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Month: July 2016

  • Who You Gonna Call? Ghostbusters 2016 Review

    The long-awaited return of Ghostbusters is now over. The new Ghostbusters movie hit theaters July 15th and since its release there have been mixed emotions and reactions about it. Even before the movie came out, many people were angry or upset with the new film and the trailer became the most disliked video on YouTube. What?! It only received a 5.4/10 from IMBd, a 73% from Rotten Tomatoes, and a 60% from Metacritic. When I first heard that a new Ghostbusters movie was coming out, I was really excited and looked forward to it and then when I heard all of the criticism and negativity towards it, I decided I needed to go see the movie for myself and prove people wrong. Here’s what I thought about the new Ghostbusters movie.

    Melissa McCarthy, Kate McKinnon, Kristen Wiig, and Leslie Jones are all very funny women and that can be seen in the shows and movies they star in however, the humor they tend to share is dirty and inappropriate for a younger audience. I was worried about that going into the movie, but once I had seen it, it was actually pretty funny. The jokes were clever and Chris Hemsworth, who played the receptionist, was hilarious. There were a few bad words and a scene where a man showed a certain finger but other than that, the movie was fine. The cast appeared to have great chemistry on screen and the characters were all well-developed and interesting.

    The plotline loosely followed that of the original Ghostbusters movie and it was easy to follow. My family and I were entertained throughout the entire movie and it was awesome to see several of the original cast members making appearances in this movie. I’m doing my best not to spoil anything, haha.

    As far as special effects went, the ghosts looked pretty cool however it was easy to tell that they were fake. The lasers from the proton packs and guns were also cool but they too looked fake. There was a scene where McCarthy and Wiig were in a portal and it was difficult to focus on the dialogue or take it seriously because the green screen effect was not as great as it could have been. Other than those few things, the special effects were well-executed.

    With all of those factors considered, I would say that I enjoyed watching the new Ghostbusters movie. It was funny, entertaining, and a good time all around. To those of you who are Ghostbusters fans that haven’t seen the new movie or interested in sci-fi or fantasy movies, this is the movie for you. Happy ghost busting!

  • A Few Good Summer Reads

    Reading is a great way to pass time, escape into another world, educate yourself, and have fun with something. Over the course of this summer, I have read many good books that I recommend giving a try. Here are a few good summer reads.

    These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner

    “It’s a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.” (Summary by Amazon)

    The first book of the Starbound trilogy, These Broken Stars was an intriguing and enjoyable book to read. The plot had several twists and turns that were unexpected but made the book as good as it was. Lilac and Tarver were relatable characters and their growing romance helped make the story more interesting. It was great to follow the adventure of the two survivors and uncover the dark mysteries and secrets of the LaRoux companies and the strange planet the Icarus crashed on.

     

    The Crown by Kiera Cass

    “Kiera Cass’s #1 New York Times bestselling Selection series has captured the hearts of readers from its very first page. Now the end of the journey is here. Prepare to be swept off your feet by The Crown—the eagerly awaited, wonderfully romantic fifth and final book in the Selection series. In The Heir, a new era dawned in the world of The Selection. Twenty years have passed since America Singer and Prince Maxon fell in love, and their daughter is the first princess to hold a Selection of her own. Eadlyn didn’t think she would find a real partner among the Selection’s thirty-five suitors, let alone true love. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and now Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more difficult—and more important—than she ever expected.” (Summary by Amazon)

    The Selection series has to be my all time favorite series because of the amazing characters, love story, setting, and storyline. This book was beautifully written, romantic, and dramatic. It was too easy to get lost in the world of Illea and I was sad to see that series come to an end. While the ending of the book wasn’t quite what I had hoped it would be, I still enjoyed it and was glad to see Eadlyn and the rest of her family and friends live happily ever after. It’s so hard not to spoil anything for those of you who haven’t read it yet!

    Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

    “Mare Barrow’s world is divided by blood—those with common, Red blood serve the Silver-blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. There, before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own. To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess, and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard—a growing Red rebellion—even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays the only certainty is betrayal. This sweeping story of palace intrigue, class hierarchy, and deception will keep readers hurtling along, desperate to find out Mare’s fate. Her honesty and determination, quick wit, and no-holds-barred attitude will surely make readers fall in love with her. “(Summary by Amazon)

    I’ve never written a review for a book I haven’t finished yet, but this book has been so unique, exciting, and worth the long wait at the library that I feel comfortable doing so. The world and general idea of this story are similar to a lot of fiction, young-adult books I’ve read, but it has been interesting to learn more about Mare and follow her story of the transformation from her life as a Red to her new, dangerous, and somewhat exciting life as a “lost Silver princess”.  I can’t wait to see what’s in store for Mare and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

    So here’s a few books that I’ve found enjoyable to read this summer. If you haven’t read these books yet, I suggest giving them a try. Reading can be a lot of fun and it’s a wonderful way to sit back, relax, and pass some time. Happy reading!

  • How to Hit a Solid Float Serve

    While I may have finished playing volleyball for good, I still do enjoy watching and talking about it. Having a strong float serve to get a point started for your team is crucial. Here’s how to hit a solid float serve.

    • Make contact with the ball on the “butt” of the palm of your hand. This can be difficult to understand. The “butt” of the palm of your hand is the meaty lower part of it. By making contact on that part of your hand with the ball high in front of you, have the opportunity to make the ball float in the air. Coming in straight at the center of the ball with the meaty part of your hand prevents any kind of spin from directing the ball in a certain direction. One of my old coaches helped with that by telling us to contact the ball at “the equator”.
    • Pull your hand back from the ball after you’ve hit it. This can also seem confusing without actually demonstrating, so I’ll do my best to make sense with words. Once you’ve made contact with the ball, pull your arm back. This shouldn’t be a jerky or super sharp movement away from the ball.
    • Keep the toss in front. This list of tips for how to hit a float serve are definitely not in order but the toss is a very important aspect of the serve. If you’re left-handed like me, the toss should be in front of you, high enough for your arm to reach it while it’s extended but not fully straight, and also in front of your left foot. If you’re right-handed it’s the same thing but opposite side.
    • When beginning your serve, start with your serving arm (your dominant arm) back by your ear with your elbow bent at about 90 degrees.  Your non-dominant arm should be out in front of you with the ball in hand, ready to toss it. Many coaches teach kids to bring their arm back as if they are drawing a bow to shoot arrows. While this does work for some kids, I find it uncomfortable and difficult to hit a good serve that way.
    • Focus on the four F’s. Fast, flat, float, and freakishly accurate. These are things to work on with your serve, once you feel like you’ve got the hang of it and are looking for ways to up your serve and challenge yourself. A 40+ mph float serve is difficult to read and return. Keeping the ball low as it crosses the net onto the opposing team’s side gives them less time to read the ball and react to where it coming. The more experienced you become with the feel for the float serve, the more deadly you can make it to your opponents. A good float serve will appear to “dance” in the air and will float and give the opposing team a lot of trouble. Being freakishly accurate with a float serve is a great way to cause trouble for your opponents. Being able to pick a spot on the court and serve to it can do wonders for your team and give you an advantage when the ball is back in play on your side of the net.

     

    I hope these tips help you get started on being able to hit a super float serve or improve the serve you have already. Take time to make sure you’re practicing the correct technique and never give up. Mastering a certain skill can take a lot of time and patience and you have to be willing to work hard and try hard. If you’re looking for visuals or more information on how to hit a good float serve, there are hundreds of videos on YouTube and there are plenty of players and coaches out there willing to help you improve your serve. Have fun with it and good luck!

     

  • Happy Birthday America- Freedom Quotes

    I know that it isn’t the 4th of July yet, but it is tomorrow so I might as well get something out about it! July 4, 1776 Americans declared their independence from Great Britain. Since that day, our wonderful country has developed and evolved to become the strong, amazing, and beautiful country it is. Here are some quotes to commemorate our nation’s birth and our independence.

    F- “Freedom has its life in the hearts, the actions, the spirit of men and so it must be daily earned and refreshed – else like a flower cut from its life-giving roots, it will wither and die.” -Dwight Eisenhower

    R- Robert J. McCracken said, “We on this continent should never forget that men first crossed the Atlantic not to find soil for their ploughs but to secure liberty for their souls.”

    E- Elbert Hubbard once said, “Freedom cannot be bestowed – it must be achieved.”

    E- Edward Abbey: “Freedom begins between the ears.”

    D- Dwight Eisenhower said, “To be true to one’s own freedom is, in essence, to honor and respect the freedom of all others.”

    O- “Our greatest happiness does not depend on the condition of life in which chance has placed us, but is always the result of a good conscience, good health, occupation and freedom in all just pursuits.” – Thomas Jefferson

    M- “Man is free at the moment he wishes to free.” -Voltaire

    I hope that you all have a wonderful, safe rest of your weekend and a great 4th of July tomorrow. 🙂