Shmee.Me

February 14, 2014February 14, 2014

Craigslist Versus eBay!

I have been asked several times about which reselling website I like more Craigslist or eBay, but like most things in life it is not as simple as which one I like more. They are both tools, and like all tools I use them for different things.

Since you can post just about whatever you want on Craigslist and there are no fees, and I do mean whatever you want, Craigslist is perfect for seeing if anyone out there wants my media center (it turns out they did not). That being said it really only works well for local markets. Plus you are always a little worried that the person you are selling to is going to stab you.

eBay on the other hand has a few hoops you have to jump through to get your goods posted, and there is a fee for just about everything you do, but your product now reaches a global market. That super collectable Barbie doll is probably going to get you a lot more money on eBay, and it is nice that PayPal is in between and will handle disputes for you.

Here is how I use both sites: If I am just trying to get rid of something without going to the dump or it is too big to ship, I use Craigslist; If I want to make some actual money off what I am selling, I use eBay, and if I am looking to buy something, I check both sites.

Both Craigslist and eBay are very useful ways to offload your junk. I prefer to use eBay because I know that I can complain to PayPal if something goes wrong, but the simplicity of Craigslist is very nice. I hope you liked this little write-up. Now get out there and make some extra money of your old garbage!

February 13, 2014

Shmee Reads Ark Royal!

Being the cheap reader that I am. I browsed the Amazon Kindle Lending Library for something free that interested me, and I ended up with the space opera Ark Royal by Christopher G. Nuttall. The plot is very familiar, but it was well written and worth the time it took to read it.

It follows a drunk Captain of an old out of date ship that is on the verge of being scrapped, but when an unknown enemy starts to destroy human worlds, they may be earth’s only hope.

Like I said in my into paragraph, the story is not completely original, but it is tightly written, and despite being familiar it kept me very entertained. What I appreciated after reading several Honor Harrington books in my life, is that this novel contains a whole story, and the page count isn’t ridiculously high at only 440. That being said there is more then enough room for this to become a series if the author wishes.

I would read more books about the Ark Royal if they are written, and given the extremely affordable price tag of free or three bucks on Amazon. It doesn’t hurt the pocket book either. So if you are in the mood for a fun space opera that is also a fairly quick read, Ark Royal might just be what you are looking for.

February 12, 2014

The Walking Dead Should Never Go Off The Air!

The Walking Dead is finally back on the air after last year’s crazy mid-season finale. It looks like they are going to take some time to develop the characters a bit. This week we got to see Carl deal with growing up in the zombie apocalypse, and a little of what Michonne’s life was like before the end of the world.

I am hoping that they do not do too many of these character building episodes because it would really slow the show down, but I did enjoy having the zombies be the bad guys again, and just having the cast struggle to survive.

TV is better with The Walking Dead on the air. I can’t wait to see what happens to everyone in the second half of this season, and what beloved character(s) we will have to say goodbye too.

February 11, 2014July 7, 2015

Who Should Play Ms. Marvel?

With the exciting news that news that Ms. Marvel is going to be in the next Avengers movie a lot of people have been asking me who I think should play Carol Danvers. Fox already has two of my top picks under contract for super heroes with Rebecca Romijn and Jennifer Lawrence. Ironically they both play the same character Mystique separated by time. The current internet favorite is Katee Sackhoff, but I am not sold, so here are my five alternates in reverse order.

5: Yvonne Strahovski

I mostly chose her because she has the look, but she has had a lot of practice playing a hero thanks to Chuck.

4: Ali Larter

Again she is another “got the look” choice, but in TV show Heroes she was really good at giving that I am going to kill you look that would suit Ms. Marvel very well.

3: Emily Blunt

She would need some hair dye, but she is talented actress who could hold her own against the growing number of leading men in the Avengers film.

2: Claire Danes

She might be busy with Homeland, but ever since the underappreciated movie Stardust, I have been wanting to see her breakout in movies. She has the acting chops to really bring Ms. Marvel to life.

1: Anna Trov

The Fringe star has the ability to kick butt and dish one liners with the best of them. She will never get picked because she is too perfect for the role, but if they did, I would be one happy Shmee.

Movie studios never seem to like my casting choices, but I will keep offering my advice anyway! Do you guys or gals have any favorites to play the current Captain Marvel?

February 10, 2014February 10, 2014

The Lego Movie Builds Fun!

When I first heard they were making a Lego movie I was not that interested, but then they put together one of the best marketing campaigns in recent memory, and I became very excited about it. I am happy to say that the movie lives up to the commercials. Warner Brothers has done an amazing job bringing the Lego Universe to life.

The story is about an unremarkable Lego man named Emmet (Chris Pratt). Who one day after his job at a construction site finds a special Lego piece, and he is informed by Wyldstyle (Elizabeth Banks) that he is the one that will save the world from the Evil Lord Business (Will Ferrell). His adventure will introduce him to several master builders including most of the Justice League.

This movie is pretty much what happens when you take the Matrix and Toy Story 2 and smash them together, and then tell the story using Legos. That being said the beauty of this film is how many jokes they cram in to it. It is like they are firing them out of a machine gun. Even if all the jokes don’t land, and some of them do miss, there will be another one in few seconds. This movie never slows down. Which makes it good for kids and adults alike.

They really picked their voice talent well. Chris Pratt and Elizabeth Banks play the leads well, but the best part is all the great actors they got for the side characters like Will Arnett as Batman and Alison Brie as Uni-Kitty. They even have the Oscar nominated Jonah Hill as the Green Lantern who has some of the best jokes in the movie, at least for comic book lovers like myself.

The animation looks great. It looks like a living world made out of Lego bricks, and they have so many little side gags and random things thrown in all over the place that this movie may be worth a second viewing. The set designers really deserve a hand for all their creativity.

This movie could have simply been a commercial for Legos, but instead they put the work in to make it a movie worth watching. They were rewarded for their hard work with earning almost 70 Million dollars in ticket sales this weekend, and I hope it sends a message to movie producers that not all good movies have come out in the summer. They can do well in the cooler months too.

This is one of the better February movie releases in recent memory, and it made me laugh and smile the whole way through. This a is a perfect pick-me-up for the winter gloom. This movie is great for viewers of all ages, so it is a family movie that truly the whole family can enjoy.