Thoughts on Joaquin Phoenix's I'm Still Here

Joaquin Phoenix was one of my favorite actors. He first grabbed my attention in the movie Parenthood. Even my father spoke highly of his acting ability at that point. He was full of emotion and power. I also loved his brother River. After River died, it was like I lost both of them, because Joaquin disappeared for a while.

When he returned, it was like he returned with a vengeance. He got an Oscar nomination for Gladiator, which is the movie that caught my attention. I fell for him again in Signs and really went over the edge for him as Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. I followed the awards shows like it was my job and collected as many of his movies as I could. People made fun of me, but I held strong.

And then this mess happened.

He announced to the world that he was going to quit acting. He was going to pursue a hip-hop career. And we all started to lose respect for him.

I purposely avoided watching this so-called "documentary" that Casey Affleck made of him. I didn't want to have the last shred of my affection to be stripped away. But being at home, sick and bored, I could no longer resist the temptation of the free movie On Demand.

Holy hell this is awful. It is like a bad train wreck and you can't turn your eyes away from it, though you really want to just turn it off. I thought it would make for interesting background noise or something while I worked on blogging and what-not. But it is a total distraction because I can't believe what I am seeing.

The man has put on a ridiculous amount of weight. Okay, it happens to the best of us. But he is snorting and smoking all kinds of stuff, telling people off, and believes this shitty music is actually good. It is painful to watch him following P. Diddy all over the place, and the look on P. Diddy's face when he finally hears the crap playing. And speaking of crap, one of the worst moments is when his friend literally takes a dump on his face while he is sleeping, just because they had a big argument. Oh and him vomiting for real after an onstage performance in Miami. Seriously?

Naturally, after people ripped this film to shreds he tried to say it was just a hoax. This was a new character that he was trying on. Casey Affleck called it one of Joaquin's best performances ever - a total mockumentary of an Oscar-winning actor have a total meltdown. Some people believe it is what they say - a total fabrication. Others still believe that it is the truth. Perhaps it is a fabrication of the truth? An altered version of the truth? I can't imagine that someone would ever willingly want a piece of crap like this put out about them, true or fake. I can't believe a family member would go along with something like this.

Whether or not this was a hoax, Joaquin is going to have a hard time ever doing anything in the entertainment field again. He may be able to save face in another ten years or so. But do we really want to wait? Will we care?

Supposedly he has two movies coming out in the next couple of years. Again, will we care? Do I want to watch him again?

I just don't know.

Earn Free Stuff With iRazoo: Watch Videos

You can earn more points toward your free Amazon gift cards by watching videos on iRazoo. Go to their offers page (which will already earn you an automatic 5 points every day). You can find videos hiding within the different offers pages.

For example, click on the tab that says "Gambit" and then the sub-tab that says "Videos." If there any available, you will earn points for watching them. After watching one, follow any instructions that may be given and then move on to the next video. If you are familiar with how Superpoints does videos, these are quite similar.

RadiumOne sometimes has mini-episodes from the Talent or Dating Rules from My Future Self series. You are only required to watch the first 20 seconds to earn points. I leave them running in a different tab so that the entire episode airs, just in case.

Search through Peanuts Lab, as well, as there is occasionally a video in their offers list. Matomy has a separate tab that says "Videos." Click on one of those and a pop-up screen will have a video for you to watch. After you watch it, close out the window and your points will make it into your account a little later. The Sponsor Pay tab does have a separate videos tab, but it tells me that there are no videos available in my country (USA).

Under the green dollar sign that says "Earn Points" is an option that says "Videos." But when you click on it, it says that they are coming soon. It has been that way for quite some time, from what I can gather from forums and the Facebook wall.

I can usually track down all of the videos in less than half an hour (sometimes less than 10 minutes). It's easy to do while watching the news or sipping on your morning coffee. And the points do add up.

In my second week of sort of trying to earn some points on iRazoo, I am up to 349. Come join me over there and see how fast you can rack up your points!

Interested in other sites that give you points toward free Amazon gift cards? Check out these fun and easy ways to earn more:

SwagBucks is probably one of the best and has been around the longest. I have earned about 7000 points in over a year and only recently started to try a little harder to earn my points.

ZoomBucks is quite similar to iRazoo and SwagBucks. I joined around the same time I started with iRazoo and am up to 230 ZBucks. The site was down for a day, otherwise it would be higher.

SuperPoints has been racking up the free Amazon gift cards for me much faster than any of the other sites. This invite link is good for seven days or until the first person snatches it up. Should it not work for you, please leave me a comment below and I will send you a new one.

Happy point collecting!

Thoughts on HBO's Temple Grandin

When the HBO movie Temple Grandin first came out, I kept putting off watching it. I knew I was going to want to pay close attention to it and really enjoy it. But I was always too busy to give it my undivided attention. I also didn't want to fall asleep in the middle of it. Most of my movie watching tends to occur later in the evenings as I am getting ready for bed.

Today, I am sitting at home sick. Yesterday started with a migraine and turned into a possible stomach bug. As I am on the road to recovery, I am flipping through the options available on the various On Demand stations. To my joy, I saw that this movie was again available.

I sniffled all the way through it.

The movie does what I think is an amazing job of demonstrating how autistic people think in pictures and are very literal. One of my favorites is as soon as it is suggested to Temple that she study animal husbandry in college, she immediately has a vision of a cow being a groom. You see her fear as she encounters automatic doors. You see how she imagines the plight of the livestock at the slaughterhouse.

The movie is full of emotion, which is impressive with a character/person who lacks in a lot of emotion because she doesn't understand it.

I admire her mother for ignoring the experts and doing what she could to help her daughter. I admire her aunt for recognizing her needs and helping her to get things that she needed, like the squeeze box she made all by herself. I admire her teachers who took pity on her (at first) and those who believed in her ideas. And I admire her for standing up for both the rights of animals and people with autism.

I had the honor of hearing Temple Grandin speak a couple of years ago. At the time, I had a boy in my class whom I suspected of having Asperger's. The more she spoke, the more insight I gained into his behaviors and in how to help him.

Following her speech, I got in line with a copy of each of her books for sale. I thanked her for her speech and for giving me insight into one of my students. She wanted to know what specifically helped me. I had to scramble to think of one specific example, but I did. I was also somewhat amused by me asking which one book she wanted to sign, and she insisted on doing all of them.

I find Temple Grandin to be very inspirational. I find autism to be a fascinating puzzle. When I am working with a child with autism, I like to put together to pieces to find out what makes him tick, how to help him, and how to reach him on some kind of level. Listening to her speak, and reading her words, helps me to be better at what I do.

In addition to portraying one of my heroes, Temple Grandin features an amazing performance by Claire Danes. She won numerous awards for her performance. I loved watching her at the Golden Globes because Temple was actually with her. Temple was so proud of the work Danes did on this movie, and rightfully so.



Read some of Temple Grandin's books:

Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards With ZoomBucks: Watch Videos

Watching videos on ZoomBucks is an easy way to add a couple of ZBucks to your account on a daily basis. Make sure you have entered at least your zip code on your profile page, so that you can receive targeted videos.

Hover over "Earn ZBucks" and click on Video Rewards. You will have to enter basic information, such as your sex and your birthdate, to further classify available videos for you. Advertisers like to target specific demographics with their ads. You will then answer a few more questions. And then you are taken to the screen with available videos.

Earn an easy 2 ZBucks by watching the short video. Pay attention, as you will see two numbers flash across a black bar on the top or the sides of the video player. As soon as the video ends, enter those two digits into the box to earn your ZBucks. If you do not enter them within a few seconds, you will have to watch the video again to see two different flashing numbers.

These videos are short, taking up less than a minute of your time. Following the video you may also be given the option of an offer or discount of some kind. You are not required to participate in the offers to receive your ZBucks. Your reward will quickly be credited to your account.

More videos can be found on some of the offer pages. Click on a title on the green bar to view all available offers from each organization. Some of them have a subsection that is specifically titled videos. On other pages, you have to skim all of the offers to find a video. Click on the video to watch in another tab. Most require a minimum of 20 seconds of viewing in order to receive your ZBucks. I like to have them playing in the background while I am working on something else.

Videos are not necessarily going to be available on a daily basis. But it will only take a minute of your time to search for them.

Join me on ZoomBucks today and start earning ZBucks toward a prize of your choice. I am saving up for free Amazon gift cards!

Interested in other sites for free Amazon gift cards? Try one of these:

SwagBucks is very similar to ZoomBucks. I have been with them for over a year now, and have cashed out several Amazon gift cards. I have earned $30 in the last several weeks alone!

iRazoo is relatively new to me, but my friends have earned several gift cards through them. It also functions similarly to SwagBucks and ZoomBucks.

Superpoints is probably the easiest site of them all. This link code is only good for seven days or until the first person uses it, as it is an invite-only site. Should the link not work for you, please leave me a comment and I will send you a new one. Emails are never published and will never again be used by me for any purpose.

Thanks for reading and happy point-gathering!

Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards With iRazoo: 5 Daily Points

iRazoo is another one of those easy-to-use websites that allows you to rack up points for doing simple tasks on a regular basis. When you have enough points, you can redeem them for all kinds of prizes, such as a free Amazon gift card. It takes 3000 iRazoo points to get a $5 gift card. Each $5 increment in card value is worth an additional 3000 points.

Yes, it can take time to do this. But by using a variety of methods to collect points, you will get there before you know it. 5 points on a daily basis are easily collected in less than 30 seconds of your time. I can collect mine in the morning before I get ready for work.

Simply open up your account. At the top of the page is a green button with a dollar sign that says "Earn Points." Click on the word "Offers" to be taken to the offers page. You are guaranteed 5 points once a day, simply for visiting the offers page.

From that point on, you can visit any of the offers pages to see if something fits your situation and earn even more iRazoo points. Each tab under the "Offers" headline has a different group of available offers. Choose the ones you are comfortable filling out. Ignore the others. Check them regularly for changes.

Come join me on iRazoo! You are guaranteed 50 points just for signing up.

Interested in other sites that give you free Amazon gift cards for points? Check out some of these:

SwagBucks is probably the most popular. It works almost the same as iRazoo and has a larger reward store. I can usually cash out a $5 Amazon gift card every 1-2 weeks.

ZoomBucks is a newer site that works pretty much the same as iRazoo and SwagBucks. I started with them around the same time as iRazoo.

Superpoints is the one that adds up the most quickly for me. I earned $30 in Amazon gift cards in just over a month. This invite link is good for seven days or until the first person uses it. Should it not work, please leave me a comment and I will send you a new one. Your email address will never publish on here.

Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards With ZoomBucks: Promotional Codes

ZoomBucks is a great site to help you earn free Amazon gift cards and other prizes. You can win while doing your regular searching or by performing simply daily tasks. One easy way to earn a couple of ZBucks on a regular basis is to pay attention to the promotional codes that are released on a regular basis.

On Facebook, like the ZoomBucks page to get codes in your news feed. If you are on Twitter, follow @Zoombucksonline to have them post in your timeline there. When a promotional code becomes available, it will be posted in one of these places. On occasion, you may also receive a promotional code in your email.

Once you locate the code, visit the ZoomBucks website. Hover over "Win ZBucks" and click on "Promo Codes." Enter the code into the box and then click "Claim Reward." The ZBucks are yours!

Hint: If you cut and paste the code from its location, beware of leaving a space at the beginning or the end of the code. Should you get an error message, check for spaces and try again.

Promotional codes are not necessarily revealed on a daily basis. But it is a good idea to check on a daily basis, just in case. They are also available for a limited time. So, redeem it as soon as you find it!

Join me on ZoomBucks today and start earning points toward that Amazon gift card or other prizes!

Interested in other sites that reward you with Amazon gift cards? Try one of these:

iRazoo rewards you with tasks, offers, videos and searches. I'm pretty new to this site, but so far so good!

SwagBucks is a site very similar to ZoomBucks. I have been there for over a year and cashed out $30 in Amazon gift cards within the last month.

Superpoints is one of the easiest ways to earn fast points toward gift cards. This invite link is good for seven days or until the first person claims it. Should it not work for you, please leave me a comment. I will send you a new link and never use your email address for anything else.

Thanks for reading, and happy ZBuck collecting!

iRazoo, Do You? More Free Amazon Gift Cards

iRazoo is another one of those sites that rewards you for using their search engine, watching video ads and more. A writer friend recommended it to me and I just signed up two weeks ago. And then I forgot about it.

It was not intentional on my part. I just got busy with other things. But then as I had to do a lot of research for a long list of article assignments, I remembered it. Why not maximize my ability to earn points toward free Amazon gift cards by doing what I have to do anyway?

So, while commencing research for one of my articles, I decided to give iRazoo a shot. My very first search earned me 15 points. I checked the rewards catalog. It will take me 3000 points to get that first $5 gift card. 200 more searches sounds like a lot, but really isn't with the amount of research I have to do. I am willing to give this site a chance, especially as I figure out other means of earning more points. One of my friends earned 346 just by watching videos as soon as she signed up.

Join me on yet another quest to earn free Amazon gift cards. Click here to join me on iRazoo. Get 50 points just for signing up. As I learn more about how the site works, I will update you with new posts.

Interested in other methods of earning free Amazon gift cards? Check out these other websites:

Zoombucks is a site that also rewards you for doing searches and more. I just joined there earlier this month and already have almost 200 ZBucks. It takes 1000 to cash out a $10 Amazon gift card.

SwagBucks is a site very similar to ZoomBucks and iRazoo. I have been there for over a year and cashed out $30 in Amazon gift cards within the last month.

Superpoints is one of the easiest ways to earn fast points toward gift cards. This invite link is good for seven days or until the first person claims it. Should it not work for you, please leave me a comment. I will send you a new link and never use your email address for anything else.

Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards With Easy ZoomBucks: View Daily Offers

ZoomBucks is a site that lets you earn points for doing simple things. Guarantee a couple of easy ZoomBucks by visiting the site on a daily basis. You can earn one guaranteed ZoomBuck every day, just for visiting the offers section of the site.

To find this, look at the bar at the top of the page. The second one says "Earn ZBucks." Hover over that and click on offers. Always check out the offers listed, because you never know if there will be one of interest to you. But even if you are not interested in the offers, you are guaranteed a daily ZBuck by scrolling all the way down to the bottom of the page.

It will say "Congratulations! You won 1 Buck!" Be sure to click on the mini video captcha underneath that dollar, though, or it will not be credited to your account! If you don't want to watch the entire short video, after a few seconds you will have the option of skipping to the end and your code will be revealed. Simply enter it and press the "Claim Reward" button to add to your points. It takes all of 30 seconds of your day.

ZoomBucks is an easy site to use. As of this posting, I have 167, again without much effort. I am saving up for that free $10 Amazon gift card. Just 833 more to go! But I have faith it won't take too long.

Please click here if you would like to check out the site and join me there. You automatically receive ZBucks for signing up.

You can also win points toward free Amazon gift cards by joining SwagBucks, which is similar to ZoomBucks.

Superpoints is another great site for rapidly earning points and gift cards. This link is good for seven days or until the first person signs up. If you try the link and it doesn't work, please leave me a comment and I will send you a link. Your email address will not publish and I will not use it for anything else.

Thanks for reading and happy ZBuck gathering!

Earn Free Stuff With Zoombucks

ZoomBucks is a site that rewards its users. Do various simple tasks, such as watching videos and using their search engine, and earn points. Those points can be redeemed for a variety of prizes, including gift cards. My favorites to earn are the $5 Amazon gift cards. You can buy just about anything you want on Amazon. I am actually saving up for something special.

I joined ZoomBucks about two weeks ago. I haven't been very active on the site, but already have 120 as of this posting. I plan to spend some time with the site over the next several days to figure out how to rack up more ZoomBucks. So far, I have primarily used their search engine while working on various articles. I will share what I discover as I learn more about it.

A $5 Walmart gift card runs about 650 ZoomBucks or ZBs. So, it's a little bit more than a point per penny like on some of the other sites. The Amazon card starts at $10 for 1000 ZBs. But you seem to be able to rack up ZBs faster at times. I figure it will average out to take just as long with this site as it does with Superpoints and Swagbucks.

If you would like to also check out ZoomBucks and join me on my quest to figure out how to earn points, please click here.

If you are interested in SwagBucks (posts about which will come later), please click here

If you are interested in SuperPoints (again, more posts will come later), please click here.

The thing about Superpoints links, though, is they expire within seven days of their creation or as soon as someone accepts the invite. Should this link not work for you, please leave your email address in the comments section. All comments must be approved prior to going live. I will not publish comments that contain email addresses. Nor will I ever use your email address for anything else. I will simply send you the link so that you can check out the site and then delete it.