Worth Your Time: Wealth, Status, and Power Creates One Great Spin-Off Reality Show

The Real Housewives of New York City, the spin-off reality television program on the Bravo Television Network perceives a better wrap and is actually worth watching than the original Orange County edition.

The show's first season premiered on March 4, 2008 with five New York City housewives, Bethenny Frankel, Countess LuAnn de Lesseps, Alex McCord, Ramona Singer, and Jill Zarin.

The series was renewed for a second season on April 15, 2008 and premiered last week welcoming the sixth housewife, Kelly Killoren Bensimon.

Even though the show is based on five females who are aspiring socialites, this edition of The Real Housewives actually has no real entree into Manhattan high society; but becomes an eye-opening look at the economic realities of New York at the dawn of the 21st century. This is something the Orange County edition fails to do.


The women’s personalities are not particularly unusual or distinct, they are actually the same kind of hasty, well-preserved and assertive as the women in Orange County; it’s their location that is a bit more sophisticated as New York is more widespread and more expensive than the women in California who only reside in Orange County.

These women of NYC don't mess around with overpriced SUVs or plastic surgery. All six women have actual careers, a massive social life, and a unique family life defining themselves more independent.

The season two premier is near superlative in its gossiping silliness as it is the mid of summer in the Hamptons and war breaks out among the housewives. After becoming stars in season one, the women are obviously excited to be squabbling again for the cameras and the public while attaining more fame.

Overall, this show is worth the hour of time one might usually spend web surfing or doing something else before the eleven o'clock news.





The Real Housewives of New York City airs on Bravo at 10pm eastern time. Click here for local listings. Click here to watch full episodes.

Saves You Time: Organizing Made: Clean, Neat & Easy

Organize.com is a great site to help anyone organize almost anything no matter how un-organized you might be.

All products are designed to provide better storage and help organize things while remaining at a respectable price for its value.

The company’s online product catalog lists over five-thousand different products ranging from the usual storage and organization products to seasonal gift items.

The site offers so many choices in Tupperware alone that it can actually make it hard for customers to choose what they need and want.



The site offers a variety of organization systems for kitchens and closets to craft corners and college dorm life. Some items even have a theme of patterns to make organizing more personal.


With a philosophy of making one’s life simpler and more organized, the website has lead to be a web retailer rated among the top 500 web retailers according to internetretalier.com. However, the main philosophy is making the shopping experience, “clean, neat and easy” as it truly is. The website it very simple to use and divides sections at the top of the page no matter what page you are lead to.

Organize.com not only sells regular organization systems that are typically in plastic or laminate wood, but also sells real furniture that one might find at popular overpriced home furniture stores around town.



Although the site sells things, it also gives free advice on how to start and keep organized throughout the year, starting with the 30 Tips for 2009. The site also offers a Mrs. Organized blog that gives tips on organization to cooking with new recipes.

The most useful thing I found on the site was the registry, which allows you to register for a wedding, a baby or even for a college dorm room.

This site can have everything and anything anyone is looking for and more; making it a total worth while website to “waste” your time on...while in the end it will save you time.

Not Worth Your Time: Taken Doesn't Take as it Expected it Would

Taken just wants to give us a good time, too bad it didn’t work.

The film classified as an action genre takes a lot of time to finally get to the “so-called” action, as the film takes the first 30 minutes to set up its plot. The film then becomes a single-role of just Liam Neeson (playing Bryan Mills) where he conveniently kicks the ass of scummy Europeans all over Paris, while everyone else in the film is incidental as the film proves in the end.

The general plot of Taken is about Bryan Mills who is trying to reconnect with his 17year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) as he spent most of her life working all over the world for the CIA. Much to the dismay of his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen), Bryan tries every effort to be a father again. Although, he finds the only way to reconnect with Kim and to make peace with his ex-wife is to go against his better judgment and allow Kim to travel to Europe with her older girlfriend only under his specific conditions.

Though he later finds out that he should have stood his ground, because shortly after landing in Paris Kim and her friend are kidnapped by Albanians and sold as sex slaves to the insanely rich and powerful.



Bryan arrives in Paris and begins to hunt for the abductors as promised while always winning brawls no matter how many opponents were involved.

What Taken is, is a good middle of the road “action” movie, that just meets the par. Taken has no ambition beyond holding your attention for 90 minutes and making a dollar, although it has already taken and “wasted” peoples time and money.

Want to judge this movie for yourself, find local listings here.

Worth Your Time: A Soap Opera that Appeals to Both Women and Men

One Tree Hill which first appeared as a teen melodrama in 2003 became a huge hit and still is today.

The television program which is aired on the CW network illustrates the interactions of a group of teens who are interconnected in their daily lives in a small North Carolina town.

The show is actually unique in the aspect that it first followed two half brothers competing in basketball and in love, giving men and women something new and intriguing to watch.

As the show progressed, the focus changed from light drama to full out backstabbing, scheming, love triangles, and even murder; typical of grimy drama fit for a soap opera.



Currently in its sixth season which premiered in September of 2008, One Tree Hill takes places about five years after graduating high school in the same small North Carolina town of Tree Hill. Though they have aged and learned more lessons in life, the group of friends still face drama in their lives; from a psycho nanny to tension on a semi-professional basketball court.

As the season continues, there are countless other dramatic story lines that keeps the show constantly going beyond reality leaving viewers hooked to show more than ever before. The drama picks up with new characters and relationships and there are some juicy moments that actually make the show solid.



Overall, the show can seem unrealistic with some of the outrageous plot lines; but for those who enjoy soap operas endlessly filled with drama this show will not fail to entertain.

Click here to watch full episodes of current and past seasons of One Tree Hill, along with photos, interviews and more.

Worth Your Time: Break a Sweat with the Wii

Regardless of personal taste, there's one game that almost everyone plays when they purchase or play the Nintendo Wii; that’s Wii Sports. This is the game that Nintendo included with the Wii game system. It's a collection of simple games based on the sports of tennis, baseball, bowling, golf, and boxing.

Wii Sports uses common activities to provide an example of how to create a tangible experience on the Wii; which turned out to be effective.

Another key to Wii Sports is that it keeps you coming back as a daily fitness plan. Using this game you’ll break a sweat in no time; trust me I did and I thought I was in shape, so much for that idea.



What immediately makes Wii Sports attractive is its ease of use. Each of the sports games goes down to a few essential elements and use with only the Wii Remote.

•Tennis: All you'll be doing is swinging the remote as though it were a tennis racket. Each match you'll flick the remote up to toss the ball in the air, and then with a fast swing you'll serve the ball. It's either a two or four player game, though the game computer can serve out a doubles game if you're on your own.



•Golf: All you do is swing the remote as though it were a golf club. There are nine different holes of golf, which start off as straight shots then lead to harder holes as the game continues.



•Bowling: You'll start off holding the remote in front of you pointing straight up, then you'll move it down, back, and forward again to get the ball to hit all the pins. Up to four players can play a full 10 frames.



•Baseball: This part of the game is only about batting and pitching, with all of the field positions being handled by the game. The motions are pretty similar to the real thing, so you really just hold and swing the remote as though it were a real baseball bat.



•Boxing: Boxing ended up being my favorite part of the game. It is the only Wii Sports game that uses the Nunchuk remote accessory. You'll control your fighter's position by holding the remote and the Nunchuk and moving them to block punches or to throw them. You can also dodge punches by swaying forward, back and side to side while blocking your face, with those movements boxing can be the most physically exhausting game of all. The game goes to split screen mode when you're up against a live opponent which actually turns out as a good visual for others who are watching.



Regardless of the simplicity, there's a lot you can learn from the games even through the training mode, which can also help you polish your skills. But overall this can be a fun challenge for those who've already got a handle on the games.

Click here to buy a Wii game system, games and accessories.

Saves You Time: Entertainment at Anytime

Fancast.com is a website that allows you to escape reality whether that be from 25 minutes to 90 minutes depending on what you choose.

This site is a all in one place where you can discover everything you want to know about television shows, movies, and celebrities. More than that, Fancast is a site where you can save time and watch the latest episode of your favorite television show or even full length movies on your schedule.

The most unique aspect of the site is that it offers episodes of past television shows that are no longer on the air, allowing you to save money rather than buying box DVD sets of these former television shows like Beverly Hills 90210 or even I Love Lucy.



Fancast allows you to watch the latest movie trailers, read news and reviews through blogs on movies and television shows.

Other aspects of the site also offers recaps of television shows along with local television listings just in case you can’t stay long on the site.



For entertainment enthusiasts that want to buy actual movies or boxed television DVD sets, Fancast offers that as well, click here to check out the store.

The site’s main goal is to keep you more informed and up to date with the latest entertainment based on your own schedule saving you tons of time.

Worth Your Time: Free Photo Editing Website Leads to Better Photos

After taking a photo, what else is there to do besides framing it and displaying it on the wall?

Something I found better you could do with the photo is to give it kick with your creative side by editing the photo at Picnik.com, a free website that allows you to upload and edit your photos without the hassle of downloading programs to do so.



After you sign up using your email address, it’s super simple. You begin by selecting the photo you want to edit by uploading it from your files on your computer. Once the photo is uploaded to the site you can start to edit it right away.

There are one click fixes you can apply to the photo before adding the creative additions. Some of these one click fix buttons include: cropping, resizing, rotation, exposure and color correction.

Conveniently Picnik's website allows you to see the changes to the photo as you make them, which makes it easier to change your mind and red-do the changes. In fact, Picnik has an undo history button which allows you to undo any edit at any time even when it was first uploaded to the site.

The basic Picnik service is free and includes a surplus of creative editing tools. However, Picnik also offers a premium service for $24.95 a year giving you more effects to choose from to add to your photo.

The basic website offers more than 30 special effects, including numerous color effects from black tones to sepia tones, along with add on features like frames, borders, vignette edges and even text.

Here's a photo of my niece that I edited a year ago to make it more festive than just a plain birthday photo.

Before


After


When you're done editing a photo, you can save the it to your computer or upload it to any of the compatible sharing sites like Facebook and MySpace.

I found that the Picnik website is well organized with tabs that clearly state where to go depending on what you want to do; like uploading photos, library of photos you have already edited, an edit section, a creative add on section, and a save and share section.



Overall, Picnik has a lot to offer as a free online photo editing tool application and allows you to create photos you would normally pay a bundle for.

Worth Your Time: Entertainment Exploration

ComingSoon.net (CS) is a remarkable website that reports daily movie, DVD and television news with the latest updates.

CS gives site visitors a chance to watch the newest movie trailers, see on set photos and read the latest information concerning upcoming movies, DVD releases and television shows.

The site also offers video interviews as well as articles and review blogs with the casts of the hottest movie that is to hit theatres.



In addition, the site offers a discussion forum where entertainment enthusiasts can chat about almost anything ranging from movies, television shows, celebrities to books and even sports.


CS also has spinoff websites like Superhero Hype! that holds daily updates on superhero movies and TV shows. The newest byproduct website, Shock Till You Drop offers the most up to date horror movie and television news.

Another interesting thing that the site offers is the current box office information along with the and top selling DVD sales.

Predominantly, this site offers visitors the appeal of all around entertainment news and the most recent movies trailers not found anywhere else.

Not Worth Your Time: Valkyrie Crumbles Under Pressure

With a more intelligent and rigid plot, Valkyrie which opened in theaters across the world this past December could have been much more interesting and stimulating rather than merely sporadically gripping, ultimately making it a stale film.

Even before it was in theaters, Valkyrie has its work cut out to portray Tom Cruise as Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, a German war hero and aristocrat (even without a German accent), who becomes astounded by Hitler's Germany enough, that he is willing to kill the Adolf Hitler himself. If you can believe this presentation, then what follows is a film that is intense and a thriller. If not, then you are in for 120 minutes of an unplanned comedy and time you won’t ever get back.



Valkyrie is a tale of Colonel Von Stauffenberg and others within the SS and their failed attempt on Hitler's life in July 1945. Von Stauffenberg proposes assassinating Hitler and then using this reserve army to arrest the SS and institute a new government that demonstrates better use of it’s country.



The plot does have some uphill excitement with the film starting off with a bombing blast in a desert in Africa, however fails throughout with uncanny background melodies that leads you to think there is action just around the corner, when really there isn’t.



Valkyrie's technique is commendable but forgets the mark of emotion and excitement for the viewer. Your brain that wants only historical scenes rather then action ones will be hooked, other than that it is nothing but a time waster and something that could have aired on the History Channel.

Click here to find local theaters that still have Valkyrie playing before it hits shelves in DVD later this spring, though it should have hit sheleves to begin with.

Tell me what you think!

Saves You Time: A Textbook That Actually Helps You Party More

While in college it is very hard to find a textbook that can actually help someone make more time to party or just relax. On Course (fourth addition), is the textbook that can help a college student do both.

The key to this textbook’s appeal is the small length, tight focus, and importance on self-development that is written in a positive, motivational approach rather than just a boring textbook you’re required to buy for a class.


On Course empowers college students with skills they need to take charge of their success in school and in life.

The unique information in the textbook helps students develop essential life skills by encouraging exploration of their personal interdependence, self-worth, accountability and self-motivation.

The widespread coverage of study skills of: reading, note taking, memorizing, and test taking provided in the "Wise Choices in College" section helps students pass not only their courses, but allows them to have more free time to do whatever their heart desires by following those skills.


Within the textbook lies a treasure of information that can lead a college student to graduation without the agony and time it typically takes others.

•The "Choices of Successful Students" chart on the inside front cover shows eight key choices that successful students make in determining their own success.

•"Case Study in Critical Thinking," in the beginning of every chapter, includes topics such as procrastination and team work and encourages students to think seriously and artistically.

•"Wise Choices in College," an end of chapter study skills element, covers reading, note taking, studying, memorizing, test taking, writing, and researching.

•"On Course Principles at Work" shows how important the success strategies are for choosing the right career, getting hired and succeeding in the work world all while in college.

•"One Student's Story" student essays provide insight on which strategies worked for them and how they applied these skills to their life.

This textbook also has a useful internet website that interacts with what a reader is learning during each chapter and beyond with dicussion groups, technology exercises along with multiple assessments. The website allows the student success expand in time through time management, note-taking, reducing test anxiety, health and wellness, and decision-making.

You can purchase On Course at Amazon.com, Alibris.com or you can even rent the textbook at Chegg.com.

Worth Your Time: Film Unravels Relationship Mysteries

He's Just Not That Into You, a film that attempts to help bridge the communication gaps that naturally occur between men and women soared in the box office as well as in women’s minds during the first weekend of February.

The film follows multiple characters and how they deal with the men and even women relationships in their lives pointing out the obvious signs most people don’t pick up on, but the film so cleverly points out.

Usually I find that most men aren't big fans of romantic comedies like this one, mostly because the entire plot is given away in the two minute teaser trailer; but I observed a significant amount of men in the audience on opening night when I went to go see this with four of my closest girlfriends in Orlando, Florida.

I did discover that there were some good performances in this film from:

•Ginnifer Goodwin, who plays the overbearing single woman who just wants to find “the one”.

•Bradley Cooper, who cheats on his newlywed wife just to be in another “relationship” even though he will never leave his wife.

•Justin Long, who plays the good guy friend approach.

•Scarlett Johansson who everyone loves to hate as she is the center of not only a single man’s obsession, but a married man’s as well.




With that noted, the film did a good job of addressing the complexities of relationships in the “real world” through the multiple characters in the plot. Though I believe there was still room for improvement as there were still some still clichés in the movie that made it a bit dull and familiar.



Overall, He’s Just Not That Into You did achieve the classic romantic comedy moments along with interesting and comical noticeable dating advice throughout the film.


Click here to find local theaters to see this film.

Not Worth Your Time: Real Housewives Fail to Serve

The “reality” series, The Real Housewives of Orange County, follows the upscale lives of several unknown women who live in the swank community of Coto de Caza, California. The show first premiered in March of 2006 on the Bravo television network, and with surprise has been renewed season after season.



Now in its fourth season which premiered in November of 2008, the show returns with three of the original housewives, Vicki Gunvalson, Jeana Keough, Lori Peterson and season three newcomer Tamra Barney.

In the newest season, a new housewife, Gretchen Rossi, replaces two other housewives who left the show in the previous season and another new housewife, Lynne Curtin joins the cast to compensate for the mid-season departure of Peterson.

Here's part of the season four cast on a local talk show in California to discuss the season.



This show is not at all reality, but a fake wannabe just like the ladies on the show. Every week it is nothing but 60 minutes of rich women who have breast implants, a lot Botox and tons of free time to whine about their lives while on vacation in Las Vegas, San Diego and other extravagant places they have ventured off to. It fails to serve viewers with the accounts of true reality within these women’s lives.


The problem with The Real Housewives of Orange County is that the producers of the show go out of their way to show us how nasty these women are when it comes to money and power. In all actuality it's sort of an occasion for us to laugh at which is the only positive of the entire show; but sad at the same time to know that women with this much money and authority waste it own plastic surgery, designer clothing, jewelry, expensive automobiles and huge mansions.

Below is a clip from season four showing just how rich and spoiled the women of this show really are.



Either way, the show is not worth the hour of time you’ll never get back if you’re a person who actually values their time; especially when Bravo plays the same episode repeatedly throughout the week. But if you do enjoy wasting your time on numb minding television shows that don’t cause you to think, then The Real Housewives is the show for you.

Want to judge yourself whether the show is a waste of time, click here and view full episodes from season one to the current fourth season.

Tell me what you think!