what I mean when you watch it. One thing I noticed was that Channing Tatum did a lot better here than he did in Dear John, where I really wasn't too impressed with his acting skills. In The Vow, he made his character believably likeable and admirable.

Definitely must give this films both thumbs up. If you can't do the same, then you must have never fallen in love before and won't be able to appreciate the value of the love story in this movie.

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

Two Romantic Thoughts for Tuesday

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 20:59:00 PST

Hearts image © Copyright Arizona Kate

I have two thoughts to share this Tuesday! First, it's Valentine's Day...and I hope we all do what the day symbolizes for many, which is to share love with others. Love isn't something you can keep to yourself. Now really, how can you? If you have love, you want nothing more than to be able to share it. And that's what I wish for this day.

My second thought is...

My hubby and I are waiting till the week-end for our Valentine's date. I know! Why?! You see, he's agreed to go see a chick flick with me and I don't want to go out when everybody and their boyfriend or girlfriend, lover, spouse, or significant other is gonna be out celebrating. Not for me! I want to go when I know neither one of us has to wake up early to go to work the next day and we don't have to worry if we're standing in a long line to get in a restaurant or movie theater or wherever it is we decide to go.

So for me, I want to see Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum in The Vow!!! I love Rachel McAdams. To me, she's like the new Meg Ryan - so adorable with her school-girl like charm and yet so appealing as a woman in love, especially when it comes to those romantic movies. And Channing Tatum looks perfect for this movie. Although I didn't really like him in Dear John, I think his role in The Vow is more suitable for him. Perhaps he was more into this role than in Dear John, hence the better performance. But that's just judging from the movie trailers alone. I need to see the movie to really judge that.

Guess I'll have to let you know next week...

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

I hate myself for loving you

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:30:00 PST

Photo Credit: Michael Conroy/AP

I really loved Madonna's performance at this past Superbowl's Halftime Show. She kept it professional and clean (too bad M.I.A. had to spoil it with her immature finger gesture). But I'm not gonna talk about the Superbowl again tonight. This time, I'm looking back at some of my other favorite female musical performers and thought I'd enjoy some Joan Jett. "I hate myself for loving you" but I sure love Joan Jett, too!!! :)

Two Exciting Thoughts

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:30:00 PST

First thought: I can't wait for this Sunday! It's Superbowl Sunday! Yippee!!! (Does anyone even say "yippee" anymore or am I showing my age?) Although I'm not a big football fan (or a big sports fan for that matter), I do LOVE to see championship games and this Superbowl game is one I don't want to miss. My all-time favorite female solo musical performer, Madonna, is gonna perform at the half-time show! I am so excited!

My second thought: The half-time show isn't the only thing I enjoy about watching the Superbowl. In between the excitement of many the breathtaking throws, players getting tackled by mountains of other players, and the occasional fumbles that make the frustrated die-hard fan curse like there's no tomorrow, there's also the very entertaining commercials. Here's one I found that they decided to release early (for a change). I wonder if they'll modify this ad for when it airs on Superbowl Sunday.

Wasn't that fun...for those of us old enough to have enjoyed Ferris Bueller? Before you go, please click on this blinking button below so that Blogdumps knows you stopped by? And have a great Superbowl Sunday!!!

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

Heidi Klum and Seal Break Up

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 19:00:00 PST

Just a little over a year ago, I took a look at celebrity break-ups and pointed out some of the things I noticed about the couples before they announced their break-ups. But now I hear about Heidi Klum and Seal breaking up and I am just soooooo shocked!

Seriously, did anyone even see that coming?

My first thought today is how could this happen? The two renew their vows every year. And you always see them looking so happy and in love every where they go.

My second thought is can their marriage be saved? I hate to see such happy couples with beautiful children not be able to get past the challenges that marriage brings, especially when it comes to high profile marriage challenges.

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers and to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments

Evanescence - The New Album

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:01:00 PST

Evanescence finally released their long-awaited, self-titled album in October. It made it to the top of the charts for its first week release sales of 127,000 copies. Although it sold far less than their other chart-topping album, "The Open Door", the new album still made it to the top of the charts for albums sold that week. It trails only slightly to the sales of their debut album, "Fallen" which sold 141,000 copies in its first week.

I had the chance to listen to the album and I loved it! While I've heard and read some mixed reviews about the album, I personally thought that the album stayed true to the deep, rich gothic metal sound that made Evanescence tops in that genre of music. Alternative rock and alternative metal music lovers should also find the album satisfactory. And no, the album is definitely not just a rehash of their previous hits.

Coupled with Amy Lee's beautifully expressive, yet hauntingly mystifying voice, the album features a harmonious blend of synthesizers, percussions, rhythm guitar, and bass guitar. The keyboards/piano in a couple of the tracks add an emotional tone to the music, especially in the 7th track, Lost in Paradise, where the "softer" intro leads to a more dramatic melody.

The track listing:

1.What You Want (3:41)
2. Made Of Stone (3:33)
3. The Change (3:42)
4. My Heart Is Broken (4:29)
5. The Other Side (4:05)
6. Erase This (3:55)
7. Lost In Paradise (4:42)
8. Sick (3:30)
9. End Of The Dream (3:49)
10. Oceans (3:38)
11. Never Go Back (4:27)
12. Swimming Home (3:43)

Take some time to listen to "What You Want" here. I think Amy Lee is an amazing performer! She also looks like the perfect goth queen! I love her! (Hopefully Evanescence adds my city to their tour schedule...my hubby and I would love to see them again!)

Any true Evanescence fan will definitely want to make sure to get their hands on this album!

Happy Birthday, Bradley Cooper

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 19:37:00 PST

Yes, today is your day, Bradley Cooper! And everyone is probably reminding you that People Magazine named you the Sexiest Man Alive in their recent double issue. I may not have featured you in my summer dream guy of the week but you were definitely on my list! HAPPY 37TH BIRTHDAY!!!

The Commuters

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:38:00 PST

Here's an interesting alternative, indie rock band from New York. The bandmembers are:

Zeeshan Zaidi – Canadian-born, Philippines-raised frontman who also plays guitar, piano, keyboards, songwriter, co-producer
Uri Djemal – who was also raised in the Philippines (by parents of Israeli and American descent)– plays guitar, keyboards, and is also co-producer
Ben Zwerin – who plays bass
Paul Amorese – who plays drums

Here's the band's official music video for "As I Make My Way":

If you like what you hear, you can download a digital EP from the band's BandCamp page or sign up for their newsletter and get 4 tracks for FREE!

New MCR 2012 Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 18:02:00 PST

I just saw this...the MCR online store has just released a new 12 month 2012 poster calendar. You can get FREE shipping on orders of $75 or more at the store by using this code GIFT2011 at check out. The calendar itself is just $9.99 and features images from “Danger Days: The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys.”

Sixx AM's 7

noreply@blogger.com (Liggy) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 17:25:00 PST

Were you guys aware that Sixx AM has an acoustic 7-song EP available on iTunes? You can get it here: http://bit.ly/rK9tMp. There is also a FREE download of the track "Codependence" available at: http://bit.ly/uH8jBe.

The track listing from the album is:

1. Lies of the Beautiful People
2. This Is Gonna Hurt
3. Life Is Beautiful
4. Help Is on the Way
5. Sure Feels Right
6. Pray for Me
7. Accidents Can Happen