Visit the Panda's at the Toronto Zoo~!!

Join the Pandas at the Toronto Zoo via their family weekend programs throughout the summer before and after Zoo hours.

Each session includes up to 25 people for an exclusive and special viewing of our giant pandas!

Sunrise with the Pandas (Morning Program)
$10.00 per person (includes HST)
Sunday June 9, 2013, Sunday June 23, 2013
Sunday July 28, 2013, Sunday July 14, 2013
Sunday August 11, 2013, Sunday August 25, 2013
8:00 am - 9:30 am

Their specially designed morning program includes fun family games held as you are guided through our Giant Panda Interpretive Centre.  Then enjoy a special early viewing of Er Shun and Da Mao complete with refreshments including Chinese inspired snacks, coffee, tea and juice.

Please note: If you plan to stay at the Zoo following the program, general Zoo admission fees apply.

Panda Lantern Parade (Evening Program)
$12.00 per person (includes HST)
Saturday June 8, 2013, Saturday June 22, 2013
Saturday July 13, 2013, Saturday July 27, 2013
Saturday August 10, 2013, Saturday August 24, 2013
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Or you could investigate the evening program, which includes a guided tour of the Giant Panda Interpretive Centre and an exclusive after-hours viewing of Er Shun and Da Mao.  Plus, light up the evening with your very own handmade lantern to wish our giant pandas good night!  Program also serves evening refreshments including coffee, tea and juice.

Please note: If you plan to stay at the Zoo before the program, general Zoo admission fees apply.

For more information, visit the Toronto Zoo website

Find us on Facebook!

CURRENT ZOO HOURS
Open daily 9:00 am - 7:00 pm
Last admission one hour before closing

Admission Fees
General Admission (13-64): $28
Seniors (65+): $23
Children (3-12): $18
Children (2 and under): FREE
Prices include tax as applicable
Parking is $10 year round

Toronto Zoo is accredited by CAZA (Canada's Accredited Zoos and Aquariums).

Look for this logo whenever you visit a Canadian zoo as your assurance that you are supporting a facility dedicated to providing excellent care for animals, a great experience for you, and a better future for all living things.

For more information, visit www.caza.ca.

DVD REVIEW: Wiener Dog Nationals (2013)~!!

Wiener Dog Nationals (2013)

Language:  English
Genre:   Comedy/Family
Production Company:  Fromage Pictures
Run Time:  82 minutes
Directed by:  Kevan Peterson
Written by: Kevan Peterson
Story by: Gregory Gutierrez and Kevan Peterson

Fact: The Wiener Dog Nationals Movie is inspired by an actual Wiener Dog race held each year by fast food company Wienerschnitzel.

A family adopts a runt of a dachshund from a shelter. Only time will tell if little "Shelly" and her new family are up for the challenges of entering the nation's greatest wiener dog race, Wienerschnitzel's "Wiener Dog Nationals." One Nation, one race, one wiener. 

Cast:

Alicia Witt as Melanie
Jason London as Phil Jack
Morgan Fairchild as Ms. Merryweather
Marque Richardson as Dirk
Bryan Batt as Judge Brown
Caitlin Carmichael as Bridget
Chris Moss as Mr. Bright
Jim Metzler as Mr. Fleet
Laura Ann Kesling as Teresa
Brandon Tyler Russell as Ronny
Jessica Tyler Brown as Snotty Girl
Cheryl Texiera as Ms. Hampton
Scott Butler as Judge Brown's Assistant
Jeanne Chinn as News Reporter
Austin Anderson as Skip Jack

Plot:

Each year, hundreds of dogs participate in the Annual Wiener Nationals, an event that has been sponsored by the Wienerschnitzel Restaurant chain for almost 20 years.  When a little boy and his family adopt "Shelly", named after Shelter Dogs everywhere...they decide to run her in the races even though they do not hold much faith in her winning.

When Shelly places in the Nationals, the family scrapes and scrimps to get enough together to enter only to be thwarted along the way by Ms. Merriweather and her reigning Wiener dog champion, "Princess".

Along the way, they learn that Ms. Merriweather may not appear to be a decent sort and when the chips finally fall, Shelly becomes triumphant in her pursuit to capture the hearts of those around her.

We found that this is not suitable for children younger than six years of age, there isn't enough to grab and hold their attention for very long.  Though the puppies are adorable, there just wasn't enough action to follow through with the plot's development.

The dialogue was stale in some parts and the comedy delivered failed to meet its punchline.  Though the movie was charming, I feel that some people will have a hard time keeping their attention drawn to the movie.  If you love Wiener dogs, however, you will find this movie absolutely fascinating.

We here, at The Marsh, give "Wiener Dog Nationals" a 5 out of 10 stars~!!

LIKE the WIENER DOG NATIONALS on FACEBOOK~!!!

Racing onto DVD on July 5th~!!

I was provided a DVD screener to review this movie...I was not paid or compensated in any other way.  My opinions are my own as I see it~!!

ZIPZ SHOES #GIVEAWAY~!! Open to US Only ~ Ends June 12th~!!

Welcome to Zipz Shoes Giveaway!

Hot Fun Stuffs and Mad Moose Mama has teamed up with several awesome bloggers to bring you this great giveaway!  Pretty sweet ride to wear upon your feet...don'tcha' think~??  I would love to win a pair and YOU can too...enter below and goodly lucks~!!

Sponsored by: Zipz Shoes

Change Your Shoes, Change Yourself, Change Your World!

Zipz is the world’s first, true, interchangeable shoe which start a shoevolution! Born in California. Designed in the USA.

READ HOT FUN STUFFS’ FULL REVIEW HERE

The PRIZE: A pair of Zipz shoe

Giveaway Date: ENDS June 12, 2013 at 11:59 PM EST

Eligibility: Open US, ages 18+

The winner will be notified via email and need to respond within 48 hours. Failure to do so will void the winning and we will draw another qualified winner. This giveaway is in no way affiliated with nor sponsored by Facebook, Twitter and other social media platforms. No purchase is necessary.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: MAD MOOSE MAMA is not responsible for the prize fulfillment. Please contact the giveaway host at hotfunstuffs(at)gmail(dot)com for questions and concerns.

COVER REVEAL: Vulture (The Ferryman and the Flame #3) by Rhiannon Paille

Introducing Rhiannon Paille's NEWEST cover for "The Ferryman and the Flame" series...

VULTURE ~  Book Three

How far would you go to betray everything you've ever known?

Kaliel didn't think second chances came with this much turmoil. Exiled from her home, surrounded by strangers and in love with a boy she barely recognizes, she can't take it. She has her best friend, a new mentor, and a chance to win the war against the Valtanyana, but it's all wrong. Desperate to salvage some semblance of her former life, she makes a deal that shatters everything.

Paperback, 496 pages
Expected publication: June 18th 2013

#DISNEY’S “MILLION DOLLAR ARM” BEGINS PRODUCTION

Recently announced in Burbank, Calif. (May 30, 2013) the Principal photography has begun on Walt Disney Pictures’ “Million Dollar Arm,” starring Jon Hamm. Directed by Craig Gillespie (“Lars and the Real Girl,” “Fright Night”), the film is produced by Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, through their Mayhem Pictures, and Joe Roth, under his Roth Films banner, with Palak Patel and Kevin Halloran serving as executive producers. Tom McCarthy (“Win Win,” “The Visitor”) wrote the screenplay. The film also stars Bill Paxton (“Haywire,” “Hatfields & McCoys”), Lake Bell (“What Happens in Vegas,” “It’s Complicated”), Suraj Sharma (“Life of Pi”), Aasif Mandvi (“The Daily Show,” “Margin Call”), Madhur Mittal (“Slumdog Millionaire”), Pitobash (“Three Idiots,” “Shanghai”) and Academy Award®–winner Alan Arkin. A.R. Rahman (“127 Hours,” “Slumdog Millionaire”) is scoring the film. “Million Dollar Arm” will shoot on locations in India, Georgia and Los Angeles.

Based on a true story, Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” follows JB Bernstein, a once-successful sports agent who now finds himself edged out by bigger, slicker competitors. He and his partner Aash (Aasif Mandvi) will have to close their business down for good if JB doesn’t come up with something fast. Late one night, while watching cricket being played in India on TV, JB comes up with an idea so radical it just might work. Why not go to there and find the next baseball pitching sensation? Setting off for Mumbai with nothing but a gifted but cantankerous scout (Alan Arkin) in tow, JB stages a televised, nationwide competition called “Million Dollar Arm” where 40,000 hopefuls compete before two 18-year-old finalists, Rinku and Dinesh (Suraj Sharma, Madhur Mittal), emerge as winners. JB brings them back to the United States to train with legendary pitching coach Tom House (Bill Paxton). The goal: get the boys signed to a major league team.

Not only is the game itself difficult to master, but life in the U.S. with a committed bachelor makes things even more complicated—for all of them. While Rinku and Dinesh learn the finer points of baseball and American culture, they in turn teach JB the true meaning of teamwork and commitment. Ultimately, what began as a purely commercial venture becomes something more and leads JB to find the one thing he was never looking for at all—a family.

The producing team of Mark Ciardi and Gordon Gray, producers of such notable sports movies as “Secretariat,” “Miracle” and “The Rookie,” joins forces with veteran producer Joe Roth (“Oz The Great and Powerful,” “Snow White and the Huntsman,” “Alice in Wonderland”) to bring Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” to the screen.

Director Craig Gillespie gained widespread recognition with the critically acclaimed “Lars and the Real Girl,” starring Oscar®-nominated Ryan Gosling. He also directed “Fright Night,” starring Anton Yelchin, Colin Farrell, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, David Tennant, Imogen Poots, and Toni Collette. For television, Gillespie produced and directed the highly acclaimed Showtime series “United States of Tara.” His direction of the pilot episode earned Toni Collette both an Emmy® Award and a Golden Globe® Award.

Golden Globe® winner Jon Hamm is perhaps best-known for his nuanced portrayal of high-powered, philandering advertising executive Don Draper on AMC’s award-winning drama series “Mad Men.” His previous film credits include “Friends with Kids,” which he also produced; “Bridesmaids,” “The Town,” “Sucker Punch,” “Howl,” “Shrek Forever After,” as the voice of “Brogan,” “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “Ira & Abby,” “Kissing Jessica Stein” and “We Were Soldiers.” He recently completed HBO’s “Clear History” with Larry David for director Greg Mottola and the BBC miniseries “A Young Doctor’s Notebook,” opposite Daniel Radcliffe, which he also executive produced.

Alan Arkin, one of the most respected artists of the stage and screen, won an Academy Award® for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in the 2006 hit “Little Miss Sunshine.” For his role, Arkin also won an Independent Spirit Award and a BAFTA Award, and shared in a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Award® for Outstanding Motion Picture Cast, in addition to receiving an individual SAG Award® nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role. Arkin most recently earned Oscar®, BAFTA and Golden Globe® Award nominations for his supporting performance in director Ben Affleck’s Oscar®-winning Best Picture “Argo,” which also won the BAFTA Award for Best Picture.

Talented, multi-faceted actor Bill Paxton has starred in many audience-pleasing hit films, including “Titanic,” “Apollo 13,” “Aliens” “Twister,” “Mighty Joe Young,” “Spy Kids, 2&3” and “Tombstone.” He was recently seen in “The Colony,” “Shanghai Calling” and “Haywire.” On television, Paxton is well known for the series “Big Love,” for which he was Golden Globe® nominated, and recently starred in the award-winning miniseries “Hatfields & McCoys” opposite Kevin Costner.

Lake Bell wrote, produced, starred in and directed her most recent film, “In A World…,” which garnered Bell the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award at Sundance this year. Bell was also seen at this year's Sundance Film Festival in the film “Black Rock,” opening in May 2013, directed by Katie Aselton. Other film credits include, among others, “A Good Old Fashioned Orgy,” Paramount’s hit comedy “No Strings Attached,” Nancy Meyer's “It's Complicated,” “What Happens in Vegas” and “Pride and Glory.”

Suraj Sharma won acclaim for his portrayal of Pi Patel in Ang Lee’s acclaimed movie “Life of Pi.” With no previous experience, Lee cast Sharma for the role of Pi, following an extensive, months-long search throughout India. For his work in “Life of Pi,” Sharma earned a Critics’ Choice nomination for Best Young Actor, an Empire Award nomination for Best Male Newcomer and won the Sierra Youth in Film Award from the Las Vegas Film Critics as well as the MTV Movie Award for Best Scared as Sh**t Performance, among others.

Aasif Mandvi, well known as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” is an accomplished actor who will next be seen in “The Internship,” starring Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson. Recent films include “Premium Rush,” “Ruby Sparks” and “Margin Call.”

Madhur Mittal is best known for his performance as Salim in the acclaimed film “Slumdog Millionaire,” which won the Academy Award® for Best Picture of 2008 and for which he won the Screen Actors Guild Award® for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture.

Pitobash is a Hindi film actor known for his roles in “I Am Kalam,” “Shor in the City” and “Shanghai.” At the age of 12, Pitobash was honored with the “National Balshree Award” from the president of India in the field of creative performance. He later went on to join Bollywood as an actor.

Disney’s “Million Dollar Arm” is slated for a 2014 release.

Monsters University - Film Clip "ROR Material"~ !!

Mike Wazowski's (voice of Billy Crystal) lifelong dreams of becoming a Scarer are derailed during his first semester at Monsters University when he crosses paths with hotshot James P. Sullivan, "Sulley" (voice of John Goodman), and their out-of-control competitive spirit gets them both kicked out of the University's elite Scare Program.

Understanding How Eyes Work

Every day you look at objects, people, colours, words, numbers which all help you to understand the world. You might not often think about how your eyes work but they are an essential part of how we carry out our daily activities.

The eyes work like small round machines constantly working to help us see things. They are made up of little parts which work together and send messages to the brain. Light bounces off objects into our eyes to allow us to see them. 

What’s what?

The bits you can see: An eye is made up of several different parts. The parts you can see are the pupil (the black dot in the centre), the iris (the coloured area surrounding the pupil) and the sclera (the white area around the iris). These parts are all enclosed by your eyelids which are rimmed with eyelashes to filter out any nasty dirt or grime before it harms your eyes. In the corner of your eyes are your tear ducts. These are in charge of releasing tears to keep your eyes clean and to cry when you’re feeling sad!

The pupil acts as a little shutter to decide how much light enters your eye. If it is a very bright day, your pupils will contract (get smaller) to allow less light in. In darkness, your pupil will dilate (get bigger) to get as much light into your eye as possible. [Handy tip: Try looking at your cat’s eyes in daylight and then again when it gets dark to see how they change!]

The bits you can’t see: Over the front of your eye is a clear layer called a cornea. This layer is completely clear to allow light to pass through and reach the back of your eye where it can be sent to the brain to be processed.

At the back of your eye, there is a delicate layer called a retina (about the size of a postage stamp) which is made up of tiny cells. These cells are called rods and cones. The cone cells are found in the centre of the retina and help us to see things sharply and clearly. Rod cells are around the edge of the retina and help us to see things moving and in dim light. For example, imagine looking at a car parked outside your house. The cone cells help you to clearly see the shape of the car, the colours and windows etc. Next, imagine the car moving down the road at night. This is when the rod cells start to work. They help you to see the car in motion in the darkness.

These cells collect light signals and send them to the optic nerve, almost like a relay race. The optic nerve receives the signals and sends them to the brain to be processed and allow us to understand what we see.

Interesting facts you might not know:
1.    When an image is projected on the back of your retina, it is upside down! The optic nerve sends the signals to the brain where it is turned the right way up.
2.    All babies are born with blue eyes- ask your parents! This is because other colours such as brown and green take longer to develop. By the time you’re 6 months old, your eyes will have reached their final colour.
3.    You blink around 12 times a minute! You won’t even notice you do it but blinking helps to keep your eyes clean and moist to protect them from dust and dirt. 

It’s useful to understand how eyes work because they are an essential part of how we function every day.

Featured images:

•  License: Royalty Free or iStock source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/images/results.aspx?qu=eyes&ex=2#ai:MP900423034|mt:2|

Victoria is a blogger for glasses frames website, DirectSight.