For our children! (and our wallets)

Toys are so expensive these days and it doesn't help when said toys are marketed to our children in every facet of their lives. With the down economy and our dwindling funds there is a cheap and fun alternative that actually requires some creativity and skill. It hurts to say no to your offspring when they want the newest toy but I have found a solution.

Paper Models!

What is paper model you ask?

Take a look

Classic Optimus Prime because.....well duh he is awesome!

Once complete Optimus can transform from robot to truck!

MARIO.

Yep now you can crush mushrooms whenever you please.

So here is the story you can just go out to Google Images I have set the link to look for Optimus, to change the search delete the name Optimus and then just add the item you are looking for. Seriously I was amazed to see what was out there. I found HULK and other Marvel super heroes, My Little Pony, Transformers, Cars, Star Wars, really there is a chance that you could find anything you are after.

What makes these paper models so neat is that they are free and that you can find a variety of skill levels from very basic to extreme complexity. Oh did I mention its free! You can print in color or save the color and print in black and white, just have the kiddies color the model with their crayons. You'll need some scissors and glue/tape and you are set.

Here are some links to sites that are dedicated to Paper Models:

http://papercraftparadise.blogspot.com/search/label/papercraft (varying degrees of difficulty)

http://www.creativecloseup.com/100-exceptional-free-paper-models-and-toys (a lot of detailed complex models with some simple stuff mixed in)

http://www.thetoymaker.com/2Toys.html (the best for simple kids stuff)

Enjoy! I hope that this is fun and saves you some money that can be put towards your childs college education that I know you have been saving for.

Honoring Michael Jackson: The Reckless Robot Way

Only Optimus could provide the perfect shout out to the King of Pop!

Movie Review: Revenge of the Fallen

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen was an exhilarating and sensory exhausting movie. I have fair knowledge of the source material and will provide my review as Pro/Con list.

PRO

SOUNDWAVE, the character Soundwave was a good shout out to G1 (generation one) fans. He was voiced by the original voice actor Frank Welker. In the original Animated Series he was a tape deck that would deploy different tapes out of his chest that would transform into different types of robots. My favorite was always Ravage the intelligence gathering Panther. In the Movie Soundwave was a Satellite in space. When needed he would shoot Ravage down onto earth to perform his intelligence gathering.

More Bots, As promised there were many different robots in the movie and they were given much more dialog than the first film.

Explosions, Wow! This movie was by far the most intense I have seen in a while. There was no way you could fall asleep in this.

Optimus Prime, Optimus Prime is hardcore! He is like the robot version of Rambo he has multiple action scenes that are pleasing and destroys Decepticons with a straight prejudice.

Generation1 lingo, although most folks are not down with the old series some of the words used in this movie were classic G1. Words like; Matrix of Leadership, Energon, The Primes, Cybertronian just to name a few.

Jetfire, Jetfire is a new character to the movie but a character that has a lot of history in the Transformers universe. He is a SR 71 Blackbird and is pretty cool. He has the ability to use space bridges to transport himself and others all over the world. Look for him and Optimus Prime to team up and literally bust some heads.

CON

Complicated graphics, sometimes the robots and all of their details are a little too much when in aggressive motion.

Pretender, there is a pretender in the movie (this is a G1 concept) a pretender looks like a human but is a robot. I didn't quite like the execution of this idea but it could work out nicely in future movies.

Dialog, The Autobots were able to have a fair amount of dialog but the Decepticons had very little. In the future I would like to see a vocal standoff prior to a battle were the robots are talking it up and even reference old rivalries with each other.

Sweaty, the humans in the movie were tan and sweaty 24/7. Kind of gross and a little over the top.

Camera movements, Honestly the cameras didn't stop moving the whole movie. At different points of the movie it did get really annoying. In the future I am looking for a few epic shots where you have left to right viewing of a battle with the Robots doing the motion not the camera.

Needless humor, there were about three or four brief scenes that were pretty tasteless and tacky that could have been left out and would actually enhanced the movie.

There is much much more I could include in this review but I really think you should see it for yourself. This is the perfect summer movie and would even do well at the drive-in as the movie is mostly day time scenes that can be seen easily. I rate Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen an overall 3 out of 5 or C average. This movie gets a A for action and entertainment but it struggles to find a heart and fails to deliver what Transformers fans really want which is basically a movie about robots with humans as the sideshow. Not a movie about humans with robots as the sideshow.

Top 5: Foods for a Man

Steak, the idea of eating steak signifies relative wealth. The word Steak is from Old Norse Steik which means "roast". Classic and most assuredly the top man food. Ribs and Hamburgers are included. Condiments Heinz 57 and A1 are a must along with salt. Grilled onions and sauteed mushrooms enhance this delightful food. Ladies remember if you want to please or reward your man for good behavior use this simple phrase "Honey lets go out for Steak tonight." appropriate for this site these are the words no mandroid can resist. If he does resist you may want to question his manliness and ask a close male role model to provide man coaching.

Lasagna, The word lasagna, originally applied to a cooking pot, it now describes the food itself. Americans commonly use the singular "lasagna" to refer to both the dish and the pasta, while others use the Italian plural "lasagne". The most famous Lasagna eater is Garfield. He craves and desires this fine Italian dish. I have days like that too. Maybe a little salad but garlic bread/breadsticks are a must.


Chimichanga, I wanted to go with Mexican food in general but it seemed like I kept coming back to the chieftain of fried Mexican food the Chimichanga! Though not really true Mexican as the Chimichanga was invented in Arizona in the 1920's and applies more to the TexMex movement I feel it still belongs in the Mexican category. Listen......Beef, Chicken, Pork, Beans it makes no difference what the prime stuffing is the Chimi is a legend, ample cheese, hot/mild sauce, sour cream, and guacamole make the Chimichanga a wonderful punch to the taste buds. Man food for real. For a superb experience go for a double stuffed Chimi. You only live once.....so enjoy!

Pizza, New york style, Chicago style, thin crust, deep dish. Its all the same and its all good. If you don't like some form of Pizza you have no heart and have lost your inner child. If you are one of these people go rent a CareBears movie, put on some pajamas, and order a Pizza. If you are still not liking Pizza consult a therapist because something is seriously wrong with you.


Fried foods with emphasis on:

• Onion Rings
• French Fries
• Fried Zucchini
• Fish and Chips
• Tempura
• Scones
• Fried Chicken

So I admit it I am a fatty...but so what...don't judge me! You have your problems too! Fried foods are pretty much across the board heavenly. Dipping sauces and "soul food fixins" accompany this category better than the rest.

Go now my Reckless ones and stimulate the economy with the purchase of these delectable items above. But remember only eat food that food eats and you'll do just fine.

I promised Twilight news!

Twilight: The Cosmetics line. It's happening, beginning with Lip Venom V lip gloss. Read this description from its makers:







Be transformed. Let the alchemy transcend. This special limited edition Lip Venom is a sneak preview of our highly anticipated Twilight Venom, debuting this Fall. Lip Venom V is not your typical DuWop venom. Instead of a gloss, Lip Venom V is a shimmering crimson lip stain suspended in a venom-laced liquid lip conditioner with a bite, and contains argan, avocado, olive oils and vitamin E. This product should be shaken before use to represent the blending of the human and vampire worlds and applied repeatedly until lips are plumped, revitalized and the desired intensity of color has been reached. Only a limited number of Lip Venom V have been produced. Vampires may live forever, but this offer won't. Due to limited quantity and exclusivity of this offer, limit 2 per customer.




Twilight makeup........Really? The highlight has to be "This product should be shaken before use to represent the blending of the human and vampire worlds"

KISS ME EDWARD......MY LIPS ARE VENOMIZED!!!