Bargain Biatch

Cuckoo For Roku

As if my Roku player couldn’t get better, what with the streaming movies from Netflix and all, it can also serve a my home stereo system.  My current system is my iPhone or nano stuck into a speaker system and moved from room to room. Thinking about buying another (under $100) stereo docking station but I just found out you can use your Roku to stream music and connect with your Pandora radio stations.  Obviously this is not a new feature but I never really bothered to see what else was possible being completed satisfied with movie viewing.  And besides, it seemed the only other thing the magic Roku black box was good for was playing video games, Thanks no and I’ll also be taking a pass on the Comic-Con convention.  But the channel guide in the set up window caught my eye and I discovered an entire world of other uses.  I immediately linked it to my Pandora account to mix and play music.  Next I signed up for a free account with Radio Time and then programmed radio stations, local and syndicated to play in real time.  Awesome and the sound even on my not even close to state of the art TV beats any regular radio.  There are a whole lot of channels but I think this will do for now cuz I feel like it could be another mindless time suck like watching addictive cute kitty videos on YouTube.

Movie Review: Winter’s Bone

Somehow award-winning movie Winter’s Bone was not on my radar.  Perhaps a bleaker than bleak slice of life movie about inbred families in the Ozarks failed to catch my eye.  But it got great reviews and was the Grand Jury winner at Sundance so it seemed worth a look. And I like downbeat films.  Winter’s Bone was billed as an unflinching look at life in the Appalachians and although it was fiction could have been a documentary.  The spellbinding drama captured a way of life that I didn’t know existed and showed an intermarried, isolated group of people who time and industry have left behind. The story centered around 17 year old Ree Dolly who’s searching for her missing crank/meth dealing father.  She has to find him or his body as proof of his death in order to keep the house and land he put for bail.  We follow her search as she’s forced to seek help from an almost impenetrable community that she’s not quite a part of. Ree, played perfectly by Jennifer Lawrence is captivating.  She’s in nearly every scene and doesn’t hit a false note as we witness the quiet desperation and heartbreak of someone so young forced to do whatever it takes to save her family.  There are some gut wrenching moments and as hard as they were to watch, seemed completely plausible in such stark surroundings.  It has the same gritty feel as another fantastic but somewhat under the radar movie Frozen River so two big thumbs up for another thought provoking original movie

Summer Travel: Florida Or Central America? Why Not Both?

Sweat is dripping down my back and I'm the mosquitoes are circling. Yep Summer is officially here.  When the heat is one it’s time to get decamp and USA Today recently ran an article about the top five summer destinations for travel.

 

First on the list was California citing new lost cost airlines and hotel deals that make it a bargain.  I’d basically agree but if you’re forced to vacation with your family and kids, much as a hate to say it, Florida Disney offers some fantastic packages.  Particularly if you’re travelling from the Northeast since flights to Orlando leave like every half hour and many of them are direct.  With the whole tar beach thing, FLORIDA WANTS YOU! They’re wheeling and dealing trying to fill rooms left vacant due to the oil spill. You should be fine as long as you stick to the Atlantic side, since the eastern shores are oil free.   

 

Once you’re on Orlando if you’re feeling random continue on to Guatemala City or San Salvador.  Why?  Because throughout the summer Taca is practically giving trips away with weekday round trip flights starting as low as $350. So have some tacky, kid friendly Florida fun before indulging in some adult entertainment in Central America.

 

Summer: Less Work/More (free) Play

 

Summer is here, officially that is since humid 80 plus days already seem on the summery side.  So how do you enjoy your footloose freedom without having to slave away all day at the job to pay for it?  Hook up with rich friends and freeload. But if trading sex and/or scintillating conversation for entertainment is not in your repertoire, I’d suggest you add it, or look for cheap or free activities.  The NYC Parks and Recreation website has a comprehensive calendar of events that lists activities on daily basis.  Most are free and there are tons, so thankfully the site lets you narrow your search to find just the right venue for your interests.  If you need a cheap escape from the city, check out the MTA/LIRR weekend getaway page. They have a listing of train friendly day and weekend trips form beach to baseball. And this weekend is the first annual Long Island Food and Wine Festival.  A huge two day event with tastings at nearly 50 vineyards and cooking demos and food from local restaurants.  S jump on the train and skip the designated driver and eat drink your fill.

Movie Review: Just Wright

Outta Boredom and mild curiosity I decided to see the new Af –Am movie and no, not that that formulaic hot Tyler Perry mess but the OTHER one. And also trying to support my people so I bought a ticket to Just Wright.  How bad could it be?  It’s about basketball, stars the likeable Queen Latifah and wouldn’t kick out of bed Common.  I also saw it at the interactive 42^nd street theater so I knew there would be a good deal of audience participation and all that movie talk back conversating can be either irritating or hilarious.  Thankfully the movie was entertaining.  Granted I’d set the bar rather low but it was still amusing and kept you rooting for the characters.  It was a by the numbers, Cinderella-ish story of nice tomboy/girl next door who wins in the end by getting the hot NBA Playa and the dream job.  Of course there were some twists and turns along the way as her prettier gold diggin celeb-stalking cousin gets with him first. But rest assured that sensitive hot guy comes to appreciate her loyalty and good heartedness and chooses her over her superficial friend.  This fantasy romance has something for everyone.  Queen Latifah is a crowd pleaser, for the OG’s there’s Pam Grier, Common is FYNE and he’s obviously been working out and Felecia Rashad classes up the joint as his mom.  All good but in the real world, dream on but that what movies are for. 

 

 

Discount On Pumas By Donating Your Soles

I love my Pumas.  Duh!!!  Since my facebook photo is a shot of my favorite two-tone pewter and gold Puma high tops.  And now I love the brand even more since they make me feel good about buying a new pair.  Not that I needed any encouragement to score some the latest Mihara shoes. But if you need a little push, take advantage of the 30 percent discount you can get off full priced shoes just for donating an old pair at a Puma retail store. It’s a part of the Soul4Souls program that provides shoes and monetary donations to charities including an orphanage in Haiti.  Some exclusions apply so click here for details. Then shop online and in stores at the Puma clearance section where prices are rock bottom.  Treat yourself to a second pair.  You deserve it for being such a good citizen and you can never have too many pairs of Pumas.

Apartment Therapy…A Shrink For Your Small Space

Now that I’ve completed my bathroom renovation I’m thinking about moving on to other projects and one of my favorite places to browse for decorating ideas is Apartment Therapy.  It’s real estate porn for apartments and better than Brownstoner, less gossipy with more specific categories and easier navigation. Apartment Therapy’s stated mission is to help people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online. Pretty ambitious but the site delivers.  It’s full of helpful, user-friendly posts, colorful photos with resources and suppliers listed, and overall, gives very practical budget conscious decorating tips.  One of my favorite things is the marketplace place with a link called Scavenger, a sexy version of craigslist-like for sale ads for furniture.  Many of the items for sale are quite unique and for a little money, they could make a big impact in your small space. There’s also a technology section featuring new home gadgets and a cooking link with recipes, dining and etiquette tips.  Who doesn’t need to know the proper fork for stabbing your rude dinner guest and removing candle wax from you tighty whities. 

 

Free Fun or Damn Near in Brooklyn

In case you haven’t noticed, the economy is still in the toilet and now with the stock market’s recent heart stopping plunge I’m definitely looking for ways to maximize my entertainment dollar. And Red Hook can definitely hook you up in the cheap fun department.  Take a bike ride down to the water front but first make a stop by the ball fields and queue at the food trucks. There are lots of delicious options but my favorite thing to do is gorge on pupusas and tacos from the Salvadorian vendors and still get change back from my $10.  Then you can take a ride around Fairway, pick up any extra supplies, beer whatever and sit outside at the picnic tables watch the ships go by.  Or you could load up your picnic baskets, don't forget to pick up a fantastic Key Lime Pie at Steve's,  and head to park surrounding IKEA.   There are metal lawn chairs and an expanse of lush grass, perfect for kicking back and catching some rays. If you want take a side trip to the city you can take a Water Taxi to Pier 11 for 5 bucks each way, but its free it you spend a minimum of $10 at IKEA, and who couldn’t find $10 worth of Dutig glasses or Epistal plates in the house wares market. 

The Barter the Better

Have something to trade, goods or services that might be valuable to others?  Well who doesn’t, since there’s a market for everything and I’m sure someone would be happy to trade pole-dancing lessons for pool cleaning.  But in the big wide world, how does slutty stripper hook up with sexy pool boy…..besides porn videos? The Internet of course.  Swap Right and has created a website where people trade their “talents”.  It’s fairly new so there’s not a huge number of ads, and it’s also national so the logistics of the post are a definite consideration.  But in theory, it’s a great idea. Craig’s list also has a small listing of services for swap. I’m definitely gonna keep my eye out for things I could swap. I remember the most relaxed year of my life being the one where I traded weekly Pilates session for weekly massage therapy.  AHHHH!!!!