In an effort to move web servers and finally be on Laughing Squid’s cloud hosting program, I’m going dark for 24-48 hours as I redeploy my website, database, and wait for the DNS records to propagate…

Be safe.

“Malkovich?”

“Yeah, he’s scary.”

Then I hope you don’t look in Alderaan places!

(Ha, ha ha. Yes I know. Total cheese. But I couldn’t help myself.)

Instead of some long New Year’s Day post, I’m just going to say I hope you rang in 2012 doing whatever makes you happy–and that the year ahead is kind to you and yours.

Hands down, this was my favourite website discovery of 2011. I can put this on and just relax to the sound of rain any time I want, even when it’s 100C outside and sunny, or -20C and snowing.

Brilliant.

RainyMood.com

Eager kids cheer and listen to Santa walking on the roof, only to watch him fall off and land on a truck.

How much do I love this movie?

A LOT.

Watched it on a whim the other night. Kinda had one of those moments where you can’t really find anything to watch that’s jumping out at you, so you find something like Take Me Home Tonight… it looks fun, but you’re not really sure about it. One of those moments where you know if you don’t watch it then, you probably never will.

And I’m SO glad I did.

In a nutshell, this is Take Me Home Tonight:

Four years after graduation, an awkward high school genius uses his sister’s boyfriend’s Labor Day party as the perfect opportunity to make his move on his high school crush.

It’s pretty much everything you could want in an 80s film–shot more than 20  years after the decade. It really plays on the 80s cult classics like Fast Times At Ridgemont High and Pretty in Pink.

Topher Grace doesn’t disappoint in a role he’s pretty much mastered since That 70s Show. His sister, played by Anna Faris, is well cast, though the real star of the film was the gorgeous–and hauntingly Kristen Stewart-like–Teresa Palmer.

And what a killer soundtrack. They nailed it. From the title track of Eddie Money’s Take Me Home Tonight, to Mötley Crüe’s Kick Start My Heart, to Men Without Hats, Wang Chung, and Duran Duran, it felt like there was a hit song every 5 minutes. Really, I don’t think the soundtrack could have been any better for this film. It fit perfectly.

So really, if you want something fun to watch–and you love the 80s, then you can’t go wrong with this movie.

Totally rad!

One of my favourite bands (tied with Depeche Mode), playing “The Forest” from their 1980 album Seventeen Seconds, at Bestival 2011.  How jealous am I that I couldn’t be at that show? VERY. But this video is the next best thing.

You can also find this track on their new album Bestival Live 2011.

!! Erin Baker !!

!! Congratulations !!

Erin, email me your contact information and I will get the signed and personalized copy of Karen Amanda Hooper’s Tangled Tides out to you ASAP!

Stay tuned for more book giveaways soon.

I used to be able to be able to bust quite the move to this song.

And yes, people still wear jumpsuits like this. I know. I saw someone last weekend wearing one.