Give A Little

I don't care what anyone says, the Mmmmbopper inside of me will never die.  Each new album that Hanson puts out gets better and better - as do the videos.  I was lucky enough to check out one of their concerts last summer and I must say - it was a blast.  It poured rain the whole time but the guys just kept jammin' until they were forced off the stage.  In other words, I am not ashamed to admit that I might be slightly obsessed.  At least they lost their Fabio haircuts and finally made it through puberty.

Want to Bring Your Personality Back to the Internet?

Now you can.  Pilot Handwriting offers a free and easy way for you to write emails in your very own handwriting!  Just fill out the template, scan or upload the results, and you're on your way to creating handwritten notes and letters for your family and friends.  I love this because it allows you to spice up your daily work routine, and have a little bit of fun!

Watch An Entire Mumford & Sons Concert Online!

Mumford & Sons is definitely one of my (and many other people's) favorite bands at the moment.

For those who haven't been lucky enough to see these guys in concert, Baeble Music is offering fans the chance to see an entire Mumford & Sons show online.  Viewers even have the option of looking at the set list and jumping to their favorite songs.

If you've been living under a rock for the last year, and don't know who Mumford & Sons is, there's no question that you need to check this video out.  The London-based band is one of the best live performers I've seen in a long time.  The best part about this band is the passion you can hear in their music - and the banjo.

Now, check the amazing show that was taped at the Music Hall of Williamsburg here.

All Grown Up

I recently challenged myself to read all of the books that I was too cool to read in my high school English classes.  Even though I have basic knowledge of these stories from my Sparks Notes studies, I thought it might be a good idea to struggle my way through some of the old classics -  if for no other reason than to simply say that I did.

The best part - if any other ambitious souls want to attempt this challenge - is that old classic books are easily accessible online at Planet eBook.  For those who own a Nook or Kindle, this site makes things super easy by allowing you to download the books directly to your device.  If you don't own an eReader, the site still allows you to view the page online, or print them out.

So, if you feel like revisiting your high school years, visit Planet eBook and download any classic from Geogre Orwell's 1984 to Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights.  You'll be glad you did.

The Lincoln Lawyer

I caught the late showing of Lincoln Lawyer last night, so here is my amateur opinion on the movie. In a nutshell: It was good but not great. The strong cast and well-paced plot line made it worth 118 minutes of my time and the movie was perfectly entertaining. But it missed that extra something you need in order for the movie to have been capable of "wow"-ing audiences.

The beginning of the movie introduces potentially lovable characters but never quite expands them enough for the audience to fully connect with them (such as Laurence Mason playing "Earl" the doesn't-ask-questions driver for Matthew McConaughey or Michael Pena as a wrongfully accused client). Also- I love Marisa Tomei as an actress so it's hard for me to come to terms with this but must be said- her character had no point in the movie. Tomei plays McConaughey's ex-wife and beside some witty-banter and the audience knowing that she exists there was really no point in ever flushing out the story line between the two of them.

Bottom line is that the movie was entertaining. It told a good story and held my interest throughout. I give it three out of five stars or thumbs up or popcorns or whatever I should be rating movies by, not fantastic but enjoyable.

How Original

This video speaks for itself.

Innovative Advertising

This might be old news to some people, but I love discovering innovative forms of advertising.  Last year, Amnesty International installed an anti-domestic abuse ad fixture in a Germany bus stop.  The tag line is "It happens when nobody is watching." - and the ad portrays just that.  When the viewer looks directly at the ad it looks like a happy couple, smiling for the camera.  But when they look away, the image changes into the man just about to hit the woman.

Although shocking, it definitely gets the point across.  Powerful.

If Only...

...this had been available when I was still in college.

Chegg is a company that started with the mission to make the college experience easier for students across the United States.  The website initially offered students the option to rent their text books instead of blowing their entire summer savings on their books every semester.  Although not every school is participating in the program yet, the company is expanding quickly and I have no doubt it will become a widely accepted concept at many major universities in the years to come.

Recently the company annouced that their website will be expanding to include more resources that will make the life of a student even easier.  These include a course scheduling program (where students can see if their friends are registering for the same classes), a course ranking program, and 24-hour homework help.

The best part is - every time you rent a book from Chegg, they plant a tree!  Yay earth!

Happy Monday!

Mindless Reads

Summer is (kind of) approaching and I found myself digging around for a good series to be able to throw in my beach bag. I thought I had found my "beginning of summer series" when I found Switched the first book in the Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking. Switched has all the workings to be an escapist's dream in which young, beautiful but misunderstood teen protagonist (Wendy) finds herself in a strange world and much to her astonishment *cue: gasp* finds herself the princess of this world!

Could Switched be a good guilty pleasure/mindless read? Let's consult the checklist:

cheesy love story-check

strange new world-check

rebellious star-check

riches and wonder-check

HOWEVER this story falls short on so many levels. Firstly- Switched is in desperate need of editing! I'm okay with being told how to feel or what to think as I'm reading through a book I purposely picked because I didn't want to think much. That being said; there is a fine line between clarifying how a protagonist feels and making a reader feel like an idiot for constantly reiterating emotions and circumstances that most everyone should have caught on to pages (if not chapters) ago. The book became much more enjoyable when I began skipping entire paragraphs as soon as the main character started self-analyzing.

Aside from the constant reiteration and unnecessary self-reflection the story never really peaks to anything. The climatic scene has elements of excitement and hysteria, yet all I feel is bored. The reader is left wanting that intangible "something more".

Perhaps it is because I haven't satiated my desire for that "something more" that I can't stop reading these books! My mind keeps wondering what might happen next to Wendy and where the story will lead us (although so far it hasn't brought us anywhere interesting). I suppose the only thing left to do is keep reading- on to book two of the trilogy Torn and my full report soon.

The Challenge

A new movement that has recently stormed the country is the Six Items or Less experiment.

The basic idea is that each person who commits to the challenge attempts to pick only six items or less to wear for an entire month.

Before you start to think this idea is too crazy, there are exceptions to the rule.  Things like work uniforms, workout clothing, outerwear, and shoes don't count, and it's okay to have multiple of the same garment for laundry purposes - it just has to be the same color.

This sounds like an interesting experience to me, and although the registration period for the next cycle ends tomorrow, I think it would be a fun thing to try with family or friends.  Check out some of the favorite thoughts and success stories from the Six Items or Less challenge at http://siolcollective.com/.

Good Eats.

America's Next Great Restaurant has quickly become one of my favorite Sunday night shows.  The combination of smart-ass comments from Chipotle founder Steve Ells, celebrity chef Curtis Stone’s good looks, and the immediate hunger produced by an hour of watching other people eat tasty treats makes for one of the most enjoyable competition shows on television right now.

Besides watching purely for entertainment, the best part of this show is the fact that the winner will be opening three restaurants across the United States.  Somehow, our home sweet home city of Minneapolis landed itself as one of the locations lucky enough to gain one of these future hotspots.

Whether the winner ends up being the delicious-looking Sinners & Saints or the ridiculous Saucy Balls – I can’t wait to check it out.

Pick-Me-Up of the Day

Feast your eyes on some mullet eye candy as this dude pulls off one of the most hilarious pranks ever.  'Nuff said, enjoy.

And So It Begins...

March 27, 2011 marks the day this madness began.

Make sure to mosey back to Blue Grumble Stew for updates on the latest TV, movies, books, music, and any other rubbish we deem worthy of writing about.

Hopefully we'll live up to your expectations.