Mindless Fact Monday

It's back!!  I know - I know...it's been forever.  I thought I had lost my list of mindless facts to the cyber netherworlds, but I have found them!
So...here we go!

~A lion, a tiger and a bear (Oh My!!) all coexist harmoniously together in one enclosure.

~ Jell-O is made from bone and hides.  If you don't believe me...check here.

~ In 1970, the Oregon Department of Transportation attempted to dispose of a whale carcass by blowing it up.

~ President John Tyler had the most children of any president in history at 15 children.  He is also the oldest former president with living grandchildren.  Tyler was born in 1790 and his two living grandchildren, Lyon Tyler, Jr. (born in 1924) and Harrison Tyler (born in 1928).

~ Approximately 3% of Americans will give a Valentine's gift to their pets this coming Friday.

~ The word "cleave" is the only English word that has two synonyms that are antonyms of each other:  adhere and separate.

~ The average yawn lasts 6 seconds.
.

~ In Muddy, Illinois, the post office measures only 7 1/2 feet by 10 1/2 feet, about the size of a garden shed.  If it wasn't for a sign hanging above the door stating, "U.S. Post Office, Muddy, IL., 62965", finding the tiny, wooden building could be difficult.  It is believed to be one of the smallest post offices in the United States.

And of course a few Olympic mindless facts to wrap it up...

~ The first Winter Olympic games were held in Chamonix, France in 1924.

~ No country in the southern hemisphere has ever hosted the Winter Olympics.  (Probably because it is summer time down there.)

Enjoy!!

Inhale:::Movie Review

Inhale

I'd never heard of this movie and was utterly amazed by it.  Dermot Mulroney was unbelievable.  The cinematography was beautiful.  I was able to totally immerse myself in their lives for 1 hour and 23 minutes - which is exactly what I believe a great movie should do.

Trying to save his dying daughter, Paul (Mulroney), a New Mexico district attorney, travels to Mexico in search for an illegal lung transplant while his wife (Diane Kruger) and daughter wait anxiously at home.  But, upon arrival, he learns the ugly truth about this "business" of illegal organ donations.

***and just as a totally mindless addition...while Dermot Mulroney was cute in My Best Friend's Wedding - I found him totally HOT in this movie!  The graying hair and beefed up physique totally works on him!

Devil's Pass & The Numbers Station:::Movie Reviews

Devil's Pass

First of all, don't let the bare back on the woman in on the cover fool you.  There is no nudity in this movie - which is actually a nice relief.  Too many times Hollywood thinks that horror - or thriller - automatically means that I want to see nudity.  No thanks.  You can scare me with your clothes on.  It is in the style of a "found footage" film - which has kind of played itself out over the past few years, but I still enjoyed it.

When I first thought about reviewing this movie, I was planning on giving it 3 stars.  Then, this morning, while I was driving my daughter to school, I was telling her about the movie when I had a *AHA* moment about it.  I hadn't even realized something about the movie until I was telling her (which I didn't end up telling her in case she ever wanted to watch it - I don't like to give out surprises).  That alone bumped it up another star.  

The premise is fairly simple.  5 college kids travel to the Ural Mountains in Russia to re-create and hopefully solve what happened to the hikers of the Dyatlov Pass incident - an actual event.    Strange noises and even stranger footprints begin to haunt the hikers until the sound of explosions changes everything - for everyone.

The Numbers Station

I hadn't heard of this one but thought I'd give it a try.  I was pleasantly surprised by this one.  I am a huge John Cusack fan.  When he's on - he's fantastic.  Definitely one of the most under-rated actors alive.

Cusack plays a black ops agent assigned to a remote CIA broadcast station to protect a code operator (Akerman).  When the station is compromised - they must fight for their life and determine who is a friend and who is a foe.

This one is good.  I haven't seen Malin Akerman in anything other than Couple's Retreat so I didn't have any preconceived notions about her.  Check it out.  

A Haunting in Connecticut 2:::Review

I actually liked this movie.  It is labeled a "thriller" and not a horror although it probably could have gone either way.  It's scarier than horror's I've seen (not that it is all that scary to begin with - just relatively speaking).  I've been into watching thrillers lately basically because horrors are so disappointing most times.

My issue with this movie is that it is considered a sequel.  In my book, a sequel:

~ has characters from the first movie

~ has a theme from the original movie

~ is at least in the same state as the first movie

~ has anything remotely similar to the first movie

This had none of those things.  That was slightly irritating to me.  It's a different family, in a different house, with different "hauntings", in a completely different state.  I think they should have just called this A Haunting in Georgia and left it at that.

Other than that, I did enjoy this movie.  The ending was not quite what I expected - which is always a nice surprise.  Too often the endings are very predictable.  The characters were good.  The sister was annoying at first - but she grew on me as the movie went on.  Emily Alyn Lind, who played Heidi, did a great job.

2014 Grammy Awards ~ A Fashion Review

I must say that I was expecting more from the Grammy's!  Where were the crazy outfits from the past??  They were no where to be found.  No purple Lil Kim pasties or crazy Gaga outfits tonight.

But - there was still a lot of bad outfits out there - and some good ones too.

Best Dressed

#5 - Colbie Caillat in Ezra Couture by Ezra Santos

Christoper Polk/Getty Images

I think this might be the best I've ever seen the pop singer look.  This color is amazing on her.  I would prefer no shoulder pad but other than that she looks beautiful.  The sheer trend is trying to catch on (I wish it wouldn't) but this is trendy yet still tasteful.

#4 - Crissy Teigen in Johanna Johnson

Lester Cohen/WireImage

Attention Grammy nominees and past winners...when a +1 is upstaging you - it's time to step it up - although her model background probably doesn't hurt.  Mrs. John Legend is dazzling in this belted strapless gown.

#3 - P!nk in Johanna Johnson

Jason Merritt/Getty

I don't know if I've ever seen P!nk in red before - but she looks fantastic!  Feminine but still has her rocker edge.  Gorgeous!

#2 - Miranda Lambert in Pamella Roland

Jordan Strauss/Invision

I have never seen Miranda Lambert look this great!  The country star is rockin' this gown with her new slimmed-down self.  The Veronica Lake-ish waves go perfectly with her look.

#1 - Ciara in Pucci

Larry Busacca/WireImage

The R&B/hip-hop singer looks amazing!!  Her Pucci gown is gorgeous on her skin and her hair and make-up are flawless!  The subdued tones of her make-up really let her gown shine.  The pregnancy glow isn't hurting either.  Stunning!

The Worst Dressed!

#5 - Tasha Cobbs in unknown designer

Jason Merritt/Getty

I think the color is great on the gospel singer.  The fit isn't too bad either.  My issue is with her hair.  It pulls the whole look down and makes her head look too small for her body and because of that one thing...I don't like it at all - as a whole.  If her hair was curled - I think this would have looked great and definitely taken her off the worst dressed list.

#4 - Zendaya in Emanuel Ungaro

Larry Busacca/WireImage

Um...no.  I'm not sure what look this Disney channel star was going for - but this is not working for her.  I've never been a fan of the slicked back hair look and the rest of the outfit is just ugly.  And - please don't stick your leg out a la Angelina Jolie.  It looked stupid when she did it and it looks stupid when everyone else does it.  

#3 - Fantasia in Isabel Toledo

Jordan Strauss/Invision

The former American Idol winner and R&B singer just has way too much going on with this outfit.  I think if it was cut off at the end of the beige dress and she lost the weird red strap (which is apparently not a lanyard even though it looks like one) it might be a passable dress.  But, as is, it is just too busy.  It looks like there are 3 different layers going on there.  On the bright side, her hair and make-up look really good.

#2 - Kaya Jones in Andre Soriano

Lester Cohen/WireImage

The Pussycat Doll singer is just trashy looking in this cut WAY too high gown.  This is just skanky looking.  

#1 - Skylar Grey in Michael Costello

Jordan Strauss/Invision

The singer picked the wrong color for her Grammy gown.  It completely washes her out.  Maybe a different color would help...maybe not.  But when your dress is the color of a band-aid...yuck.

Now, some of you might think I have over looked a few people.  Those will go on this list:

Didn't Love It - Didn't Hate It

Katy Perry in Valentino
Jason Merritt/Getty

I thought it was okay...I'm not a fan of the short-skirt-under-a-long-skirt thing.  Also, as with Skylar Grey's dress...I am so over the nude color dresses.  Maybe if the top of this had been black - I would have liked it more.

Taylor Swift in Gucci
Jordan Strauss/Invision

Again, it's okay.  I just feel like I've seen Taylor Swift in every sparkly gown ever made.  She wears them - a lot.  Also, I don't like short sleeves on gown.  I think it's goofy looking.

Ariana Grande in Dolce & Gabanna
Jordan Strauss/Invision

Again with the been there - done that.  And, is she wearing hose??  I've read reports that she has to wear her hair like that because it was fried after constantly dying it.  But this style is for a 4-year-old.  You have to find something else that can work.

Finally, regarding Madonna...

Jeff Vespa/WireImage

I think that bringing her black son to the Grammy's days after using the n-word on her Instagram picture of her white son is nothing but a PR stunt.  I'm sure that she thought she was "allowed" to use the n-word because she has a black son.  Umm...no.  I am married to a black man - and have been for longer than you've had your black son - and I would never use that word.  Madonna, you are looking ragged and this was an obvious attempt to remain relevant.  Time to darken the hair...soften the make-up and grow up.  You are looking rough.

The Bell Witch Haunting ~ Movie Review

I gave this movie 3 stars but for the movie only...It was a decent movie.  It is listed as a horror, but I didn't find it very scary but that might just be my jaded mind that has seen a lot of horror movies.  The story was okay in and of itself but - as someone who lives in Tennessee - I can tell you a few things:

~ While it is sometimes warm in January - it is nowhere near swimming weather in an outdoor pool.  

~ There are no palm trees in Tennessee either.  

~ There only seems to be one policeman in the town of Adams - and he is the most unlucky policeman ever to have to respond to all of these strange calls night after night.

If you want me to believe this movie was based in TN - please make sure to edit out the palm trees and have your party at a bowling alley or a skating rink instead of a pool party in January.