Lifted (movie) - Absolutely inspiring, ridiculously good!

I initially saw this film through Prime, then purchased a personal Blu-Ray copy.  An excellent film like this doesn’t come by every day.  Excellent acting, excellent story line, excellent inspiration, but I could tell that they had a limited budget to film it.  It doesn’t matter though, this film does not need the gloss and makeover of Hollywood. It’s that good!

If you are looking for a great family movie, look no further!  I highly recommend this movie, especially if you fall into any of the following categories:
(1) You have a family member currently or previously deployed to the war;
(2) You have a family member who has under-recognized musical talent; or
(3) You are often misunderstood by family or schoolmates, and are harassed or bullied because of this misunderstanding.

This film does not offer unrealistic expectations to the above situations.  Rather, it provides encouragement and inspiration.  A line quoted from the film says it all – “Life is not PG.”

This is now the favorite film of my pre-teens.  That is how much they’ve connected with it.

If I could, I would gift this to anyone and everyone who has family currently serving in the military. They deserve the encouragement and inspiration that this film provides.

This stars Uriah Shelton, Dash Mihok with guest stars Trace Adkins and Ruben Studdard.

Available in Amazon in various formats (Streaming, DVD, Blu-ray).

Killer.com - Legal documentary drama similar to an episode of 20-20

Killer.com by Kenneth Eade (5 out of 5 stars)

This book had the overall feel of a 20-20 episode, coupled with a real-time stream of the legal proceedings.

In a capsule, the story revolves around the defamation of Brent Marks via public internet forums, and the subsequent complication of him having a high profile client that angered the same set of cyber-stalkers. A series of murders, including the client and a number of the cyber-stalkers, take place, and behind it all is an unseen paid killer that strategically framed Marks as the culprit. Marks is caught in a bind, since all motive and circumstantial evidence point toward him. Hence, the 20-20 journalism style of unraveling the facts of the case, and the drama of proving the presence of reasonable doubt in order to acquit Marks.

The conclusion is more of a statement about the harsh reality of internet crime and harassment, rather than a “happily ever after” end. This is the reality show aspect of the entire story.

This is an unusual legal thriller that made me think and reflect on these realities. Hmmmmm – this isn’t pure entertainment, but an expose veiled as entertainment.

Available in Amazon.

Looking for a non-traditional duffle bag for the gym? Check this out!

I take this gym bag with me to the office and on weekends. I got this in the grey color with brown leather accents. It is large, so I have no need to use a second bag in addition to this whenever I use it for out-of-town trips.

Pros:
1. Roomy enough to fit 2 pairs of gym clothes, including a jacket and a jogger, a pair of shoes, a basketball, a towel, and several smaller items
2. Made of thick and heavy canvas with supportive leather reinforcements and accents
3. Thick cotton lining with several inner pockets
4. Sturdy top handle with comfortable snap-on leather wrap-around
5. Main zipper goes both ways and is metal, not plastic
6. Extra wide, long and thick cotton webbing strap which are adjustable in length. The duffel can be worn slung on the side shoulder, or cross body
7. Antiqued metal hooks, clips, zippers, magnetic locks and other hardware accents
8. Multi-purpose bag – can be used for the gym, short out-of-town trips, or as a weekender
9. Practical design
10. Good stitching and attention paid to details
11. Perfect for carry-on luggage since it is flexible enough to fit the measuring caddies in the airport

Cons:
1. Leather accent pieces arrived wrapped in in plastic affixed by tape. When removed, the taped portions tore off a thin layer of the suede leather
2. Even at its shortest length, shoulder strap is too long for shorter people. I am 68” tall, but I have to wear the bag crossbody for a more comfortable fit that isn’t too long.

This is a great gym bag, which is very different from the usual nylon sports bags, but equally, if not more useful.

Check out Polare canvas duffle bags at Amazon!