UP doesn't let you down
585044
Beautifully made, told, touching, and funny! Masterpiece of animation and storytelling. A total fantasy but keeps you grounded because of the likeable characters and a great villain. Caution will make you tear up or cry.
3901644
You won't be disappointed in this film! Nothing not to enjoy, and its more entertaining, better directed and acted, than the follow-up version, which wasn't bad at all.
2574124
You won't be let down.  Put your pretenses aside, ignore the bad reviews and go on this ride.  Nothing wrong with a little sick, sinister, twisted fun.
4473880
Early reviews had a lot of mentions of bad editing. Ignore them. I don't know if it's just because the books have gone back for additional editing several times since then, but even though there were (still) a few minor snafus here and there, I've seen a lot worse. Another common concern is that the first book starts off slow. There is some initial build up, but if you feel this way when starting the book, hang in there and trust me, it's worth it. Once the train leaves the station, it rarely hits the brakes.

These characters are fun. There are some parts that are laugh out loud funny, a few spots that can bring a tear to the eye, and more than a few that have you laughing so hard that the tears are streaming down your face. You really come to care for these characters. I can easily see this being made into a TV series. I say TV vs. movie(s) because there is no way they could (or rather should) compress this series down enough for theatrical release and do it justice. It deserves the longer run time a TV series could give it.

After tearing through the first 7 books in 6 days, I may have to force myself to slow down a bit since there are only 21 books in the series and I'm already dreading the fact that it will eventually end. I don't want to get there too soon, but it is just so hard to put down, I don't know that I have the willpower to resist. I've rated quite a few books, but rarely put the effort into doing an actual review. I decided I had to leave a review for the first book before starting the second arc. I want to see more from this author and so it is the least I can do to get others on board this joy ride.
4525672
I cannot get enough of his album! I listen to a pretty wide range of music but I just keep coming back to Elevaters "Rising". I can't write a professional review so I'll just say the album is extremely catchy and well-produced. It's a mix of Soul, Rock, Funk and Hip-Hop and sounds fresh and original. Both the vocals and instrumentals are stellar. The lyrics should be listened to carefully as most cuts have very positive, relevant messages without being corny as opposed to the negative, stereotypical ones which are the norm. The first three tracks really should be heard together in sequence. The intensity builds from the first to third track. This combo is the high point of the record for me but there's hardly a track that I tire of. Elevaters has a myspace page where you can hear several of their complete songs. I don't know why it doesn't get any airplay (at least in Philadelphia) but thats probably a music industry thing. If not for a review on NPR I never would have hear it and that would have been a shame.
1961085
I admit it: the setup for The Cactus, cranky accountant tries to rescue her share of the family home after her mother dies, does not sound enticing. But here's why you shouldn't hold it against the book.

"Up lit" is having a moment in the publishing world, and I'm a big fan. It's the kind of literature designed to make you feel good, specifically by setting up a cranky narrator and fractured relationships at the beginning of a novel, and then showing everyone's good side by the end. In a classic piece of up lit, you have an isolated, cynical narrator with a secret heart of gold, and over the course of the novel, the heart of gold is revealed and the narrator rediscovers the joy of human relationships. A Man Called Ove is the modern day gold standard of up lit, and The Cactus is the latest entry.

Over the course of the novel, Susan the cranky accountant, of course reveals herself to be more complex, more loving and ultimately more connected than we would suspect. We know this is going to be the case, the same way we know at the beginning of every romantic comedy that the two leads will fall in love. (This is not a romantic comedy, and one of the few unknowns of this novel is what will happen to Susan's love story, or if there even is one.) But the point of the story is how it happens, and the pleasure in watching a prickly, lone woman find and form a community.

My favorite part of the novel is the gradual revealing of why Susan is the way she is. It's very well done. She's not a sentimental woman, and she is shut off from her emotions, so the source of her pain, and the truth of her past, has to be carefully revealed in a way that the reader can see through it, but Susan herself never does. It's a tricky story to tell, and Ms. Haywood does it really well. I'm a big fan of up lit in general, which is why I chose this book. There is something deeply satisfying about watching people build community, and reading books in which the vast majority of characters are actually good people. I think the world is hungry for stories like this right now, and The Cactus is a worthy entry in the field.
787673
I saw this band live and fell in love with their music.  Shortly after the concert I bough the CD and can't say enough good things about it.  My favorite song is Get Up, but I can't find a song I don't like on this album.  Once you get this CD, go see them in concert, because these guys rock the stage!
2819106
You won't be sorry you started or continued. The characters are thought out carefully. Twists and turns galore. Enjoy the ride.
1854415
"Up" is an excellent 3D family movie with a great store line and beautiful graphics.  The 3D graphics and experience was excellent.
4939670
Simple doesn't have to be a bad thing. This is a great read and you don't have to move to Walden Pond to enjoy it. As all of the Idiots books you don't have to have any in depth knowledge on the subject to be able to take things from it. Its not about being deprived, its about values, what's important to you in life and what makes you happy. Simple doesn't mean being deprived. This book covers money, food and clthes and also community. There are choices to make. Do you want more stuff or do you want time to play. If you liked this book try the classic "You're Money or your Life" which takes their theories to a whole new level.
2677540
My first UP died, second one going strong. Might be a little concerning for early adopters (not sure how common it is). For me, the band really excels as a sleep monitor. It consistently wakes me up feeling better (and earlier), which has enabled me to make my breakfast and lattes at home. In a few months, the UP will have paid for itself.

It makes a great activity monitor, but if you're looking for a precise fitness monitor, the UP probably isn't for you. However, it does a good job of tracking activity, reminding you to be active, and the workout mode is a good high-level overview of time spent in vigorous, moderate, and light exercise states.

The food tracking leaves a lot to be desired, but can be fixed by updating the app. For my full review, check out [...]
135403
original  if this is good for you, then you will never be disappointed.
2986891
I've had Up! for over a month now.  I've listened to it about once a day.  On my first listen I was disappointed that it was so "light and fluffy, catchy and uncountry."  I still wish she'd have done more "TWIM" type of stuff.  However, what there is is really good.  I even like "In My Car" now!  I much prefer "Up!" to "COO", but I still think "TWIM" has been her best effort to date, but "Up!" isn't far behind.  There are several cuts on Up! that are gems in my opinion--"Juanita, Forever and For Always, I'm Jealous, Ka-ching, and When You Kiss Me". I think we all realize that Mutt and Shania could have given us more than they did.  But be that as it may, their effort on this CD still rates 5 stars.  Must be nice to have that much talent to spare!
BTW, I've recently listened to Mariah Carey's, Christina Aguilera's, Leann Rimes', and Whitney Houston's latest releases.  Shania's "Up!" may be rather light-weight and fluffy, but at least it's high quality.  I was so looking forward to Mariah's "Charmbracelet."  Have listened to it three times and it's not getting any better--what a shame.  I hope Christina gets through this "phase" she's in quickly.  And Whitney's & Leann's latest--wish I could say they were better than mediocre to poor.  I wish all these Ladies better luck next time! I'm a fan of all of 'em. Maybe Mutt could help 'em out.(g)
2658163
I much prefer the Up Move to the Up2.  The Move is way more accurate than the Up2.  I also love that the Move has a watch component so I don't have to dig out my phone to see what time it is.  Great at tracking steps.
3494469
This is not 'calm wind down music'. This is 'get up, get angry, get the energy out' music. Side not, don't play this while driving. You're begging to get a ticket doing 90 through school zones because you will not want to drive slow while listening to this.

The lyrics on this album are awesome and are put to great music. So this is the complete package. The lyrics have a really harsh tone to them but are completely positive overall. Youll have to listen to the album to see what Im talking about.

SixxAM is a project of Nikki Sixx, and includes DJ Ashba and James Michael. They are all old rockers who can still bring it. The music here is absolutely fantastic. They still bring a hard rock sound and age doesn't appear to be slowing them down.

The relatively young Dustin Steinke joined the band for this album on drums.

 Rise - This is motivating. The whole theme of the song is that you need to stand up for yourself and not get pushed around. I don't know how you couldn't get behind that. The band rocks. They really put solid rock behind the vocals. There is a brief guitar solo from Ashba on this track that is really awesome. (I think it's Ashba. It might be Sixx on the solo. But I'm pretty sure it's Ashba)

 You Have Come To The Right Place - Again, the music makes you want to punch things....you know..it an excited motivated way. Not in a bad way. And the vocals on top of the music are just as motivating.

 I'm Sick  This song goes to a really dark place. Its hard to relate to the lyrics here if you aren't in or haven't even been in a I don't want to live point in your life. The music rocks though. And while I didn't realize it the first time through, this song starts a multi track theme of getting to a better place. This song is about the lowest low. The next few tracks take the listener on a journey up from there.

 Prayers For the Damned  This one is all about salvation, however you want to define that. Its kind of the positive next step beyond the theme from Im Sick a track earlier. As such its in a great position on the album.

 Better Man  This one is a LITTLE slower. But its an awesome song. Again, its a progression on the theme of the last 2 tracks.

 Cant Stop  This is more angry music that gets the blood pumping. And I mean that in a very good way. Sometimes thats what you're looking for. And its got some killer guitar solos.

 When We Were Gods  Its a classic power ballad. Its maybe my least favorite track on the album, and its still good.

 Belly Of The Beast  This has a different sound than the rest of the album. Its got a demonic tone to it, and thats definitely done on purpose if you listen to the lyrics. But its very much a song about doing things right despite how you may be influence by wrong.

 Everything Went To Hell  You ever watch someone destroy their life? Its a killer song about that.

 The Last Time  Great for the music. The lyrics kind of fall short on this one. Stillgreat for the music.

 Rise of the Melancholy Empire Very low key to start out but it gets moving. There are powerful lyrics.
2650828
Others are not exaggerating. You keep your expectation fairly high, yet this will meet your expectation. Awesome stuff.
2483255
The characters and story line are very alive and draw the audience into the story, it's not a dull monotonous plot line. There's always a few angles and perspectives going on at once to keep the viewer busy. The mature content does get out of hand at times.