Gumby {another adorable Google doodle}

{turn up your volume to hear the "Gumby" theme song while you watch!}

... because i heart nostalgia ...

i have a special place in my heart for entertainment of days gone by. entertainment weekly did a cast reunion: then & now feature in the latest issue. these make my heart happy. some of the shots they got were just too perfect. there were definitely many more shows & casts that i would have liked to see. maybe they will do another issue!?! until then, enjoy these little gems. you can also check out all the photos at www.ew.com

{SIXTEEN CANDLES}

{MARRIED WITH CHILDREN}

{WILL & GRACE}

{GROWING PAINS}

{NORTHERN EXPOSURE}

{THE GILMORE GIRLS}

{HOME IMPROVEMENT}

{THE CAROL BURNETT SHOW}

{ROMY & MICHELE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION}

 {THE PRINCESS BRIDE}

 

Goodbye.

Like much of the world today, I am so saddened by the loss of Steve Jobs. It is literally mind blowing to think of the impact that this incredible visionary had on our society. Things that we take completely for granted may have never been part of the day-to-day vernacular if one man would have decided that following his dreams was to complicated, that his passion wasn't enough to base a career on or that his brilliance wouldn't live up to the expectations of others. Imagine for just a moment if Mr. Jobs had sold himself short. If he would have allowed doubt to incapacitate him from moving forward. If he would have given power to the naysayers. If he would have let conventional wisdom chart the course of his life. If he would have let words like complicated & difficult define his revolutionary inventions. 

In only 56 short years on this planet, he made it possible to literally touch the virtual world, he changed how we define music & video entertainment, he made digital interaction truly personal, he made an infinite amount of information just a single touch away, he lived life fully expecting the impossible to become possible and he was simply ... genius. I find him deeply inspirational on many levels. It leaves me wondering what more he could have accomplished if his life was not cut short. He will surely be missed, but not forgotten. I sit here contemplating his life and I ca't help but wonder, what must it have felt like in his final moments in this world to know, without so much as a whisper of doubt, that he had touched millions of lives and forever altered the course of society as a whole? Powerful.  I cannot wrap my mind around that concept. Cheers to a live well lived. 

 

ABC NEWS REMEMBERS STEVE JOBS

STEVE JOBS: HOW TO LIVE BEFORE YOU DIE {STANFORD UNIVERSITY, 2005}

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers

Lord, Save Us From Your Followers
This documentary is superb. Quite possibly the best I have ever seen, especially regarding religious documentaries. I found it as engaging as it was entertaining. I found myself laughing at ironic beliefs one minute and then feeling a sense of profound conviction in the next. I was hooked by the title first and then by the simple, yet poignantly true catchphrase for the movie ...

Why is the gospel of LOVE dividing America?

Dan Merchant takes this simple question and loads of curiosity on the subject of religion to the streets in a white jumpsuit covered in both Christian & secular bumper stickers. He uses this ridiculous get-up to acquire attention that makes people stop and then he can engage them in conversation. "Just pick out your favorite one," he says. Simple enough? Some popular choices from the suit-o-stickers:

Abortion: "Big People Killing Little People"

Evolution vs Creationism: "God spoke and BANG it happened!"

Hypocrisy: "Get the hell out of my way, I'm late for church."

The goal of this movie is to open the discussion between all sides of faith & culture. More often than not, religious rhetoric is divisive at best and catastrophic at worst. The staggering number of people that have been hurt in the name of religion has always been shocking to me. This documentary shows what I have always believed - that above ALL, we are called to simply LOVE one another. 

"There are some basic religious principles that could bind us together, but as a society we choose to let them tear us apart instead." Just imagine if we really tried to have conversations about things we disagreed on. We might find that our reasons behind our beliefs aren't all that different after all. I can say without hesitation that this film left an impression on my soul, not just my mind. No matter what side of the religious fence you find yourself on, I strongly encourage you to watch this film. It is guaranteed to make you think. It might not change your mind, but it could open it. 

One of the most powerful parts of the film for me was Merchants take on the Donald Miller & Tony Kriz's "Confession Booth" idea that took place at Reed College. He takes it to the Portland Pride Northwest festivities and the conversations that took place inside the "confessional" are deeply moving. Words (especially in the form of an apology) have real, tangible power. Don't ever forget that. 

{If you just want to see that portion of the film, it starts @ approx. 1 hour 12 min}

Some of my favorite quotes from the movie:

"Preach the gospel constantly. use words only when absolutely necessary."

"I honestly don't care what your motivation is for doing good, as long as you do it."

"You don't have to legitimize someones lifestyle or choices in order to love that person."

For me it all boils down to this - "Life & people are complicated. Compassion should be freely given, not earned. Everyone has a 'rest of the story' that you may never know. Love them anyway."

Watch it on Netflix or free on Hulu.

1 Corinthians 13:13

Galatians 5:14

1 John 4:20

The Wilderness Downtown

This is a Chrome Experiment.
It is an interactive film by Chris Milk featuring "We Used to Wait" by Arcade Fire.

It is pretty incredible.

You enter your childhood address (or any address will work). The amazing programming technology grabs images from the address you give and incorporates google earth photos with video animations in order to make each users video experience slightly different and unique to them.

I am in awe of the creative energy and marvelous talent that went in to creating this.

Check out THE WILDERNESS DOWNTOWN.

While you are at it, prepare to be amazed by the Johnny Cash Project too.
"A unique communal work, a living portrait of the man in black."

Hangover II

I have certainly never been privy to a hangover that was comical or entertaining.
Hangovers in real life = not funny.

Of the Boatmans, I am definitely the household movie fanatic. I enjoy all kinds and going to the theatre is one of my favorite pastimes. Mr. B however, not so much. He can pretty much take it or leave it for the most part. When it came to the Hangover II ... he was in for some opening day action. LOVE THAT!! I jumped on the excitement bandwagon and off we went. Kudos for the opening day being on a Thursday, no lines, no waiting and choice of any seat in the place. I must keep that in mind for future showing.

The Hangover is still one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. I love it. I remember laughing so hard that my stomach hurt all night. I am convinced that most of that comes from the fact that I just didn't know what to expect next. Though it is also on the list of movies that are funny to me no matter how many times I've seen them. Even though I thought this second flick was a good run at a sequel ... it was fairly predictable in my opinion. I have to hand it to the casting director though, these guys make such a great cast that  I can easily forgive the plots predictability. It was definitely as funny as I thought it would be. It's refreshing when a sequel doesn't totally disappoint.

Plus, Bradley Cooper - I mean who are we kidding here people. I say go see it.

Bittersweet.

my deep, abiding love for reading is matched by little else in my life. i have devoted many a precious minute (ok, hours) of my life and welcomed many a dawn in the process of devouring delicious books of various kinds. some have been purely educations, some just for fun, some inspiring,  a couple of tear-jerkers, a love story thrown in here and there, a few ridiculously good-humored picks, several that inspired me and a few that have stirred the very core of my being. if you are not a book person then i don't think you can really grasp the feeling that comes from immersing yourself in the words of someone else and seeing the world through their eyes for a brief moment in time. it is even more powerful when the author somehow captures YOUR point of view or the essence of your beliefs. at the turn of every page you are left thinking that they must have been inside your head carefully excavating the thoughts that you were unable to articulate on your own.

i made it my mission long ago to make my reading list diverse. it keeps me on my toes. i pick new books based on a litany of things - recommendations from friends, book clubs, top-pick lists, the cover art, the first page, the author's bio, if its on sale ... honestly i have a hard time finding reasons NOT to buy books. that being said, sometimes a book just finds its way into my life at the exact right time. call it luck. call it destiny. call it divine intervention. whatever the term is to describe the good fortune i have had over the years for this phenomenon to continue to happen has been a blessing in my life. serendipity in deed. i cannot put into words the humbleness of my heart every time i realize it has happened again. so it is with the book i began reading a few days ago. so far, every word has pierced deep and with the accuracy of a skilled marksman has found exactly the place to land in order to fill the holes of my soul. 

Bittersweet by Shauna Neiquist 

thoughts on change, grace & learning the hard way

"Bittersweet is the idea that in all things there is both something broken and something beautiful, that there is a moment of lightness on even the darkest of nights, a shadow of hope in every heartbreak, and that rejoicing is no less rich even when it contains a splinter of sadness. 'It's the practice of believing that we really do need both the bitter and the sweet, and that a life of nothing but sweetness rots both your teeth and your soul. Bitter is what makes us strong, what forces us to push through, what helps us earn the lines on our faces and the calluses on our hands. Sweet is nice enough, but bittersweet is beautiful, nuanced, full of depth and complexity. Bittersweet is courageous, gutsy, audacious, earthy. "

"This is what I've come to believe about change: it's good, in the way that childbirth is good, and heartbreak is good, and failure is good. By that I mean that it's incredibly painful, exponentially more so if you fight it, and also that it has the potential to open you up, to open life up, to deliver you right into the palm of God's hand, which is where you wanted to be all long, except that you were too busy pushing and pulling your life into exactly what you thought it should be. I've learned the hard way that change is one of God's greatest gifts, and most useful tools. Change can push us, pull us, rebuke and remake us. It can show us who we've become, in the worst ways, and also in the best ways. I've learned that it's not something to run away from, as though we could, and that in many cases, change is a function of God's graciousness, not life's cruelty."

TV Bliss {AKA the 2010 Fall Television Lineup}

I am a TV junkie. I wouldn't dream of pretending not to be. Ok, it is a little embarrassing sometimes when people are talking about shows they watched and I have seen the ALL, but oh well. I don't always get to watch them when they are on TV but I have managed to stay caught up on some of my faves using the ole' interwebs. I have contemplated getting DVR capabilities in my house but I could sincerely see my life spiraling out of control if that was an option!! Ok, maybe it wouldn't be that serious of a situation, but I would be bad. Trust me on this. I'm out of control. Geez.

So here's a little run down of shows I already love, I'm looking forward to and I wish I could watch. Don't judge me. I know I have a problem. I will get help when I am ready ok people?!?! Moving On.

I have to give them credit ... FOX is bringing it again this year. So many great shows. Someone on the FOX show scouting staff needs a mega-raise for locking down all these amazing shows for one network in the same season. SO EXCITING!!

GLEE - House - Fringe - Lie To Me - Hell's Kitchen - Raising Hope - Running Wilde

          

            

    

           

NBC doesn't have a great lineup in my opinion, but it is home to two of my MOST favorite shows (Parenthood & The Biggest Loser)! 

      

 

ABC is holding on to shows I already love (Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Brothers & Sisters, Cougar Town & of course, Modern Family). They are also premiering 2 that I am looking forward to checking out this season (Mr. Sunshine & Secret Millionaire). 

CBS has disappointed me in the past, but I am optimistic for the Fall lineup. 

The Good Wife - The Amazing Race - Undercover Boss - S#*! My Dad Says

     

      

       

      

I don't even know what to say about these two networks. I don't have premium cable. If HBO and Showtime were available to me on a regular basis I could see my life spiraling out of control!! Ok, maybe it wouldn't be that serious of a situation, but I would be bad. Trust me on this. 

True Blood and Big Love. From a world where Vampires walk among us in True Blood to a tale of modern day polygamy in Big Love. How do you love them both?! I don't know. It just works.

  

Showtime brings to the table Weeds, The Big C, The United States of Tara & The Tudors. Delicious.