Get a life if you don't give this 5 stars
937429
One of the funnest classic movies of the last 20 years...If you gave this less than a 5 you need to get a life...our the type of people who are offended by humor...If your offended by humor by all means go roll around in a barbed-wire fence with Magic Johnson....From start to finish this movie is non-stopped laughs...For some of us we know people like this...A movie you know you watch anytime its on...FRANKS n BEANS!!!
4596591
4.5 Stars
I think weve all heard the quote:

It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.
--Epictetus

Or

Life is 10 percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.
 --Lou Holtz

And while those quotes are true, a sh*t storm is still a sh*t storm. And seeing your way through can seem nearly impossible.

Each of Meghans characters is stumbling around life. Theyre lost and semi-broken, but not irreparably so. These four just need a slight push and a few shoulders to help them get back on track. Dont we all once in a while?

Through various means, each character is lead to Dear Life, a program intent on helping pull individuals out of the muck of life. Because people like Carter, Hollyn, Daisy, and Jace need a little extra help with their proverbial pile of poo.

I don't want to get too deep into the reasons why each character has enrolled, because that takes some of the fun out of the book, but I will tell you this: Daisy and Carter made the book for me. Daisys soft innocence balances our Carters hard edges. I laughed and cried while reading their portions of the book, and you cant ask for much more than that.

Jace and Hollyn share a similar reason for joining Dear Life, and while I felt a sense of sadness for these two characters, Hollyn was hard to handle at times and almost appeared witchy (take off the w and add a 'b'). Maybe she earned that right, but it was still hard to read. Whereas, Jace had made a noble, selfless choice and struggled greatly because of it.

I also greatly enjoyed the fact that all four characters were connected in one day or another.

Reading Meghans Dear Life letter at the end of the novel was Well, Im not sure there are words. It just goes to show how life can throw you something horrendous - something you view as nearly impossible to overcome - and turn it into one of lifes greatest gifts.

This is a book about life and overcoming its hardships. Its about coming out of your shell and reaching past your comfort-zone. Dear Life is a novel not to be missed.
3405299
Dear Jed,

As I started reading your book, I got a bit (read, seriously) upset (read, angry).

Who gives you the right to dangle hope in front of our eyes again? Life ends in death, and I was just beginning to come to terms with that. A mans life is a series of small deaths with little time to grieve the losses and no one to mourn them with. You do your duty, and then you doze in front of the tube until you die. The 10 commandments of toughness you said learned as a kid, they drive me, too. I can hack it. Long life, vitality and love? I always figured some guys were just luckier than others or maybe they were even tougher than me.

You ask 99 embarassing questions about how well I am living my life, and offer 12 steps about how to get to a better place. Well, I failed the quiz miserably. It would have been easy to put this book down, if you hadnt said so much about yourself and the guys you know. This is not a safe book to read alone, so it was good to have their company. Guys like stories, war stories, and though we enjoy shooting the s*** over a beer, we respect and listen carefully to veteransespecially if weve been there and done that.

You lose me with the big words sometimes, but you usually tell me what they mean. Andropause?! Get f***ed, Jed. But, on second thought, thats the problem, isn't it? Desperate to be who we once were and get what we once did (or thought we should have), we are ticked off (read, helpless) about where to go next. I think that mohel medic did more than nick my pr***. That little operation was just my ticket into a system that made me disposable bit by bit. Frankly, Im depressed about it all, and more depressed as each day gets older. Your book lets me see that and, for starters, get pissed off about it. Maybe thats the turn around point in the dark tunnel Ive been in.

Ive always envied women and wondered why, if they were so oppressed, they were so good at outliving their oppressors. Why did they always have so much more time to take care of themselves than we did? I would have found it selfish and been ashamed to do that girl stuff. But, you know, I didn't even do much hunting and fishing, either, not as much as my dad. He managed to find time for that as well as work himself into a coronary. You remind me of what I have been missing, am missing.

Many of us don't have a relationship. Lots of us don't have a relationship even when we have a spouse or a lover. Falling in love is easy enough, especially these days, as its mostly in the imagination. Its liking thats tough. Real women have a lot of judgments about us and we aren't supposed to be hurt by that, but we are. Women and men seem to be condemned to wanting different things at different times. Our spirits get nibbled away bit by bit, too.

You get into a lot of stuff that makes me nervousdiets, hormones, and more exercise than I let myself think I have time for. Honestly all these things are doable but I hate doing them alone. Theres too much alone in my life, even when I am with others. Some guys want to run away and start over. Done that too many times. So the answer, you say, is to stay here and start slowly. I can hack that. You give me a plan for eight weeks. Thats just the starter, isn't it? Just enough time for some new stuff to kick in and not go away. Then what, Jed? Or, maybe I should just wait and see. Will write to you again when I see how this stuff works.

Thanks for the book, Jed. I hope its a success. As usual, I suspect more women will buy them than men, and some will buy them for their men. Thats okay. Its the kind of book, though, that a guy should get from a guy.

George

PS  That inner woman you talk aboutwent to see her the other day. Shes really some stallion!
3798061
More often than not I read reviews or hear talk that this album a "downer".
If you think that is the case then you're probably not listening to it in the right context.
If by the end of this album you're not inspired to be a better you, then listen more closely.

On a side note, I somehow got a limited edition copy of this album which was completely unexpected.
So that was cool. Shipping time was much faster than anticipated, even with delays. Completely satisfied.
2851405
This IS musical genius.  Those rating this album with less than five stars are purely wallowing in the shallows.  If you possess any musical appreciation (especially if you play an instrument), you have no option but to highly rate this amazing piece of work.  This may be a bold statement, but prefer it to Mer de Norms (it took a few weeks of listening to come to this conclusion).  Yes, the more I listen to it, the more I crave it.  Mine, MINE, MINE!!...
1567483
This is great , take a licking . Holds up great . Worth it .
784893
I give this a 4 out of 5 because this is a great drama, very funny.  I still got like 2 and half episodes to go.  For, the subtitles, I am going to give it 3 out of 5, for the first half, the subs were excellent, but, the other half, the namings weren't spell correctly, all kinds of grammar mistake, it was like what, now if you paying attention, you should be able to get what is going on, but it makes you mad to think, that you have been tricked, like they were like get the first few episodes right, so if they try out the dvd first before the review, the person can get good review, then it goes, to let's not pretend anymore, and put whatever.  I am not dissing the person I bought from, because I hadn't ever saw something delivered so fast, but you see half of the show is basically in very good subtitles, and then the next half looks deliberately, like they really didn't care about what was subbed, as long as something was.  I can't say it was the sellers fault, because I believe this was wrapped and everything, so there is no way the seller can check a new item, because it's not new no more, if they open it before they send to you.  Other, than the subtitles being bad around half of the drama, I love this drama so far, it's funny, and good to watch.  All, you got to do is pay attention, and you can understand what the bad subtitles in the second half is saying, lol.
835561
I'd like to give 4 and 1/2 stars, but I'm rounding up because I had fun. Gala Darling is a legend in her own mind, but that's OK because she wants you to be, too! Her suggested system of self-love is using affirmations, a tried and true technique from the New Age era, and meditation, which is always a good idea. She references Echart Tole and Louise L. Hay but she's done the research here, all you have to do is follow her directions. She focuses on all aspects of your well-being from dating etiquette to  body positive thinking and as far as this type of book goes, this one is the most fun I've seen, similar in tone to SARK's books and posters. She wants you to live a happy, magical life and gives you the tools and the encouragement to create the life you want. Do the "Homework" and you'll see some improvement, no doubt, She has a ton of stuff on her website for those who want to delve further into her sparkly world view and she invites you to share your progress at #rslbook on Instagram, She already has a community of friends and is positive and interactive so you know you're not in this life alone. I'll be recommending her book to friends because its charm will bring a smile to their faces as a little more magic into their lives every day.
4842591
Let me start off with this:  Lots of people don't like remixes... LOTS, it seems. You'll always hear people saying "it's not as good as the original" and these people are usually not musicians- they're the same people who go to a live show and complain it didn't sound like the radio in their 94 Cavalier.

An album like this is about working with other professionals in the business and sharing music you've created with them and letting them add their twist. It takes a lot of trust to do this- trusting your fellow artists as well as your production staff. What you come away with is a different flavor on your already known and loved songs. Some people get that and some people don't. I'll admit that before I understood it, I used to avoid live and remix albums.

That's what this is- a new twist on songs you'll already know. Personally, the Classic Rock version of Nothin' but a Good Time is my favorite version so far. The App Song is hilarious and supremely well recorded as well.
I just wish I could have been a fly on the wall when they worked with Leslie West... Seriously, LESLIE FREAKIN WEST!!

Go into this knowing what it is. It's a lot of talented people working over a portfolio of already well known songs. Appreciate it for what it is as opposed to comparing it to other versions- it's not a contest, it's art. Not only that, it was art extremely well done.
2801374
I write, full-time, about life and life effectiveness, and among the 1,000's of books i review, I would classify this right at the top.  It is definitely uplifting at the highest level.  It is also very grounding, as its insights and truths really nail down what works or doesn't work in life.  Never have I seen such a bold statement of "calling it like it is" in life and in this world.  It is a book that I will read and refer to over and over in my life.  I believe it will be a "classic" that, of all the secular books, will end up being the most, or at least one of the most, quoted books for wisdom.

It starts from the "truth of reality", really nailing it without any hesitance or "glossing over" (or dumbing down). Yet it is understanding of human nature, but relentless in how we have the capability of using our basic resources to change and formulate anything we want to install in our lives.

Yes, it is super motivating, but it is not a "motivation" book - it is much, much more.

It is a "centering" book that leads to one being solidly grounded in life on what is workable and productive in life and what isn't.  It is freeing from the distractions of life that can pull us off center and away from our personal power.  It certainly "blows away" a lot of the nonsense in life that people tolerate and/or let exist, passively, in our lives.  It has the very basis for being strong in life, yet he is clear about what it takes to get to what is really valuable (and loving) in life.

I would recommend it as THE top book to buy - and to gift to others.  It will serve all but the cynical or those married, ignorantly, to ignorance and/or the status quo, who will choose against it - unless, somehow, they accidentally let themselves read it and consider it - then it has the potential of even changing their lives much, much, much for the better. (It will be a tool that I recommend to all who read my site and start on any of the paths to where they want to go in life.)

(As I read the book, I found myself virtually underlining, or being inclined to underline, most of the sentences, for their wisdom and worth in remembering and/or in reminding oneself of what works, straight thinking, and how to take charge of creating and assuring a greater life.)

Keith D. Garrick

(I have included Brendon Burchard on my site as one of the top "success resources", with a page on him alone.)

Update: I have found the wisdom in this book so useful that I also bought the Kindle version, so that I could grab quotes from it to use to support and add to some pages on my site.  I found the section on fear to be particularly accurate and definitive - and even wrote a new page on fear on my site, including extensive quotes.
4483928
This is a fantastic read. Larry is a great writer and a fundamentally good person. He doesn't sugarcoat it--Hollywood is a tough industry. Probably 99% of the prople who read this will give up before the miracle happens and/or they make it big. Like me. But Larry is writing it for the 1% that might have a shot.
You should also check out tvwriter.com and take one of Larry's classes.
2740919
5 stars about sums it up! You can't beat this!
4061543
Stop making me leave comments. 5 stars is enough info
3920721
if you  like this kind of stuff it is 5 star, if not maybe 4 star. better than expected, glad I took the time.
746438
Granted, it's not for everyone but it does not deserve the low star rating it currently has. This movie is for mature people who want something more than just pure escapist films - there are plenty of those around. This film offers a unique perspective on life and death and everything in between.
88759
There comes a time where we all have to be judgemental and not follow a crowd, or not praise or slander something or someone because it's cool to do. For those few people who've been following my reviews, I'm sure I have an idea what you're thinking. You're probably thinking, "What Chandler?! You gave Wayne 8 out of 10 stars? You must be on that down south type ****." Or could it be "What? 8 out of 10 stars? No way Chandler! I stuck by your reviews for so long, and this is how you repay me??? You gave Masta Ace, and Immortal Technique 8 stars. Is Lil' Wayne just as good as them?" Whatever reason you're thinking why I didn't give Wayne a low score, because he's overrated and proclaims himself as "The Best Rapper Alive", I have a few words for you: Get a life! Just like EJ Rupert said in his review, is it cool to listen to underground and mainstream artists, without slamming one or the other? (this goes for half of you people who are on those Amazon threads as well)

Well, as for Lil' Wayne himself, he hits what he proclaims as a "3 Peat" with his third follow up in "Tha Carter" trilogy. I admit, he has stepped is game up since back in '04 when he came out with&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Tha-Carter-1/dp/B00027JYPI/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Tha Carter 1</a>, which was mediocre (admit it, you only liked it because it was the cool thing to do). But in late '05/early '06 he came much harder on&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Tha-Carter-II/dp/B000BLI4UG/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Tha Carter II</a>. So can Wayne live up to the hype that he has been swimming in for the past year. When you hear how he rips on "Mr. Carter" featuring Jay-Z, the answer is apparently "yes". No matter how you match him up with the beats, he'll put them to good use. Just check out "A Milli" on how he handles it (and thank you every rapper popular and non-popular for freestyling that beat into the ground). "Dr. Carter" has a good concept as Wayne plays a doctor to rappers who are not good. Further down the album is the great and deep song "Tie My Hands" featuring Robin Thike. And then is the hilarious "La La" with Busta Rhymes and Brisco.

Songs that I don't like in particular is the second single "Ms. Officer" (that song get mass amount of airplay, and that "weedle weedle weedle" sound is VERY annoying). Some songs just don't make sense, such as "P***y Monster" and "Phone Home" (trying to be E.T. there huh?)

Overall, a great album. Wayne has hit a high mark in his career. Is he the best rapper alive? No, but he getting up there with everybody else. Which brings me to another thing: Record sales do not determine how great a rapper's skills are. Just becaue Wayne sold "A Milli" in a week, does no make this album the best ever made. Many albums have leaps and bounds over this and barely hit platnum (ex: Nas'&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Illmatic/dp/B0000029GA/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Illmatic</a>&nbsp;was relesed in 1994, but didn't go gold until '96 and platnum until 2001). Lil' Wayne may have done his job as an artist with an excellent album. Just like The Rolling Stone Magazine said in their review "Believe The Hype" (and gave this 4 1/2 stars). For me, it's 8 out of 10 in my opinion. Peace.

Lyrics: B+
Production: B+
Guest Appearances: B
Musical Vibes: A-

Top 5 Tracks:
1. Mr. Carter (featuring Jay-Z)
2. Tie My Hands (featuring Robin Thike)
3. Let The Beat Build
4. Dr. Carter
5. A Milli

Honorable Mention:
1. Lollipop (featuring Static Major)
2. 3 Peat
3854603
You should be offended by at least one thing in this book. Thats the point. It shocks you into attention since thats what it takes these days. But don't be fooled! This is not just some angry mans hate spewed onto paper, no, there are messages about life in here. Fancy that, entertaining AND enlightning. What a concept.
 And it works. The art is fantastic with a great use of the pages/layout. You really get sucked into it. There is no way for me to even explain how well written this is. Its just something you have to experience for yourself. You won't be dissapointed (unless your so closeminded, but then what are you doing here anyways?)
  bottom line. Essential Comic reading. No, Essential Life reading.