Movie Review: Thank You for SmokingOnce again, I started watching a movie, expecting a documentary (this time about the evils of the tobacco industry). Instead, I was given a delightful thinking comedy movie about the tobacco industry, lobbyists, spin doctors, and the sales industry. Nick Naylor is the spokesman for the tobacco industry. He lobbies [...]

Movie Review: WALL-EI finally got the chance to watch this, and I was very impressed. This has to be the cutest robot movie I’ve ever seen, and it is one of the best movies for kids that I’ve seen in a long time.  Rated G – now how often do you see that anymore?  Truly [...]

Movie Review: The Science of SleepI started watching this movie, expecting a documentary from BBC or the Discovery Channel about sleep and dreams. It was definitely not that, but something much better. A Michel Gondry film. The director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, many of Bjork’s music videos, and several other amazing works, [...]

Super Tasty Tuna or Salmon SaladIt’s getting warmer, and quick salads with bread or crackers are great for lunch! When I was a kid, tuna salad meant tuna, mayonnaise, and pickles. Blah. It tasted good, but Blah. This recipe is based off of one in the Joy of Cooking, which I have modified for my [...]

The Garden Club and the Kumquat Campaign by Des KennedyThis is one of those perfect stories that I just couldn’t quit reading and was very sad to finally put down. Des Kennedy is a resident of Denman Island in the Georgia Strait of British Columbia, Canada, which I have had the recent pleasure of enjoying. [...]

Laurel’s Kitchen by Laurel Robertson, Carol Flinders, and Brian RuppenthalI’ve seen that there is a “The New Laurel’s Kitchen” now, but I’m not familiar with it. This is for the original. Having spent time with a vegetarian family (we were provided food, but no meat, and I had to cook), I got a lot of [...]

The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan I’ve just finished reading The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan. As with The Joy Luck Club, I was very impressed and found myself lost in the realism and emotion of the story. As with many of her books, Tan brings in the elements of the mother-daughter relationship, and old [...]

Plain and Simple: A Woman’s Journey to the Amish by Sue BenderI loved this little book (just 152 pages, I read it in a few hours). It was not only a delight to read, but also aesthetically pleasing and nice to hold in my hands. It is an autobiography, but also a spiritual book. Although [...]