Movie Review

Both my sons love animation. My oldest 'tooned all of the ECOwomen on my sidebar plus, some of you know, Jake has a degree in multi-media design from the University of Oregon. So we go see "cartoons" regularly - as a family.

Over the Christmas holiday we went to see The Princess and the Frog and then tonight we watched Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. It was a fun family show that had some good messages inside the show.

The Princess and the Frog was really cute. It reminded me of an old fashioned Disney story. And, we all enjoyed it. Some people say it is as good as Lion King - I'm not sure about that. Animal stories and babies are hard to compete with.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs was a fun show to watch as a family and it was on dvd - so that was the right price.

Have you seen any good movies lately? Share your recommendations in the "comments" so I can pick another show for us all to see.

I HAVE A DREAM

Martin Luther King is famous for that line, which he used in a speech in front of 250,000 people. He was a civil rights leader who helped to end racial segregation on public transportation.

His life was tragically ended on April 4, 1968 but during his life he had many accomplishments - and we will celebrate his life on Monday, January 18, 2010.

Martin Luther King's real birthday was January 15th, 1929 but we celebrate MLK Day on the third Monday of January now.

Time Magazine listed Martin Luther King as the Man of the Year in 1963 and then in 1964 he became the youngest person to earn the Noble Peace Prize. Dr. King was bestowed with five honorary degrees.

These are just a few facts you can enjoy as you celebrate the life of a great man.

MLK Day - Weekend of Service

We can all honor the spirit of Martin Luther King by performing service for our communities. If you live in or around the Portland metropolitan area, here is a list of events going on this weekend that you can volunteer to be a part of. These events are sponsored by United Way and showing a United effort to honor MLK.

Here is another event where you could volunteer in honor of MLK

I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.

Precycle - Earth-Friendly Friday

Why is it that we love to wait?

We wait in lines at the movies -- well, don't we?

We wait in lines at the grocery store, the gas-station, and even on the on-ramps to get onto the highway.


Well this is one time we can take control: We don't have to wait.

But while you're not waiting, don't waste.

We don't only need to recycle, reduce and reuse, we can go beyond the boundaries of "normal" and precycle.

We can all save natural resources, energy, and reduce our carbon emissions by simply thinking ahead. And, if we all do a little, it will do a lot.

Think green and save energy.

• HOW MUCH ENERGY DO YOU USE? It's pretty easy to find out. Simply call your local energy company and ask. Then ask for some helpful hints, tips and even money saving programs that might inspire you to think outside the box, the energy meter box.

• GET AN ENERGY AUDIT. Most energy companies will provide an energy audit or give you options for companies to choose between.

• GET RID OF OLD APPLICANCES. You might save more money than just on your energy bill. Sometimes you get a tax break for buying energy efficient appliances. It’s worth checking out.


BE PROACTIVE AND PRECYCLE!

Answer to Thought for Thursday

ANSWER: A paper clip. Norwegians consider the paper clip their invention and it was worn on the lapel as a symbol of national unity.

THOUGHT FOR THURSDAY

THOUGHT: What did Norwegians use as a symbol of Nazi resistance during World War II?

Hint: It is a common office staple.

Put your guess in Comments and then come back around 3:00 p.m. to see if you guessed right.

Answer to Word for Wednesday

Answer: To throw out of a window.

Okay, maybe you wouldn't throw anything out a window - even if you were angry but still... some people might.