Blue Ribbon Winners

Adam Movie Review

2009-08-12T06:11:00.000-07:00

Adam is a movie that deals with adult Asperger Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum Disorder. We saw this movie in a test preview at the Landmark Magnolia Theater in the West Village last night. Due to our personal connection with Asperger Syndrome and Autism, it was difficult for me to see this film objectively. As a matter of fact, I made it about five minutes before the tears started coming.

As the title character makes his way through professional, financial, romantic and social challenges, I would see my son, my daughter, and their friends with ASD saying or doing similar things. One scene in particular was word for word identical to a real life conversation I had with my daughter the day before. To say the script was dead-on would be an understatement.

Given the subject matter, this film could have been exploitative or maudlin. It was neither.
Adam is a sweet, funny film with lovable characters and a smart storyline.
Yes, I cried, but I also laughed and had a good time rooting for the characters from the opening scene to the very satisfactory ending. This is a Very. Good. Movie. And judging by the awards it has received, I'm not the only one who thinks so.

I highly recommend seeing it. Because it is an independent film, it will probably be in limited release. Thanks to DVDs I hope you will be able to give it a view even if it does not play in your town. Adam is worth looking for.

Funny People? Not Particularly

2009-08-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Went to see Funny People last night because that was the movie that was starting next when we arrived at the theater. It was OK. I laughed at some parts, particularly the big cameo sequence when Eminem tries to instigate a brawl with Ray Romano.

A lot of the humor though was very blue to the point of being repugnant. The constant (and I do mean constant) ugly locker room talk began to feel like an assault on the senses and really irritated me. Also?

Note to the woman who brought her teenage daughter and four of her friends to see this: If I found out you'd taken my kid, I'd punch you in the nose.

You'd think if Adam Sandler is going to do a movie about stand-up comics, he'd get some new material. Most of the stand-up stuff was just his OLD routines re-hashed.

Note to Adam Sandler: It wasn't funny the first time around.

The plot was fairly interesting and in between all the off-color remarks, there was some good stuff about friendship, priorities and the meaning of life blah, blah, blah. Still, I wouldn't recommend seeing it on date night. Wanting to shower with bleach after a movie is not conducive to the romance. Unless you're into that. Are people into that? I need to Ask The Bloggess. On second thought, I don't really want to know.

So to sum up: Funny People is a very long movie because they anticipate at least an hour having to be cut out before it can air on regular television and it could have used a sharp pair of scissors.

Note to Seth Rogan: You personally needed a sharp razor for those fugly sideburns you were sporting through most of the film. After an hour and forty-five minutes of them, I became fixated on the notion of hunting you down and shaving them off myself. If you see a middle aged woman coming at you one day with a large can of shave cream, beware.

Dial Emmy For Murder Book Review

2009-07-12T13:20:00.000-07:00

note: Two copies of this book were provided to me at no cost, for the purpose of review and giveaway.

Dial Emmy for Murder is the perfect beach book.

This light entertaining read is second in a series of Soap Opera Mysteries from Emmy® nominated daytime drama star Eileen Davidson with veteran paperback detective author, Robert J. Randisi.

"Soap operas can get so dirty
Tabloids and fans are stunned when daytime soap opera star Alexis Peterson leaves her show. She’s too busy with her new job as presenter at the Daytime Emmy® Awards to even notice. But when a co-presenter goes missing on award night, Alexis is determined to find who is killing Hollywood’s biggest and brightest before another burns out…"

Dial Emmy for Murder is a quick, fun book to stash in your beach bag this summer. Featuring short, snappy chapters, this book is peppered with enough adventure and romance to keep you reading long after everyone else has put up their beach umbrella and gone home.

Author Eileen Davidson's behind the scenes peeks into the world of daytime television are great fun, and Dial Emmy for Murder's crimes, car chases and mystery adventures are exciting without being gruesome. Even the romance is fun but safe for sensitive readers, which is just the way I like it.

I would recommend this book to both mystery novel and daytime drama fans of all ages.

Would you like a copy of Dial Emmy for Murder? Leave a comment here, and on Saturday July 18, I'll select one winner to receive a new copy direct from the publisher.

Can't wait that long? Dial Emmy for Murder is available now at Amazon and your local bookseller.

Secret Recipes For The Modern Wife-Review and Giveaway

2009-05-31T06:35:00.000-07:00

note: Two copies of this book were provided to me by author, Nava Atlas at no cost for the purpose of review and giveaway

First, I have to start by telling you that I love Nava Atlas. I am a big fan of her Modern Romance Comix, and eagerly follow her on Twitter. It is no wonder then that
I loved her retro-licious new mock cookbook Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife.

The story behind this eye-popping delight of a book is wonderful. Nava Atlas is not only an acclaimed vegetarian cookbook author, she is also a fine artist whose work is displayed in museums and private collections. According to the acknowledgment notes, this book began as a private project in response to girlfriends experiencing "marital malaise". With encouragement from her friends, she found as the hilarity grew, so did the project.

Are you thinking marital disappointment can't be funny? Think again. I just about doubled over reading her "recipe" for "What a Turkey Noodle Soup" and "People Pleasing Tossed Salad". And the graphics!

By the time I got to her sweetly touching recipe for "Happily Ever After Ambrosia" my eyes were tearing up a little in just the nicest way, and I had at least half a dozen of my own girlfriends in mind who I simply MUST send this book to.

That is where you come in. If you would like a copy of Secret Recipes for the Modern Wife, Leave a comment here. On Friday I will pick one lucky reader from the US or Canada to win. Good Luck and Happy Reading!

The Spirit

2008-12-28T08:14:00.000-08:00

I have been looking forward to seeing The Spirit directed by Frank Miller so when we went to the theater last night I was expecting a real treat. We pulled up to the stadium seating multiplex the first Saturday after Christmas and the parking lot was nearly empty. Whoa. As a teenager, I worked in a movie theater and I know that the place should have been packed last night with kids spending their holiday cash. This is not a good sign.

Once inside I looked around and noticed that I was the only person in the theater with a vagina. As a matter of fact, I believe my husband may have been the only man in there to have actually had a date within the last two years. To call the audience a pack of comic book geeks would be an understatement.

As a comic book lover myself (and a fan of the late Will Eisner's The Spirit series), I hoped that Miller would stay true to the film noir feeling of the original. He did not. On the upside, I liked several things about The Spirit including the fond tongue in cheek humor and Frank Miller's signature stylized comic book look. It was a shame the movie just wasn't good.

I had my own ideas about the central villain, "The Octopus". In the comic books he was never seen. I wish I'd never seen Samuel L. Jackson's performance in the role. It was just like watching Jules Winnfield from Pulp Fiction in drag.

And while we are talking about bad acting and characterization, may I just say that if Scarlett Johansson has any class, she will reimburse the studio for the cost of her private assistant, private driver, hairdresser, and endless other flunkies mentioned in the end credits because by no stretch of the imagination can her work in this film be called acting. Her turn as the villainous mad scientist's assistant was a wonderful opportunity to camp it up and really shine. Instead, it was like watching the smart kid slap something down on her test paper and walk out of the exam room 30 minutes early. She just didn't care and she looked like she was too busy to be bothered to participate in the film.

On the other hand, Eva Mendes just got it. She slinked and swayed and vamped her way through the movie and certainly engaged the audience as The Spirit's old flame, the larcenous Sand Seref. Personally, I loved the scene where her latest smitten henchman asks if they will get married after they pull the big heist. She tells him, "Yeah sure, now shut up and bleed." That's my kind of villainess.

I'm also a big fan of Paz Vega, and she did not disappoint in her quick turn as the sadistic Plaster of "Par-ee". Hilarious. Sexy. Great fun.

I wish I could say something nice about the performances of the good guys. I'm afraid they were all utterly forgetable. As a matter of fact, the entire movie was completely forgetable. The stylized look of the film was beautiful, but there was nothing in it we haven't seen before in Sin City. Rather than spending $20 to go see this in a theater, wait for some evening when you have nothing better to do and rent it. Aside from a stunning shot of Eva Mendes' character's derriere, you won't miss a thing.

Zack and Miri Make a Porno

2008-11-02T20:09:00.000-08:00

Photo courtesy of the Weinstein Company and View Askew Productions

Zack and Miri Make a Porno is the cute and funny new offering from Kevin Smith.

If you are a fan as I am of the Silent Bob & Jay films, you will like Zack and Miri. If you are of a certain age and can appreciate bawdy sight gags and goofy porn references, you will like this movie. On the other hand, judging by our fellow theater patrons, if you are young, sensitive or naive, much of the humor will be lost on you, and you may just walk out of the theater saying "That was gross".

As it happens, I am none of those things and I loved Zack and Miri Make a Porno. Why did I love it? Let me count the ways.

1. Traci Lords as Bubbles. How did they talk the world's most successful crossover porn star into playing the role of a seasoned "adult entertainer"? She was wonderful as Bubbles and oh, so funny.

2. Jason Mewes (yes, Jay) nekkid and giving lessons on "The Dutch Rudder". Hilarious.

3. But the real reason I loved this movie was the performance of Elizabeth Banks as Miri. Her dorky, sweet and subtle portrayal of Miri is beautiful. Yeah, yeah, I know you didn't expect me to use the word subtle when describing anything in this film, but there you have it. Elizabeth Banks was a joy to watch. I can't wait to see what she does next.

So, tonight I went to see a gross, funny, offensive, hilarious movie that managed to get an R rating only by the skin of it's teeth after an NC-17 appeal. Would I recommend it? Yes, I'd send my girlfriends, but no, I don't think it would be appreciated by everyone. Hrm, kinda like porn itself.

The Secret Life of Bees Movie Review & Give Away

2008-10-25T17:40:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures

It's been a while since I read Sue Monk Kidd's novel The Secret Life of Bees. It's the story of a young girl and her closest companion who are on the run from a tyrannical father, the law and their own bad memories. They find shelter in the home of three wise beekeeping sisters.

While reading the book, I cast some of my favorite movie stars to be the faces of the characters. I can safely say that Queen Latifah never entered my head. And Jennifer Hudson? Back then, I'd never heard of her. Alicia Keyes? Who knew she could act? As a matter of fact, doesn't anyone else think it's strange that most of the primary cast in a non-musical film is made up of women famous for their singing, not their acting?

Although there were a few pretty scenes and an amazing soundtrack (see above, duh), I was disappointed. While the movie followed the basic storyline of the book, it was sanitized for your protection. I'm not sure whether major characters were skimmed over in the interests of time or due to the limits of the stars. I suspect however, that most of the story's meat hit the wastepaper basket in an effort to make a "nice" movie. What do they call them? A "feel good" movie.

I believe I would have liked this film better if the director had chosen to embrace the talent of the beautiful Sophie Okonedo. It was a shame that such a brilliant actress was lost in a film filled with countless close ups of glamorous Alicia Keyes and repetitive flashbacks to the opening scene.

So, would I recommend this movie? Sure. It was nice. Would I encourage you to spend big bucks to see it in the theater? Nah. This one is definitely a Rent It Instead kind of film.

To read more about this film, other reviews, or to see the trailer, click here.

Now for the Give Away:
If you would like to win a copy of the novel, an essential body kit from Burt's Bees, and a $10 Blockbuster gift card, click here. Contest Starts Monday October 27th. A winner will be announced the following Saturday. Shhhh! To qualify for an extra bonus prize, tell me in your comment if you will see the Secret Life of Bees Movie. If you will, then tell me if you will be seeing it in a theater or renting it when it comes out on video. Good Luck!

Flip Mino

2008-10-14T12:22:00.000-07:00

A few months ago, Holly, the feisty wee Anglophile Football Fanatic was waving her new Flip video camera under my nose saying, "Nyah, nyah, nyah! Looky what I have" (or maybe that's just the way I remember it), and showing me how cool and simple the Flip is to use. I don't know about you, but I hate juggling USB cables and peripherals, so a small video camera that just clicks into the side of my laptop is for me.

Now it is a documented fact that I am the Annie Liebovitz of thumb portraiture, so the last thing I need is a complicated camera, but I do need a portable, everyday camera. Over the past few months, I thought about how often I missed a great shot because I didn't have a camera in my purse. I thought of how handy it would be to have a camera in case I witnessed a traffic accident or petty crime (I'm sorry to say that happens fairly frequently here in the big city). I thought about all my girl's night outs when I've been the only one without a camera and annoyed my girlfriends by begging for pictures. Most of all, I thought about the great blog fodder I was missing by not carrying a camera around with me. So! with my birthday tomorrow and Blissdom 08 on Saturday, I whined and wheedled and cajoled my darling Spouse into buying me the Flip Mino!

First I quickly went on line to look at the Flip website. A quick glance showed me that the Mino is the slim version of the Flip video camera. Unlike it's predecessors, it has a built in battery that does not have to be changed and charges automatically when docked on my laptop. No batteries or chargers to deal with? Cool! Ooo! the website says you can get it with a designer cover. I can even download my own image! That settled it. I was sold.

Off I ran with Spouse in tow to the Buy More, to get a cute pink one like I'd seen on-line. Umm...no. They only carried the Mino in black. Black. Yuppie Black. Blech. Wait! Didn't the website say that I can create a custom cover? I'll bet you just go online after purchase and order a custom skin to slip over the standard black casing. Umm...again, no.

Turns out that the custom casing is only available when you order directly from Flip on-line. If you buy it from a vendor, it is only available in black or white. And the cute skins they sell separately? They don't make them to fit the Mino. Want the underwater cover to protect your Flip at the pool or beach? Also not available for the Mino. Still, I paid $20 dollars less than the direct price so I'll just bide my time and wait for the skin that I'm sure will be offered soon.

In the meantime, I'm having a ball shooting videos and snapshots and uploading them easy as pie. And the best part? The tall slim shape of my new Flip Mino with the button on the back practically guarantees no more thumb in front of the lens. Look for me in Nashville. I'll be the one yelling "Cheeeeze!"

Fall Fashion Fantasy

2008-08-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

So it's mid August and time to take care of Fall Fashion. Today I took Girlchild shopping for this:

Hooray for school uniforms!

However, I secretly wished I was shopping for this:

Mandalay cocktail dresses $1,105. & $1,315.

Cashmere day dresses from $200.00 Do you see the black tights? I LOVE tights! Huzzah for the return of tights and the demise of white winter legs glowing in the Autumn twilight!

Of course it isn't really fantasy shopping until I check out the Fall Fashions in Women's Sizes.

Eileen Fisher $78-$318 Caroline Rose $120-$305

I'm not much of a pants person, but these outfits would look gorgeous even on my figure. Do you like the sleeve length? I'm 5'9" so my sleeves always look like this. I'd love to see the little brown number with a cute pair of kid gloves and matching heels.

As for my favorite fall fantasy? The shoes are not very inspiring this season. Meh. I'll just take a pair of brown mock croc stillettos in a ten, please.

All my fantasy outfits are featured at http://www.neimanmarcus.com . Where do you do your fantasy shopping?

Driving Sideways by Jess Riley

2008-05-20T08:00:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Jess Riley of Riley's Ramblings and The Debutant Ball. Her debut novel, Driving Sideways was released for sale today! This excerpt that I totally lifted off her amazon page should get you panting too:

CHAPTER ONE

I am alone no longer.

It’s strange how much you can change in just one year. Twelve months ago, I’d have laughed in your face if you told me I’d be packing for a road trip this morning. Not rudely, of course, but because traveling anywhere remote was a remote possibility for me at that point. I’d have sooner believed you if you’d said, “One year from now, you will become a Scientologist, learn the pan flute, and join a Bay City Rollers tribute band.”

But I’ve had a change of heart. Well, kidney, really. I’m leaving for Los Angeles this morning, about to do some things long overdue. My Saturn is idling in the driveway, stuffed with suitcases I’ve never taken anywhere but to hospitals. I feel as if I’ve just discovered that the cure for cancer is dark chocolate followed by two orgasms. I think I’ve forgotten to pack my toothbrush, but I don’t care. I can buy one on the way. The thought thrills me.

********************************

I’m really doing it. Two left turns, a series of intersections, and one long graveyard on my right (which I drive past holding my breath, to add a day to my life), and I’m leaving Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. Good-bye, Tucker’s Hamburgers, Gilles Frozen Custard, Lakeside Park, and the Miracle Mile, where a dozen people bought winning lottery tickets and thousands more bought losing ones. I wish I had a convertible, so I could wear Jackie O sunglasses and a scarf over my hair and carelessly toss something fluttery and symbolic into the wind—maybe a love letter from an old beau, or ancient to-do lists, or just bundles of money, because if I had a convertible and Jackie O sunglasses, it stands to reason that I’d have a much more exciting life involving a surplus of inherited or ill-gained money.

I turn my stereo up and Jefferson Starship assaults me: “We built this city . . . !” I rush to find something that won’t trigger my gag reflex. (Ah, yes: “London Calling,” by the Clash. For some, not just a band, but a way of life.) I suppress a delirious giggle. I’m really doing this. I begin to sing along and ease onto Highway 23. My MedicAlert bracelet glints in the sun, looking much more like a sterling silver Return to Tiffany™ heart tag bracelet than the old-school stainless steel plate the kid with diabetes wore around his wrist in fifth grade. Humming down the highway with the rising sun at my back, I snake a hand down my side to touch my scar. I can almost feel my new kidney jouncing around in me. It feels less like an alien jelly bean and more like an old pal. I decide to name it Larry. After its namesake. I am alone no longer.

Betcha after reading that, you're hooked too.

This is one of those books that surprises you with clever images and hilarious turns of phrase on nearly every page. I highly reccommend this book.

Change Your Reality Change Your Life by Robin McKnight

2008-04-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Cross posted at Goodreads:

Because I have an over-inflated opinion of myself, I generally avoid self-help books like the plague. So when my best friend K. gave me a copy of her kid sister's new book: Change Your Reality, Change Your Life, I have to admit to thumbing through it then passing it along. First it went to Spouse who quoted it for weeks after reading it, then to my mother who raved about it endlessly and finally to another girlfriend who insisted I actually read this wonderful book or she'd read it aloud to me.

Guess what? Im glad I did. Robin McKnight has an easy comfortable writing style. Her book is filled with practical advice for making the most of everyday living. As a licensed professional counselor, she has an easy matter of fact way of presenting new ways to look at life's challenges without a lot of exasperating new age obfuscation. The specific exercises at the end of each chapter are fun and helpful. I really enjoyed trying them.

This book is classified by the LOC as a "self-actualization" book. I call it a good pleasant read and a must for anyone who feels the need to dump the old baggage, recharge and jump back into life. If you'd like to learn more, click the cover photo at the top for a link to it's Amazon info page.

The Ex-debutante by Linda Francis Lee

2008-04-10T08:00:00.000-07:00

I just finished the latest book from Linda Francis Lee, The Ex-Debutante. This one is a romp! As much as I enjoyed The Devil in the Junior League, there was a teensy bit of New Yawk sensibility to it that wasn't quite to my taste. This time around, Ms. Lee hit just the right note.

The Ex-Debutante is the story of a young moneyed Texan who chose to move to Boston to practice law and make a fresh start. When her mother calls her home three years later with a family emergency, Carlisle finds herself sucked back in to family drama including her crunchy sister in law's struggles with an orange-haired teenager, her sister's all-consuming fertility battles complete with hormonal mood swings that make Sigourney Weaver's alien look like a lap dog, and her mother's umpteenth divorce. Somehow in the midst of all this she gets roped into organizing a debutante ball and coaching eight very challenging young women for a presentation complete with the dreaded "Texas Dip". Oh! and did I mention the sizzling lawyer in tight jeans representing her mother's husband?

Yep, I loved this book and most especially I loved how the characters ring true. In turns funny, outrageous, and very touching, The Ex-Debutante is a one sit read. You don't have to be a Texas deb to be unable to put this book down.

Now for those of you who are wondering, did I do the infamous "Texas Dip" at my debut? The answer is no, my old-line DC blue book mother called it a "spectacle". However, I'll have you know that in my day I could do it very gracefully, thank you, and I still think it's one of the most lovely things I've ever seen when done correctly.

Lucky for you it's also quite fun when it's a bit creaky like this video featuring a beautiful woman attempting it that I found in a random search. Listen as the older Texas gentleman in the chair coaches her. It makes me want to run over and give them both a big hug. Click here to Enjoy!

How Can You Resist Birds With Subtitles

2008-03-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

It's Easter Eve and I'm sitting around waiting for the Bunny to bring the baskets so I can lock the door behind her (mind your tail!). How better to kill the time than in front of a good movie. Was I watching the traditional "Ten Commandments", or the uber-wholesome "Sound of Music"? I was watching this.

It's the story of the transvestite prostitute son of an RC Priest in Northern Ireland during the worst of the IRA violence. I'm such an Easter rebel. Despite the violent setting, it is a lovely story of compassion and redemption. It is charming and adorable, the music is splendid and it even has talking birds. If you have the chance to see "Breakfast on Pluto", I heartily recommend this film.

Spring Shoes 2008

2008-02-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

I am a shoe nut. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I'd blow it all in the shoe department at Neiman-Marcus. Well, there and the handbag department because we Southern girls don't care what those fashion rags in New Yawk say, we gotta have matching bags for our shoes.

Now some of y'all were appalled by my recent fascination with with gold metallic shoes and handbags. Granted I would NEVER wear the two together, but instead find a nice complementary handbag for the shoes because if I can only have one it's gotta be the shoes. No, don't shudder! Look at these:
I mean aren't they just dreamy? Check out the crystal bead work on the heels of the Prada pumps. Luscious.

Of course there are some gold metallics at Neiman's that do come from the land of fug. Behold:
Here we have the Young Hollywood stiletto, specially designed to camouflage your court ordered ankle monitor. How sassy!

And for those of you longing for those glamourous days of Studio 54, Michael Kors brings you the disco sandal complete with strap guaranteed to pop the very first time you wear them!

If discoteques are not your thing, how about this little Carol Brady flashback for the country club set. I swear my mother had several of these back in the seventies.

Of course spring would not be spring without the perfect shoe for your new little black dress. Here we see how to do it wrong:
Not just fetish shoes, ugly fetish shoes.

And how to do it right:

These say "I am a lady, but I might not be if you play your cards right." Rowwwr.

Maybe you want to lighten up this sping. I really love these softly silver kitten heels:

Of course, my very fave spring color is pink:

I like these strappy sandals, but the straps look like they would probably cut and blister my feet if I tried anything particularly athletic in them like oh say, walking across the room.

I think these petal-icious suede pumps are more my speed.

Whenever I do shop for shoes, I like to fantasize about wearing delicate pink satin ribbon shoes to some fabulous gala event:
No, not Pepto Bismal pink, this pink:

So girly! Of course if I actually did try to wear them, I would no doubt splash them with road salt or dung or something equally ruinous and never actually get to enjoy them before having to toss them out.

As yummy as most of the spring shoes are, I can't help but look at these and ask:

Does Stella McCartney really think I want to spend $695.00 for shoes that look like they came from Payless? Or is it that she has never actually been to a discount store and therefore has no frame of reference to know what is tacky?

Unlike Poor Stella, I do shop at Payless and I know I've seen this little number listed here at $245.00 retailing for $12.99. They are still cheap looking at any price.

These Versace opera pumps don't look cheap. At least they didn't before knock-offs appeared in every Ross Dress for Less across the country four years ago. Not only outdated, but that heel is just stupid. Stoopid.

Anybody remember huaraches? Uh, yeah, that was before my time too. Even so I don't think anyone can remember paying $315.00 for such gruesomeness.

I think I'll just stick with the basics. Perhaps a pair of black patent leather Mary Janes:

Ooo yeah. Get out the plaid mini skirt, Mama's gonna wear these to school! Woo-hoo!

Works For Me Wednesday-Brand Loyal Edition

2007-09-05T08:00:00.000-07:00

Well in case y'all hadn't noticed, I'm a penny pincher. A tightwad. A cheapskate. In general I am only brand loyal until the next sale. However, there are some things I will not compromise on. At the very top of my list is Hell on the Red SalsaI believe deep down in the very core of my being that there is nothing more vile than salsa with stewed tomatoes. Conversely, there is nothing more addictive than bright, fresh Hell on the Red from Telephone, Texas. When we lived in New Hampshire I nagged my mother constantly to mail me cases of the stuff. Seriously. It's that good.

I get wicked annoyed (see, I was thinking about New England and my accent changed and I'm not even speaking I'm typing) when the brands I'm loyal to farm their products out to Asia and keep charging us the same price for shoddy foreign goods. Hoover Vacuums I am talking about you! Is it any wonder that all my girlfriends have abandoned their Hoovers for Orek?

Or what about shrink? The can looks the same, but it's no longer filled all the way up inside! Oh, and don't even try that one about "settling during shipment". I have an older can and I can clearly see that the label says this is 2 and 1/2 ounces lighter! What? You say you had to do it to keep prices low? I don't believe you. Guess what, because you tried to trick me I am now switching brands. What do you think of that? What's that you say? The other brand is owned by the same parent company you are? Rats!

I'd like to say it's a no win situation for the average housewife but then I remember what a difference we can make in the world through our buying dollars. Do you remember the successful boycotts against Nestle chocolate and Dole bananas that stopped their use of child slave labour?

So, go ahead and tell us what works for you. You can find this and other WFMW items at Rocks in my Dryer.