Film Review: The Expendables

Erin Albert

Media Writing

Review Assignment

Movie Review: The Expendables  

This film was action packed, but lacked everything else. Some of the main ‘stars’ of the film included Sylvester Stallone, Jason Stathum, Mickey Rourke, and Jet Li. I almost felt as if the true main idea of this movie was not to save another country under tyrant and drug rule, but to bring together action hero actors from the past and present and put them all in one film to make one major collection of action scenes. This film had no substance, lame meaningless dialogue, and no real great stunts, just some cool weapons and fancy explosions. I truly feel as if this film was smoke and mirrors. The explosions and fight scenes were to mask the nonsense. Sylvester Stallone is just too old (if you will) to be running around with enormous machine guns saving the damsel in distress while killing numerous men, he’s not ‘Rocky’ anymore it’s just not realistic. Even though there were some younger more popular action actors involved throughout, their roles were just as bland. This movie was almost comical to me. Only big action stars were the main characters, they didn’t have much to say to one another. When they did, it wasn’t clever, funny, romantic...you get the picture. Even with all the ‘action’ I was bored overall. The film took place in two countries and the main character’s were constantly jumping in their own personal plane to go back and forth from one to another. This would normally make sense to me, but from the beginning of the movie you don’t get any background information as the viewer, which would help you understand things more clearly. Ultimately, I will give this movie two out of five stars. Some movies don’t need much depth, but at least give me something to work with! All I saw was blood, fire, and too much Botox. I just couldn’t look past it. I think it’s time to retire some action stars from movies like this. I don’t want to completely diminish all acting abilities, just this movie was over done, it was right actor’s in the wrong place. This movie was a let-down, but I will anxiously be awaiting the next big action flick! 

TMI Article Response

Is the Internet Colorblind?

By: Courtney D. Marshall PH.D

This was a great article, I was extremely interested in just the first paragraph. This article raised  many questions in regards to race, gender, and cultural differences in our societies ‘cyberspace’. Author and professor Courtney Marshall writes, “Having a space where you can represent yourself as not dark, female, or Catholic does not make these categories less real. In fact, having the desire to leave these behind shows the power that they have in our culture,” (21). I believe what she is saying is completely true in how people try and shape their own culture over the web, even though you can’t ‘see it’. I don’t believe the internet is colorblind. Even though you can’t see or hear the other person, you can learn about someone through their writing. The article also talks about how one’s culture is brought into cyberspace even if people don’t necessarily try too. Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there. “Watkins theorizes that the students associate MySpace with uneducated and unemployed people who have the luxury of continually tweaking their profiles while Facebook’s uniformity connotes upward mobility and professionalism,” Marshall writes. S. Craig Watkins a media professor, found that teens and young adults do create their own ‘cultures’ via the internet. People are associating different social networks with different cultures and different stereotypes. By doing this, people are truly bringing realities to life online. Ultimately, this article opened my eyes to the fact that the world wide web is a cultural place, you just have to look a little deeper. Technology has such a large influence on society in today’s world. I would think it’s nearly impossible not to bring one’s beliefs and heritage through the internet. Technology is also constantly changing, so i’m not sure what the internet will bring in the future, but I do know that regardless of one’s culture, we are and will continue to be interconnected with one another. 

Stephen King On Writing...Revised

I was very surprised at how much I am really enjoying reading Stephen King’s book On Writing. I have never read a Stephen King novel. I know (from what I've heard or read in magazines) he is a fabulous, inventive writer, one of the greats of our time, but I've just never been interested. So when we were asked to read this book, I was iffy about it. I honestly thought it was going to be boring and dry. I thought this because even though writing can be anything but, it's still a book just on the subject of writing, not a story of any sort, so I prepared myself!
Instead I was pleasantly surprised; I didn't even want to stop reading. In this book, Stephen King is very straight-forward, which is great. He kind of has that no nonsense, I won't bull shit you, but just give you what I think straight-sense of writing. As a matter of fact, he basically tells you that in the book. By him having this attitude, it made me much more interested in the actual content. For me, he turned a subject that could've been really monotone and boring into something interesting. Stephen King also uses many examples from his own life in his writing, which is another reason this book can keep me hooked. He wrote about his own 'writing spot,’ a place where he can really just sit, think, and just write. I felt as if he was trying to reach out to the reader or the fellow writer, when giving examples like that. By including real-life experiences to get the point across, I feel as if I can relate (in a sense) and I'm sure other readers can as well. Stephen King writes as if he's talking to me directly. He keeps your attention with his no bull shit outlook, but truly does give you pointers if you really do want to become a better writer, or make it a profession, or a serious hobby. He wants you to take it seriously, to read A LOT, and to try your hardest, otherwise don't bother. 



Ultimately, this book has been eye-opening in the sense of writing for me. I do not plan on becoming a professional writer by any means, but I do enjoy it as a hobby. I'm glad I opened myself up to actually take in what I was assigned to read, because I feel I have learned new things that I will be able to continue to use on my own. Not only that, I've learned things from this book On Writing that are simple, that I've overlooked in the past. Now I hope realizing these things and working on them, I can become a better writer, with a little less fluff. :)

News Release for Breathe Salon & Day Spa

Grand Opening of a New Therapeutic Salon and Day Spa in Lincoln, New Hampshire
Built from scatch, this salon and day spa will do nothing but surprise you, settled nicely in the white mountain region of the state

One of the private whirlpool rooms Breathe has to offer (bottom) and part of the main salon service area (top).

Breathe Salon & Day Spa is opening in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire on the second Saturday in November. This grand opening has been a highly anticipated one for the area. The doors will open at 9 am and not close until 9 pm. Throughout the day there will be complimentary services, food and drinks, giveaways, and more! You will also get to meet with the experienced staff and take a tour through the salon. This salon day spa is unique; they offer therapeutic services as well as regular salon services. Even better, all products, events, and businesses advertised and/or sold in the salon are all New England based, in support of local businesses near and far.

During the winter months the town of Lincoln is home to thousands of tourists, who come to the area to site see, ski and snowboard, snowmobile, hike, and relax. Unfortunately, most spas in the area are built into resorts or hotels, making prices less affordable for New Englanders.

Breathe Salon & Day Spa is determined to change that. Sitting quaintly on the Kancamangus Highway in the middle of Lincoln, just a quick left off exit 25, this salon is modern and inviting. Breathe is in the midst of tourist attractions and local businesses, only a few minutes from the ski mountain, resorts and hotels. When you walk in, you instantly feel comfort and warmth; from the lighting and wall décor, to the spacious private whirlpool and massage rooms. “We wanted the salon to make each customer feel as if they were in a resort spa, only at home. Our vision was to make this a place where people could really come to relax, to breathe, to really de-stress, not just get their nails or hair done quick and be out the door. We wanted customers to truly feel like they can stay for hours, because they can!” said Caitlyn Albert, interior decorator and sister to Breathe owner, Erin Albert.

Another unique benefit of this salon is the licensed physical therapists that are available. If you choose, you can make an appointment with one of three physical therapists to personalize a therapy regimen to your needs specifically; while utilizing the salon services. With the whirlpool technology and massage service, you should be able to get rid of muscle tension and pain with ease. “I have never been able to walk into a salon and truly feel relaxed, I’m in a rush, I need to get my hair or nails done and go! This is why I wanted to create a salon that was different, so you can actually relax. I truly feel that you will come here and be able to breathe! Each time you come in for a service, we give you the option to relax while waiting in one of our whirlpool hot tubs, free of charge. We like to jump start your experience with us by offering this. We are also in a great location, the mountains in New England are one of my favorite places to be, and I wanted to create a salon spa that gave people of all ages’ options and affordability. I’ve grown up and lived in New England my whole life, I wanted to build a business here and support other’s in the process,” Erin Albert Owner of Breathe stated.

Come and join the fun and see what all the buzz is about! Breathe Salon and Day Spa’s grand opening is Saturday November 13^th from 9 am to 9 pm. Food and drinks, complimentary services, giveaways and more will be going on all day. For more information on the grand opening event and the salon day spa please visit their website www.breathedayspa.com. You can also follow them on Facebook at Breathe Salon & Day Spa and Twitter @breathe4u.

Breathe Salon & Day Spa

Breathe Salon & Day Spa

Our grand opening is Saturday November 13th, 2010! Opening time is 9 am.

Come meet our friendly and experienced staff. We will have lot's of giveaways, festivities, and food/drinks all day!

We are located in Lincoln, New Hampshire in the lakes region off exit 25 in the Mountain View Plaza.

The services we offer include...

Hair cut & colors

Manicure & Pedicure's

Waxing & Facials 

Massage

Water therapy


Physical therapy

and...


A variety of New England based beauty & health products 

We are a different kind of salon. Don't just come here to get services, come to heal. Not only do we have formal salon services, we have actual therapy available in different forms, enabling you to relax and just...Breathe. Take time out of your day, week, month, or year to relax, not just a get a salon service (that's just a plus).

Men and women can benefit from our spa experience. We have hot tubs and pools with whirlpool pressure technology to ease muscle pain and tension of all sorts. You also have the option to meet with a licensed physical therapist in determining what your physical needs are, large or small. We promise you will leave our salon and day spa more relaxed, rejuvenated, and with a little less stress. Take time to just Breathe, come see us and realize the difference.

For any new updates, offers, and information please visit our website: http://www.breathedayspa.com/

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Also, check us out on Twitter @Breathe4u and Facebook: Breathe Salon & Day Spa

The House on Raven Street

Some people swore that the house was haunted. Me though, I didn’t believe in that stuff. Old woman Madeline down the street used to tell me and the other neighborhood kids stories, all kinds of stories. She liked to make us laugh, get excited, or scared. Old woman Madeline lived on Raven Street in the same house for twenty-five years. She saw the once open fields turn into housing developments, kids turn into teenagers, she saw families come together, and fall apart. The neighborhood just seemed to age with her.

We would go over everyday after school for lemonade and a story. She would always tell us about how the old gray house at the end of the road was haunted. ‘But Miss Madeline, no one has ever been in that house!” we would say. “My dears, there once was a family that lived in that house, after they moved out, no one ever moved in, ever again.” We would then ask, “Why not?” She would say, “No one really knows, people have seen lights flicker on, even though there hasn’t been electricity there for years, they’ve seen curtains open and close, and I’ve even seen shadows in the windows!”

We heard the same story every time and every time we would get on our bikes and go spy on that old gray house. Joey from the neighborhood over, swore he saw the lights flicker once and Sarah from the end of my block, said she saw the shadows and would never go inside, but I didn’t believe the stories, I never saw anything. Even though I grew up never really believing anything or anyone about that old gray house Miss Madeline would always talk about, I always still wondered about it. It was only a matter of time before the stories, my thoughts, and getting older caught up with me.

I moved into that old gray house at the end of our street eighteen years later. Old woman Madeline died ten years prior, but that didn’t matter I could remember her like yesterday. I had missed her kind ways and her stories, until that one night.

When I moved in that house, it was completely run down. I had grown older, found a job in town, and I loved that neighborhood, so I bought it. I made some renovations just to spruce it up and make it livable. My third night there I sat on my living room chair and just laughed to myself. All I could think about was how I now lived in the haunted old gray house down the street. What would old woman Madeline think?

I was reminiscing…then, the lights went out and those damn curtains moved. My bedroom door slammed shut, my heart stopped. I thought maybe this was karma catching back up to me after all these years of not believing. Old woman Madeline was right, she always was. Nothing was ever the same again after that.

TMi*

Inappropriate pictures, statuses, tweets...all ways to provide us with too much information and it’s all I see daily on the Internet. Every time I sign online I feel like I’m learning way more about someone or something than I need to know. Even though Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter all have rules and regulations, these are not enough. The society we live in becomes more lenient year after year. Newer social rules have allowed us to get this far online or to be able to put ourselves 'out there' as much as we do.


What is ‘acceptable’ now, would never have been accepted even ten years ago. I say this, but I’m definitely no prude. I would actually like to think of myself as more of a free spirit, but there is still a LINE that should not be crossed when it comes to a personal life online. Also, I should point out I feel this way not only in regards to the Internet, but to TV, magazines, and just plain everyday life.


I’ve seen countless ‘updates’ disclosing TMI about personal lives, or pictures posted making you question whether you were actually on the right website!


Another form of TMI would be Youtube. I use this website all the time, it can be extremely entertaining, but disturbing just the same! I truly believe there is a fine line between all of these different forms of communication via the Internet. Hopefully someday we will be able to reach a happy medium, both online and in everyday life. JEI (just enough information? that would be nice) :)

Media Writing

This is my first time ever doing a blog and i'm very intrigued! To be honest i've never thought to do one before, which is weird because I have a facebook, I used to have a myspace, and i'm on the internet a good amount of time for school and social reasons, so why wouldn't I have one? Well I guess it's not a problem anymore because now I do.   

I think this will be a great learning experience in social media and writing in general. I also like the fact other's can give me feed back and I can learn from other's as well...here we go fall semester!