New on DVD: How Do You Know?

My husband actually chose this DVD - aside from Jack Nicholson and Reese Witherspoon being in it, this movie held no initial appeal for me.  I felt much better about it after the first few funny scenes however!

The premise of the whole movie can be summed up by the movie's title - "How do you know?" How do you know which Mr. Right Now is the ONE, your Mr. Right? How do you know if you will be good at anything other than what you have been excelling at for a considerable time in your life? This question is actually very timely - not only for people who lost their jobs and are trying to learn a new trade to make a living, but also for those who are ready to move forward to the next big step in their lives like marriage, a family, a new business or retirement. How do you know what is the right thing to do?

It was pretty good - very entertaining - and it made the audience think. What would you do? How would you know? And watch out for the great proposal scene that led to enlightenment!

 My husband and I ended up asking ourselves if we were the same way... When you find the one you have been praying for (like the reformed bad boy that I never thought God will actually give me) and you realize that you don't have to change who you are to be the ONE for him (even if you drive him crazy most of the time) then you're fifty percent there! When you figure out that he has been praying for someone like you too and you realize that there's nothing about him you really want to change (even if your parents don't agree with you about that part) - hold on tight and never let go! You have a keeper! So that's how we knew...

And what about the how do you know the right thing to do? Monk (who played the psychiatrist here) had a great piece of advice that I think everyone should at least try once - happiness in life is about finding out what you want and learning how to ask for help to get what you want.

It's a great date night movie! Especially if you want to reflect on "how do you know" with your significant other. *wink, wink* Happy watching, my friends!

Pandora on My Internet TV

What do you do with your TV?  I was old enough to remember when Web TV failed miserably before, but with the concept of apps - I must admit I'm enjoying Internet TV very very much today.

One of my least favorite things about renting an apartment is having to be always conscious of my neighbors who I share walls and a floor with.  Because of this we've put off getting a home theater system and I've been obsessing over one ever since I listened to it in one of those big box electronic stores.

So when I found out that my favorite brand had a factory store nearby and got $100 off of the unit I loved...

My husband's protests did not stand a chance - and he's enjoying the system even more than I am!  Although he's more of a watch TV and movies type of user and I'm a find new apps to make the system do more cool stuff type.

I tried using Pandora once before at work - with my mediocre speaker system - I didn't really enjoy it then.  I don't have a stereo at home, so I don't listen to the radio - my music was limited to my very small mp3 collection but I enjoyed it because I got a great speaker dock.  Then my boss (who just got an Internet TV herself) asked me if Pandora was available as an app - and since it's prominently displayed on my screen every time I load my Internet TV source, I said yes and admitted to never having tried it before.  And because I believe in trying interesting apps at least once - I got it to work this morning.

And my craving for music on my new speaker system just got sated...  I think I just fell in love with Pandora!  It's so easy to use and set up - I'm discovering new music and artists as I compose this post.  I definitely have no buyer's remorse about my entertainment system.  It has saved us a lot, because instead of going out, my husband and I are often contented to just stay in with our Internet Apps and TV shows - especially now that everything sounds so good!  Plus, I got a system that's just right for my living space - and so far the neighbors have not complained. :)

Garmin Nuvi & Ecoroute For a Happier Marriage

One of the most frequent causes of conflict in my marriage has been navigation.  You see, we didn't buy a GPS until very recently and my husband depended on me to navigate to places we've never been to while I depend on printed directions from Google Maps.

The problem with printed maps, aside from the extensive use of printer ink and paper, is that once you miss a turn - you have to retrace your steps and find a way to make that turn again.  It doesn't recalculate and give you a new route!  The problem with me as a navigator is I like watching the scenery out the window and talking to my husband - in other words, I don't really pay as close attention to the map and road signs as I should.  So if you haven't already guessed, my husband and I are often lost.

Both our phones have GPS.  And we tried using that too, but the screen is small and I (the navigator) have bad eyes.  So I picked a sufficiently big screen Garmin GPS system, hoping that we can save fuel by not getting lost and especially with the new freelance businesses my husband and I are establishing - it's bad form to be late because you didn't know where you were going to meet a client.

One of the features I particularly like about our new GPS system is ecoroute.  I have it set to give us the directions that will save the most fuel and it has definitely taken us to new paths we have not taken before!  It's very useful at night when I can't make out the street signs as well - the streets are displayed in big bold letters and you'll know exactly when to turn.  Now I can enjoy the scenery and not worry that we'll miss a turn and my marriage is a little more smooth sailing than it was before we bought the GPS.

Which GPS do you use?  What feature do you like most about your system?  Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving me a comment.

Movie Night: My Name is Khan

The elements of this movie are amazing!  It had family values, sibling rivalry, a look into Asperger's (a form of autism), romance, heart-wrenching loss and grief, bullying, hate crimes, patriotism and the beautiful triumph of humanity. And through it all an almost unbelievable innocence encompassing the film through Khan, it's main character.

It is the story of a simple man, one afflicted by autism - who overcame the obstacles in life and gained happiness.  And he did it all without surrendering his principles, his morals and everything his mother taught him.  Wow!

Here is a truly good man, Khan, who did not let his illness keep him from living a life of happiness.  Persecuted for being a muslim after 9/11 - he suffered the loss of his son and was driven away by his wife to go and tell the president of the United States that he was not a terrorist.

His quest had made him a hero - an inspiration to all Americans.  Through the kindness and great love in his heart, he started a revolution of volunteers to help victims of a natural disaster in a small town in Georgia.  Though the government tortured him because of a misunderstanding, he held no bitterness towards them and still managed to keep his word - to meet the president and to tell him that he was not a terrorist and neither was his persecuted and now-dead son.

It's definitely a must-see!  Two thumbs up!  Way up!  Happy watching, my friends.