Movie Review: "Where the Wild Things Are" is Wild!

Tonight, my son and I went to the Emagine Theatre in Novi to see an advance screening of "Where The Wild Things Are". I remember reading this book as a kid and thinking that Max was one crazy kid. Well, the film paints a story of how he might have gotten that way. Max's parents are going through a divorce and Max is having a hard time adjusting and it drives him, well WILD!

Like in the book, Max runs away and ends up sailing to an island and meeting things that are just as wild as he is. My son loved the numerous fight scenes in this movie - typical boy! The creatures are so lifelike it is scary - a little too scary for really young kids. Since my son is 9 years old, he was fine - but even he was concerned when the story turned very dark that it was not going to end well. I told him not to worry, since we all know that Max comes to his senses and take his little wild behind home to his family.

Anyone that loves the book will love the movie, but please leave the 5 year olds and scaredy cats at home with the book instead. The movie opens this Friday. LET THE WILD RUMPUS START!!!

REVIEW: The new AMC Livonia 20 3D IMAX Theatre

Tonight, my son and I went to the 3D IMAX Movie "Space Station 3D" at the new 3D IMAX theatre at the AMC Livonia 20. The new 3D IMAX theatre was just finished two weeks ago and tonight was one of the first IMAX movie screenings. So instead of this being a movie premier, it was a theatre premier.

Space Station 3D is a wonderful movie about the making of the International Space Station, which was a joint venture between numerous countries including the USA, Russia, and Japan. The Space Station was put together in modules over many years and using many space missions and the movie follows the missions of the crew that assembled the space station.

Since this was a 3D movie, the space footage was incredible. And since this was an IMAX movie, the sounds were out of this world. When the rockets were blasting off, people actually jumped out of their chairs - including me and Darryl!

This was a great inaugural IMAX 3D evening. My son loved every minute - although he did not like giving back his 3D glasses. If you live near Livonia, be sure to check out this new AMC Livonia 20 3D IMAX theatre. The new theatre opens this Friday showing "Where the Wild Things Are" in IMAX 3D...

FREE Admission to Cranbrook Institute of Science 10/2 After 5pm

Cranbrook Institute of Science Free First Fridays.

Admission next Friday (10/2) is FREE after 5 p.m. courtesy of the MASCO Corporation Foundation! Free First Fridays continue monthly through next June 2010!

Cranbrook is located at 39221 Woodward Avenue in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. Download a map of the entire Cranbrook Educational Community campus, a map of how to get to the Institute when on campus, or a map of the interior of Cranbrook Institute of Science.

Movie Review:: The September Issue

Tonight, I went to an advance screening of the movie"The September Issue" courtesy of the Detroit beauty blog Pretty Please.

The movie follows Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour and her team of editors as they create the 2007 September Issue of Vogue, which remains the biggest ever - both in weight, more than four pounds, and in reach, more than 13 million people. Those of you not into fashion are probably yawning now, but those of us who are into clothes will find this movie to be very fascinating. A lot of time, money, and vision go into the making of Vogue magazine and it is interesting go behind the scenes and see the details that go into the process.

Lovers of First Lady Michelle Obama will find two of her favorite designers profiled in this movie: Thakoon, who designed many of her campaign dresses, and Isabella Toledo, who designed her now famous green inauguration day outfit that is now in the Smithsonian Museum.

There are also some very funny scenes in this movie with Vogue Editor-At-Large Andre Leon Talley. His outfits were outlandish, resembling circus tents more than clothing, and his love of everything Louis Vuitton is worst than that of Kimora Lee Simmons.

But the star of this movie is Vogue editor Anna Wintour. Any powerful person is complex, and Anna is definitely powerful and very complex. As my friend Linda pointed out "In an interview she (Anna Wintour) called the people of Minnesota 'little refrigerators' because she said they were so big - seems like a nice and caring boss". In many ways, Anna is more misunderstood than mean spirited. She is a woman who speaks her mind and does not apologize for doing so. And that makes for some very funny moments in this film.

Fashionistas - go see this movie. You will not be disappointed.

Movie Review: Love Happens

Last night, I went to an advance screening of the movie "Love Happens" at the Birmingham Palladium. I won the tickets from entering a contest sponsered by the Detroit News.

The movie was not your typical romantic comedy. It dealt with some heavy issues concerning grieving and the difficulty of moving forward after a tragic event. How do you leave the event behind you? How do you deal with the pain of the lost? How do you find your way through your pain? How do you stop blaming yourself? How do you stop punishing yourself?

The movie did a good job of balancing these very rough topics with a comedic edge. It kind of reminded me of "P.S. I love You". If you like to cry, this is the film for you. I don't know if it will make lots of money at the box office, but this movie will do very well when it comes out on video. It is definite chick movie...

Review: Meeting Essense Magazine's Susan Taylor

This evening, I went to the Detroit Main Library for a reception and evening with Susan Taylor from Essence Magazine. For those who don't know, Susan Taylor was the Editor in Chief of Essense Magazine for 30 years. She was the black equivalent of Anna Wintour from Vogue Magazine.

Susan was in Detroit to draw awareness for Detroit Reads!. Detroit Reads! is a literacy campaign that provides learning opportunities to Detroit adults who desire to learn to read, write, or improve their reading and comprehension skills. A disturbing statistic was given during the presentation that 47% of adult Metro Detroiters are functionally illiterate. Detroit Reads! provides one-to-one tutoring sessions and is free and open to Detroiters 18 years of age and older.

Besides being the Editor Emeritus of Essence Magazine, Susan is the the Founder and CEO of a the National Cares Mentoring Movement (NCMM) NCMM's goal is to connect every at-risk African American youngster with a caring adult who will mentor that child either one-on-one or in a group setting.

Every Essence Magazine reader remembers Susan's monthly editorial entitled "In the Spirit". Susan gave an excellent speech this evening on the power of self. She spoke about the Spirit living inside of each of us - the Spirit that can change each of us for the better if we listen and allow it to work. She reminded us that these times that we live in are hard, but they are not the worst of times. and that we have the power within us to change whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. Because God is not going to do what we can do for ourselves.

She encouraged all of us to make the time to give back to our community. She reminded us that gaining more material possessions is not what makes us happy - what really makes us happy is feeling safe and loved. So we can change the world around us if we take some of our talents to help others (especially our children) feel safe and loved.

She is a powerful and gracious woman. This was a very wonderful event ...

Detroit Reads! International Literacy Day

Come join us and celebrate Detroit Reads! International Literacy Day with Susan L. Taylor, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine and Founder & CEO of National Cares Mentoring Movement!

Susan L. Taylor is synonymous with Essence magazine, the brand she built—as its fashion and beauty editor, as editor-in-chief and editorial director. She is the author of four books, with her most recent, 'All About Love, Favorite Selections from In the Spirit on Living Fearlessly,' available for purchase the day of the event. A much sought-after speaker, Taylor inspires hope and encourages us to reclaim our lives, mentor and nurture our youth, and create sustainable communities.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Detroit Main Public Library
5201 Woodward Avenue

International Literacy Day Reception
Meet and Greet the Author, Susan L. Taylor
Mezzanine of Detroit Public Main Library
6 pm RSVP to 313-833-4042

An Evening with Susan L. Taylor
Editor-in-Chief Emeritus of Essence Magazine and Founder of the National Cares Mentoring Movement, On the Subject of Literacy
Friends Auditorium on "A" Level of the Detroit Public Main Library
7 pm

FREE & Low Cost Kids College WCCCD Fall Semester

Wayne County Community College District is excited to offer Kids’ College classes for youth 3-17 years of age. Our goal is to develop and expand students’ interests, stimulate creativity, provide unique learning opportunities and a fun experience on a college campus.

Our class offerings are taught in a hands-on fashion with an accent on fun. We offer topics from college prep, sports, performing and traditional arts, reading and writing, science and math, and computers, to leisure activities like hairbraiding or scrapbooking. Enroll today for an unforgettable positive learning experience that will last a lifetime.

Courses are FREE or low-cost. Click here for course catalog. Kids College Courses start on page 30.

REVIEW: Panera Brend New Product Tasting

Tonight I went to the Panera Bread in Troy for a special tasting event of new products that Panera will be bringing out soon to the general public.

So I sure you all want to know what we got to taste? Here's a rundown:

· BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad – All-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, a fire-roasted corn medley and crunchy tri-color tortilla strips tossed on crisp, chopped romaine lettuce and drizzled with a mild and sweet BBQ ranch dressing. The corn mixture includes sweet Pacific Northwestern corn, black beans, diced Poblano peppers, red bell peppers and red onions. It’s fire-roasted at more than 1,000 degrees, giving it a distinctive smokey taste.

· Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich – Built on Sesame Semolina bread, this chicken salad combines thin-sliced, all-natural, antibiotic-free chicken, red seedless grapes cut fresh daily, sliced raw almonds, diced celery and a tastefully light, savory dressing. It’s served with fresh tomatoes and crisp lettuce.

· Breakfast Power Sandwich – A grilled breakfast sandwich made with all-natural, freshly-cracked eggs, a thin slice of Vermont white cheddar cheese and lean ham, all grilled between two slices of Whole Grain bread. The sandwich includes four grams of fiber and 22 grams of protein in less than 400 calories.

· Fudge Brownies – A decadent blend of rich European-style cocoa powder, melted bittersweet chocolate and whole butter.

· Macadamia Nut Blondies – Mixed with Macadamia nuts and chocolate and butterscotch chips and made with pure vanilla batter.

The tasting stations also featured some Panera favorites – breads, baguettes and pumpkin spice latte.

The best items of the evening were the Macadamia Nut Blondies -HEAVEN!, the BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad, the Power Breakfast Sandwich -very tasty to be so healthy, and the Pumpkin Spice Latte. The Pumpkin Spice Latte actually surprised me since I do not like coffee nor anything coffee flavored, but this stuff was delicious.

It was all very good and now I am stuffed. We got to write our favorite items on comment cards, so hopefully everyone will be able to try all these tasty things soon at a Panera Bread near you.

Movie Review: Shorts

Tonight, I and my son went to an advance screening of the movie "Shorts". I found out about the free advance screening from following MichMoms on Twitter. I was not looking forward to seeing the movie since the promos on TV did not look great. But, it ended up being very entertaining. The movie is called "Shorts" because the story is told out of sequence as SHORT stories -an interesting and entertaining idea.

It had everything that a kid, especially a boy of my son's age, looks for in a movie - action, silliness, snakes, crocs, gross science, transformers, silliness, aliens, a nearly all boy cast, dumb parents, silliness, magic, space ships, giant man-eating boogers, and, oh, lots of silliness. Needless to say, my son enjoyed every silly minute of this movie and is already asking me when it will come out on DVD. I could have waited for the DVD since giant man-eating boogers are not really my thing.

The hero of this movie is a boy with braces who has to go through an eloborate process to keep his teeth clean. So, on the way out of the theatre, all the kids there given lots of free teeth flosers. Now that was a first as a giveaway....

Movie Rating
A+ for boys and men who love silly, gross stuff
C for girls and women who are sane

DISCOUNTS at The Henry Ford & DSO from American Express ENDS 6/30/2010

Summertime in metro Detroit still means making the most of your free time and soaking up Detroit culture with family and friends in the process.

Funds are tight, but fun doesn’t have to be. How about hitting The Henry Ford Museum before the ultra-cool exhibit Rock Stars, Cars and Guitars closes on Sept. 7; or upping your culture cred with a concert by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in September? (FYI, single tickets for the DSO in September just went on sale this week).

Thanks to two just-released incentives from American Express, it’s possible to secure some summer fun (at a discount!) and earn coveted frequent flier miles on Delta Air Lines faster than ever, redeemable for vacations later.

Here’s a quick summary of what American Express rolled out August 1 for its Delta SkyMiles Credit Card holders:

Discounted entry at Detroit-area attractions. From August 1 to June 30, 2010, Delta SkyMiles Cardmembers can take advantage of special offers at popular Detroit destinations, including Buy 1, Get 1 Free tickets at The Henry Ford Museum (up to four) and 20 percent off Detroit Symphony Orchestra tickets (up to four). Extra bonus: Cardmembers will also earn frequent flier miles on their ticket purchases in the process.

How to redeem: For The Henry Ford Museum, the Cardmember must present coupon received in the mail from American Express in order to redeem Buy 1, Get 1 Free discount. To redeem the DSO discount, Cardmembers must present their Card at the theater’s box office to pay for tickets or go online and use the code: AMEXDELTA at http://www.detroitsymphony.com/

Double miles on gas and groceries. From August 1 to December 31, 2009, Delta SkyMiles Cardmembers can earn double miles on all U.S. standalone gas and grocery purchases, for up to $1,000 of eligible spend each month. Cardmembers need to enroll for this promotion.

How to redeem: Visit www.americanexpress.com/delta2x or call 1-800-794-1308 and enter the promotional code 148790001. There is no cost to enroll. Not a cardmember yet? No worries. Consumers who are applying and are approved for the Delta SkyMiles Card from August 1, 2009 through December 31, 2009 can also enroll their card to take advantage of the promotion.

DISCOUNT: Kmart Assist Savings Program

20% Off Select Own-Brand Merchandise for Unemployed Customers
Kmart own-brands give you huge savings versus your favorite national brands every day...and now you'll get to increase those savings by an additional 20% off over 1,000 regular-priced grocery and drugstore merchandise for up to six months!

Get 20% Off With Your Reusable smart assist(sm) Savings Card
Eligibility:Kmart customers who are Michigan residents and present state-issued identification (driver’s license or identification card) and a state-issued unemployment benefits enrollment confirmation are eligible to participate in the program (“Eligible Participants”). At checkout, cardholders will be required to show their valid discount card, their state-issued identification card for signature verification and their state-issued unemployment benefits enrollment verification. Valid signature verification is required to use the card. Terms & Conditions

Double Miles on Delta with American Express-Delta Credit Card EXPIRES 12/31

American Express-Delta SkyMiles Credit Cardmembers Can Earn Double Flown Miles on All Flights Through 2009

Travelers with the American Express-Delta SkyMiles Credit Cards can now earn double miles on all Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines flights through December 31, 2009.
To receive the perk, new and existing cardmembers should register now at DeltaDoubleMiles.com on or before Sept. 30. Customers can then fly any Delta or Northwest flight on or before Dec. 31, 2009 to earn double flown miles. Qualified members are not required to purchase their ticket with their Delta SkyMiles Credit Card to be eligible for the bonus, and all flown travel between July 1 through Dec. 31, 2009, including previously booked travel, will earn double miles.

New customers interested in getting a Delta SkyMiles Credit Card can register for the promotion at DeltaDoubleMiles.com and then apply for the card.

Delta’s merger with Northwest creates the world's largest airline and enables members to earn miles on more than 16,000 flights daily and redeem them for travel to more than 382 destinations across six continents.

To learn more about this promotion, visit the news release at Delta.com.

Uncover FREE Hidden Benefits

Make what’s already in your wallet work for you by uncovering free hidden benefits

Information courtesy of American Express

Many southeast Michigan residents have been forced to scale back, however, perhaps a perk you loved and lost can be found again. Taking a look inside your wallet, there may be some valuable rewards and discounts that could be put to work for you. While failing to dig deeper may have been forgivable in the past, during these tough economic times, consumers can (and should) be turning over every stone to uncover hidden money-saving tips – starting with what your credit card has to offer.

Stone #1: Your Credit Card
In addition to earning you miles that can be turned into free travel, a good travel rewards credit cards can also have valuable travel and retail benefits. For example, at no extra cost, the Delta SkyMiles Card from American Express offers cardmembers:
§ Car rental loss and damage insurance: provides coverage against theft of or damage to an eligible rental vehicle when the cardmember uses the card to reserve and pay for the rental vehicle.

§ Travel accident insurance: provides accidental death and dismemberment coverage for cardmembers and dependents while traveling on a common carrier when tickets are purchased on the card.

§ Extended warranty: extends the terms of the original manufacturer’s warranty on covered products up to one additional year on warranties of five years or less when the entire amount is charged to the cardmember’s card.

Stone #2: Your Organization Membership
Whether it’s a professional organization you belong to independently, one that’s part of your job, your auto insurance club or your college alumni association, many of these memberships come with perks that can make fun more affordable. Read your membership benefits with a magnifying glass. Hidden benefits to look for:

§ Cultural center discounts: provide the opportunity to get that day trip you’ve been putting off due to lack of finances back on the calendar. Many organizations take advantage of the local culture scene, offering discounts to places such as the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Science Center and Detroit Zoo.

§ Discounts to retailers, services and hotels: gives members the ability to wine and dine in a more budget-friendly way. Many organizations offer discounts with partners ranging from local places like the Grand Hotel to Target and the Geek Squad from Best Buy.

Stone #3: Your Corporate Discount
Is anything sweeter than saving money while you’re already getting paid? Many corporations have discount partnerships with a variety of businesses and organizations:
Gym memberships and health club discounts: might be the perk you need to get motivated. Local companies offer discounts from area places like Weight Watchers to your local fitness center.

Complimentary trade magazines: offer the inside line to your industry’s news and information.
Professional development opportunities: allow employees to take advantage of paid trainings, free seminars and tuition reimbursement.

Technology discounts: help to earn extra “cool points” by snagging a deal on popular brands such as Verizon, Dell and Apple.

Free tickets and discounted tickets: give that extra incentive to do a great job. Locally, many companies partner with sports and entertainment entities such as The Palace of Auburn Hills and Olympia Entertainment to get employees excited about upcoming events and concerts

FREE Subscription to La Cucina Italiana Magazine

Free Subscription to La Cucina Italiana Magazine

With step-by-step authentic recipes from their test kitchen in Milan, La Cucina Italiana has been the ultimate authority on Italian food and cooking since 1929. Published six times yearly, readers are treated to the classic tastes that are represented by Italian cooking along with tips and techniques.