Versatile Blogger Award

It's been a long time since anyone has given me a blogging award, probably because I started getting cranky about the rules involved with passing them on.  In fact, I still have never acknowledged the award Rob gave me a couple of years ago.  Hm, I wonder if I still have that info.

In any case, the Versatile Blogger Award was passed on to me from Rural Aspirations.  Her aspirations of living on her own farm have come true and it's always interesting to read about the latest projects there.  I have to admit, though, I also get jealous that she is able to move forward in so many directions that we cannot.  But, each of us has our own circumstances so I live the life I have.

As part of the award process, I am to share seven things with my readers that you may not know.  Since I've been blabbing online for four years, that's hard to come up with!  Let's go with a nice light theme, okay?

1. I love to watch movies.  I hate going to theaters anymore because of the rude audiences and sound systems that are overwhelmingly loud, but I enjoy watching movies at home.  I cruise yard sales and used bookstores to find movies that we would want to watch more than once. 

2.  I love food movies.  My very first DVD purchase was "Tampopo," a really good Japanese film (subtitled) about the quest to make the perfect noodle bowl.  I always crave noodles after watching it.  Also on my shelf: "Babette's Feast," "Big Night," "Chocolat," "Eat, Drink, Man, Woman," and "Mistress of Spices."  And yes, I crave whatever type of food is featured in each film after watching it!

3.  I like foreign films.  This is pretty obvious from the list in #2.  Foreign films can still be watched in a theater environment because the presence of subtitles tends to weed out the worst of the rude and noisy audience members.  Foreign films are also a welcome change from the predictability and over-reliance on special effects found in Hollywood films, as well as being an interesting glimpse into other cultures (at least as represented by the filmmaker).  I can do without Dogme films though.  A little technology - lighting and sound - goes a long ways towards making a better movie!

4.  Documentaries used to be better.  I have watched some of the highly touted documentaries on soil, peak oil, and food issues in the past few years, and have been very disappointed.  Instead of a well-presented film that thoroughly explores the subject, all of them seem to be preaching to the choir - making the movie for those people already familiar with the subjects instead of trying to educate those that are not.  They jump from interview to interview, presenting multiple experts but in a somewhat random manner without a unifying thread to tie it all together.  Whether one liked his experiment or not, at least Morgan Spurlock had a framework to his movie, "Supersize Me."

5.  I love IMDB: the Internet Movie Database.  You know how you're watching a movie and you're sure one particular actor or actress looks familiar?  Well, at IMDB, you can quickly go find out what other films or TV shows they've been in.  There are ways to search even for films that both feature the same two people.  For instance, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks....which makes me kind of wish I hadn't gotten rid of "Sleepless in Seattle."

6.  I don't own a TV but I watch TV.  The local library carries many of the TV series on DVD so I can occasionally watch shows that I've watched in the past or heard about.  I have a few series at home that I was able to pick up for a good price, shows that we like to watch more than once.  This includes "Northern Exposure," "Forever Knight," "Angel," and "True Blood."   

7.  I like vampire books and movies (but have not seen "Twilight").  It all started with Anne Rice.  I've read all of her vampire chronicles, more than once.  Okay, more than twice actually.  I absolutely loved the "Forever Knight" series when it first came on, especially the thought-provoking aspects presented by Lacroix.  We watched "Angel" sporadically when it aired but after picking up the whole series used, I've been working my way through it.  And we're currently rewatching "True Blood" seasons 1 & 2 in anticipation of the DVD release of season 3.  I am not a vampire wannabe but I enjoy watching how authors and screenwriters present their culture.

Alright, now I need to pass this on to five other bloggers. 
1.  Katie.  I've been following this lady for years.  Her blog(s) and life have gone through so many changes, and I'm thrilled to see that the current status is pretty darn good.

2. Erica at Northwest Edible Life.  I only discovered her in the aftermath of the Devraes debacle but find myself nodding along with or fascinated by every post she makes.  Makes me wish, once again, that we'd found a way to migrate up north.

3.  Sharlene at Solar Cooking for Mainstream Cooks.  I love that Sharlene has tackled the huge challenge of trying to convince the mainstream folks - not just the granola crowd -  to look into solar cooking.  I eat differently than she cooks but she offers up recipes that much of the population would drool for.

4.  Rob's World is an adventurous one where Rob constantly trying out new things, both in fixing up his home and in his garden.  And he's got cute pet pics.

5.  You, the reader.  Yes, you.  Why not?