The teaser trailer for Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull premiered Thursday.

The clip opens with a map of the famed Paramount mountain underneath the Lucasfilm Ltd. logo before flashing back to the three previous installments. In Raiders, “he protected the power,” in Temple of Doom “he saved the cradle of civilization,” and in Last Crusade, “he triumphed over the armies of evil.”

“On May 22…the adventure continues” interspliced with quick shots of what appears to be the U.S. government’s enigmatic Area 51 military base in Nevada, with our hero taken captive by a group of soldiers.

Cue John Williams’ classic theme as we see the shadow of Indy picking up his beloved fedora. Cut to Indy and his new sidekick, played by Ray Winstone, surrounded by guys with guns.

The trailer then launches into various action sequences, including one set in a warehouse that bears a striking resemblance to the facility where the Lost Ark was stored at the end of Raiders, with a creaky Indy not quite capable of his usual daring-do.
The clip ends with Shia LaBeouf—rumored to be playing Indy’s son—asking the globe-trotting archaeologist: “You’re a teacher?” And Indy replies, “Part-time.” Source

I watched the teaser trailer and eh, it reminds me of the Disneyland ride, especially all that riding around in the old jeeps. That’s what you ride in on the ride as well (yes, I know they are derived from the earlier Indy movies).

I like the Disneyland Indiana Jone’s Adventure ride but it breaks down too often. The Indy music just keeps playing, though. <eyeroll> We had to walk pretty far mid-ride to get to an exit after we broke down before the ride finished. Usually though, you can’t even get on the ride. Not kidding. It’s down more than it’s up. :/

The ride was a real disappointment last time ‘cos though I’d tried to go on a couple times, it was down for maintenance each time and the last time I tried no luck, either and then we had to leave–as in catch a plane home. It was a bummer.

I hope the film isn’t a bummer and I know it may sound petty to refer to Harrison Ford’s age but hell, the guy wasn’t young even back in Star Wars. He’s a fossil now. I’m sure they had to be careful that he didn’t put himself in a situation where he could break a body part.

And it sort of cheeses me off that “Marion” (Karen Allen) from the first flick is back but it appears her only purpose is as a bridge to introduce Indy’s son (Shia Labeouf, probably).

I hope she gets some decent screen time. Have you seen her in Starman with Jeff Bridges? She’s great.

Tags: film, Harrison Ford, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Karen Allen, Lucasfilms, Shia LaBeouf, Trailer

Hmmm.

Folks around here are not too generous with the compliments, lol.

I think what I get thanked for the most with my online friends is coming up with some perspectives that they may not be viewing their situation with. Essentially, they are boxed into a way a looking at a situation and I look at it through my lens, so to speak. I have a unique way of seeing things sometimes. It’s probably what fueled my efforts in becoming a counselor. So compliment- wise I would say that people find me helpful when sharing my perspective. Kind of wordy but I’m not sure how else to explain it. <shrug>

Tags: intuition, me, talent

What aspect of your personality could use a little work?

Aspect–that’s singular, right? Picking one is very hard to do.

OK. Let’s get on with it. My tunnel vision. Sometimes this works for me but just as often against me. Maybe it’s more a singular vision–when I am determined to accomplish something of import I go at it in a workaholic- like way. I’m just too intense and after it’s done. I look back and I’m glad it’s done but I think, “I’m an idiot.”

Tags: annoyances, me, under pressure

Took a drive up to Crystal Lake today where my friend cuts and colours my hair for about half the cost of what I’d pay at her downtown salon. (Thanks, M!)

I tuned into NPR on the car radio in hopes of getting some world news. Silly me, there was a presidential debate last night so essentially the “news” stories were filtered through the news people’s interpretation of what the candidates said, punctuated with a sound bite or two to illustrate how the candidates sounded when they said it.

The focus was mostly on Sen. John McCain, the most probable Republican candidate for President of the USA. On  NPR’s Talk Of The Nation talk show the first caller wanted to express her opinion of 3 or 4 day-old New York Times John McCain sorta implied sex scandal story, got a going over. Meh. I read the story. It wasn’t that great. Certainly not all that newsworthy but the pundits, always the pundits spinning. <eyeroll>

Next up was more non-news, again focusing on John McCain’s campaign. This one featured Robert Siegel talking with Bill Cunningham, host of the radio program The Big Show with Bill Cunningham.  I was wary because anyone who has a radio show with that title would make me wary. Bill Cunningham was all that basking in his 5-minutes (I can only hope) of notoriety because at a McCain rally he was recruited to “get the audience’s blood pumping” by “giving them some red meat.”

Cunningham’s way of giving this red meat was to refer to Sen. Barack Obama as “Barack Hussein Obama” three times.

I thought that host Robert Siegel was just a wee bit too easy on the guy, I suppose in an attempt to remain neutral? Anyway, Cunningham’s defence such as it was, was that he’d been recruited by low-level Republican members (it’s not his fault) and most amusingly that we should “talk to Franklin Delano Roosevelt or John Fitzgerald Kennedy.” Guess we are to call them back from the dead? He didn’t eleaborate. Oh, and he (Cunningham) didn’t say anything “untruthful” because that’s the name Barack’s parents gave him. I can’t recall a more mealy-mouth-sounding individual and why NPR gave the man a fraction of the news time they did doesn’t speak well of the network. The guy’s a bozo. He should be dismissed as such and let’s move on. No one cares that (this is the lead to the story!) “Cunningham has since renounced his support for Senator McCain.” It had to have been a really, really slow news day.

Tags: Barack obama, John McCain, news, NPR's, political, Robert Siegel, Talk Of The Nation

This is my *new* laptop’s bag.

I got it for one reason but it seems to be working for me in two three ways.

First, when I realized that the so-called laptop case that the computer came in was too flimsy, I went in search of another but I wasn’t in the mood to really look. OK, I hate to shop. It turned out however, that I needed to be “in the mood” as I couldn’t find a laptop bag that both fit the laptop and that would carry stuff like the cord, mouse (which it turns out I don’t need), and thumb drive.

So *this* is where I quit looking. Inside it has a fitted, pink padded zip bag for the laptop itself, and a roomy extra compartment, plus it’s got a large, zippered pocket on it’s outside back area. Would it surprise you that I carry a large handbag, too? No? Hey, I’m the person with the Kleenex, the gum, the pain reliever…I always go prepared.

Anyway. The really cool thing is–nobody–and this is a first–none of the three boys I live with has asked to use it! Score!

Tags: family, Fashion, laptop bag, tech

One of the many hats I wear is professional heart patient. I’m a pro because I’ve been doing it for a decade. When the heart failure first struck because we didn’t know how I would fare until at least a year in and I was very anxious and at times depressed with great trouble sleeping. For these reasons I initially sought out a cardiac psychologist and of course, I had to go to a psychiatrist for medication management.I still see the shrink every three months in a maintenance mode. My session lasts for approximately 5 minutes. Anyway, the office is located way on the other side of town and after last night’s cotton ball snowflake show, I thought I’d take the camera to see if there were any shots of the “aftermath.”

Our back of the house view.

In black and white.

Tags: beauty, clouds, cottonballs, photography, sky, snowflakes, sun, weather

And there’s really no reason anyone should care what I think of it but I like it; it’s a compelling read, study of two young newlyweds on their wedding night in 1962.

I read on the jacket blurb that author Ian McEwan “is the master clockmaster of novelists.”

Nicely said and very high praise from… Oh, no surprise(lol) the NYTtimes.com Book Review which I sometimes read if a book sounds compelling. This one–Chesil Beach was in the top 50 of 2007 for fiction… it’s quite a short book, 208 pages (I looked). It’s hardcover, about the size of a pocketbook/paperback. Kinda nice. Anyway, one more post tonight, maybe a comment at GBee’s as she responded to one of mine on a humour post of hers…Niiight.

Tags: blogging, books, NYTtimes.com Book Review, On Chesil Beach, top 50 of 2007 for fiction

Awesomeness!

We are having a snowfall unlike one I’ve seen in years, if ever. The snowflakes are huge! They are literally like fluffy cotton balls.

Many of them are sticking together, causing them to appear even larger. I went outside and looked up and it was the most incredible sight. When I extended my arms, with my palms up snowflakes landing on my hands were almost the size of my palm! I’m not kidding. It’s just one of the wondrous forces of mother nature at work. I took pictures and video and I will post something tonight to try and show just why I’m so excited by of all things–snow!

Tags: beauty, photography, weather

“I Should Be Carried on the Chariot-Type Thing!”~ 2/21/2008:

Erik drops Amanda on her head during the reward challenge.

Favorites: Parvati, James, Jonathan, Cirie try for Immunity.

Ozzy is sandwiched between two “fans”-Erik and Alexis

I suppose I should be used to the fact that you are just supposed to love to hate some Survivor players but I just can’t find anything redeeming in Cirie. Her power as a swing vote on the Favorites team–after the Faves lost the Immunity Challenge was turned up a notch when the team’s being split on strategy gave her wide berth to get exactly what she wanted at Tribal Council. The disappointing outcome was that though Jonathan and Ozzie had argued that it was not a team-strategic move, Cirie wanted Yauman gone. And that’s what she got. This is awfully early in the game to dispose of a proven solidly good player and to invite the wrath of your teammates to come down on your head next time at Tribal. Nothing would please me more than to see Cirie get her comeuppance. The game she’s playing is an over-compensation for her lazing around, getting along in Fiji and then she got dumped. Surprise! This time, she’s come in, guns blazing and she’s just going to shoot herself in the foot.

Stay tuned, ‘cos the fun just keeps on coming this Thursday night.

Tags: Alexis, Cirie, Episode 3, Erik, Fans vs. Favorites, James, Jonathon, Micronesia, Ozzie, Parvati, photo, screen shot, Spoilers, Survivor 16, Yauman