Dear Writers on the hit show 24:
Although I've been a fan of your program since the first season, I have to say you are starting to tread some very familiar ground, and not in a particularly good way. And so, with that in mind, I have some humble suggestions - some mine, and some culled from other fans - that I think you should heed to give your show a fresh perspective.
1. Enough with the moles already. Every season has someone as a mole inside CTU. Now, isn't this supposed to be the Counter Terrorist Unit? Doesn't everybody have to be vetted or something before they can be hired? If you can't even police your own staff, how do we expect you to save the world?
2. Stop treating the women on this show like crap. Every season a woman is the mole, or is suspected of being the mole, and is tortured as part of the investigation. Or she's killed off in some horrifying fashion. Or she gets herself caught in a cougar trap. (Okay, that was just Kim.) Or she's dumb. (That's Kim too.) The only strong women are evil or whiners, or dead. Can we find somebody who is none of the above? We had her in Teri and Michelle, just to name two. Yep, they're pushing up daisies. Oh wait, we do have the softer, gentler Chloe. See corollary below.
3. Put the old brusque Chloe in the field or some other socially awkward situation. One of the show's funniest moments came when she Tasered the guy in the bar who wouldn't leave her alone. Softer kinder Chloe isn't getting any of her whipcrack line reading moments. This season she's just another CTU agent, albeit in a cute dress. Booooorrrrrringg.
4. Give Jack a female partner. Well, you had to kill off Tony, and Ricky Schroeder ain't cutting it. Any reason why a tough chick couldn't pick up a .45 and follow Jack into the field? She doesn't even need to be a love interest, although some crackling sexual tension would give this show a fun jolt. Jack's field partners always tend to be men in their 30s and sometimes they end up dead too. None of them have had much spark on screen. Except Tony. And he's six feet under. Man, I miss you, Tony.
5. Skip the President altogether. Nobody is going to be David Palmer. On the other side of the coin, nobody is going to be Charles Logan. Can we just write the Presidential character out of this storyline for a season and see how it goes? We've pretty much done all the personality combinations possible, and if we can find someone else for Jack to play off of, that would be fresh and interesting. I don't know who that would be, that's why they pay you the big bucks. I'm just a chick with a laptop.
6. Get out of LA. LA has seen every imaginable disaster. Let's go somewhere else, make use of another city. Bring some freakin' variety to the setting, for heaven's sake. If I were living in LA, by now I would have moved to the East Coast, after everything that has ever happened there. In fact, I would feel downright cursed. I mean, what's so special about LA anyway? Except for the fact that Tool wrote a song about sinking the whole thing into the sea.
7. Give Jack something to agonize over. He had a failing marriage in season 1, and his concern for his wife and child drove him. Season 5 could have been really something, as Jack tries to recover from years of captivity in China. But by now, he looks fine to me. I'd rather see him really wrestling with what he faces. Nobody does gun-toting badass like Keifer Sutherland, but can't he do more than shout while pointing a weapon at someone?
8. Suspending disbelief is one thing; going against human nature is another altogether. A nuclear bomb just went off in LA. But everybody is walking around like just another weekday. Huh?? Why aren't we seeing news helicopter shots of crowded freeways as people leave town? Hospitals swamped with radiation victims? Looting at area stores? Business as usual just doesn't cut it when a nuke went off near a big city. People would PANIC.
9. Speaking of which, where's the media? They're going to be all over this. But yet, they're not. In fact, we've hardly seen them at all as the seasons go on. Give the media a prominent role. And for heaven's sake, don't cast them as villains. That's SO been done.
10. Great casting makes all the difference. Powers Boothe is a coup. James Cromwell can do creepy and nice without breaking a sweat. Gregory Itzin and Jean Smart were so robbed of Emmy awards that I'm surprised police didn't rush the stage at the show when it was clear they weren't taking home a trophy. And nobody, but nobody, sounded more presidential than Dennis Haysbert. But then we have Ricky Schroeder, looking more like Silver Spoons than NYPD Blue. Showkiller Eric Balfour, as Milo, has come back after his last zillion series failed. And I can't even tell you anything about the chick who plays Nadia. You've had some great casting and some not so great casting. Stick with the great. Weed out the 'who?' group. (While I'm on it, why in the world didn't you cast Regina King as the President? If I wanna kick terrorist ass, I'd hire her. She's so underused this season, I don't even want to know how often her agent chews you out.)
There you go, ten suggestions to help make the show better. Thanks, and I'll keep watching this season, but just so you know, I'm starting to see fins in the water, and somebody is handing me water skiis.
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Lovely Weather
Yesterday was one of those days when you could smell the damp earth finally, the sun melting the last of the ice from the parking lot (and the rooftops, I hear from the facilities manager at work). I walked out to my car at the end of the day actually far too warm in my trench, even with the stiff breeze. I finally feel like spring is here.
Today it's been rainy, but I did get a chance to take my lunchtime walk outside instead of underground. As I left my building I could smell fresh pine from the trees in the courtyard, and a cheeky squirrel or two was busy digging up the nuts from the fall before (I swear one fat one was gloating). I enjoyed the walk even though it was so cloudy, because I could smell the coming rain and the breeze was fresh.
Even when it's gloomy, it's more bearable with warm weather.
Today it's been rainy, but I did get a chance to take my lunchtime walk outside instead of underground. As I left my building I could smell fresh pine from the trees in the courtyard, and a cheeky squirrel or two was busy digging up the nuts from the fall before (I swear one fat one was gloating). I enjoyed the walk even though it was so cloudy, because I could smell the coming rain and the breeze was fresh.
Even when it's gloomy, it's more bearable with warm weather.
Friday, March 09, 2007
Whaddya Want With My Hand Anyway?
I'm going to post this knowing people are going to think I am abso-frickin-lutely nuts.
Then again, I probably shouldn't tell you that I've been blogging with the SnObs again, looking at more pictures (Rap sent me a great headshot of evil Krycek, and it's NICE) and now I'm listening to an old high school friend's online radio broadcast, known as Short Bus Radio. ("Superfreak" is on right now.)
But on to the topic. Whenever somebody I know gets engaged, they tell me how their fiance went to their dad and asked his permission. I think my brother did it for his fiancee. And I always get all excited and say "That's so sweet!" and 'aw' a lot. And I really truly mean it.
But I wouldn't want somebody to do it for me.
Now before I explain why, let's get something straight. I'm not in any way saying how I feel about the practice being done for me means I feel that way about someone else having done it or it being done for them. I never have this train of thought when it happens to somebody else. It's sweet and respectful, and I'm usually just so happy for the person that they are getting married. In other words, I totally get and go along with the societal situation without a second thought.
But again, I wouldn't want somebody to do it for me.
That's because I'm not somebody's 'anything' to 'give away' at this age. I've been my own woman for a very long time, so asking my dad for his 'permission' doesn't really fit. I don't belong to him. Now, not to say my dad wouldn't be thrilled - maybe he would - if somebody asked him, but at my age I'd rather we announced it as a pair, as partners. I especially wouldn't like it if my fiance-to-be did this without telling me first he was going to do it. He should be discussing all of this with me first, plain and simple.
Now, would my dad walk me down the aisle and 'give me away'? Yes. So why don't I go with the one tradition but go with the other? I don't have an answer for that.
Then again, I probably shouldn't tell you that I've been blogging with the SnObs again, looking at more pictures (Rap sent me a great headshot of evil Krycek, and it's NICE) and now I'm listening to an old high school friend's online radio broadcast, known as Short Bus Radio. ("Superfreak" is on right now.)
But on to the topic. Whenever somebody I know gets engaged, they tell me how their fiance went to their dad and asked his permission. I think my brother did it for his fiancee. And I always get all excited and say "That's so sweet!" and 'aw' a lot. And I really truly mean it.
But I wouldn't want somebody to do it for me.
Now before I explain why, let's get something straight. I'm not in any way saying how I feel about the practice being done for me means I feel that way about someone else having done it or it being done for them. I never have this train of thought when it happens to somebody else. It's sweet and respectful, and I'm usually just so happy for the person that they are getting married. In other words, I totally get and go along with the societal situation without a second thought.
But again, I wouldn't want somebody to do it for me.
That's because I'm not somebody's 'anything' to 'give away' at this age. I've been my own woman for a very long time, so asking my dad for his 'permission' doesn't really fit. I don't belong to him. Now, not to say my dad wouldn't be thrilled - maybe he would - if somebody asked him, but at my age I'd rather we announced it as a pair, as partners. I especially wouldn't like it if my fiance-to-be did this without telling me first he was going to do it. He should be discussing all of this with me first, plain and simple.
Now, would my dad walk me down the aisle and 'give me away'? Yes. So why don't I go with the one tradition but go with the other? I don't have an answer for that.
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Comments Update
So if you've tried to post comments and they haven't worked, I think I know why, and I believe I've changed the setting successfully. So give it a try. I still have to moderate all comments so it'll be a bit before that comes up, but at least you won't be shut out anymore!!
Cool Website
I promise you I'm not getting any endorsement money from this site when I say it is probably the coolest T-shirt website I have seen in a long time.
It's called Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com) and from what I gather, it's a site for t-shirt makers to post their designs (so I don't know how reliable it is, but some fellow bloggers have reported success). Then you can order the design you want on any number of types of shirts or sweatshirts, in men's, women's and children's styles. And maybe you can get a calendar, mug or mousepad too.
The best part about it is you can find something about every single tv show out there (and maybe more, I haven't gotten that far yet). For example, I stumbled onto the Joss Whedon pages and discovered so much Firefly and Buffy stuff I am still debating what I want. (One shirt I'm seriously considering says "Thank God we're hot chicks with superpowers" - a line Faith says to Buffy). Or Firefly-themed shirts that say, "Wash Lives" or "I Aim to Misbehave" or "Browncoats". And of course I did find horse-related shirts, many of which talk about Smarty Jones, which I thought was kind of odd, but there you are.
Anyway, just a suggestion, if you're looking for something pop-culture cool.
It's called Cafe Press (www.cafepress.com) and from what I gather, it's a site for t-shirt makers to post their designs (so I don't know how reliable it is, but some fellow bloggers have reported success). Then you can order the design you want on any number of types of shirts or sweatshirts, in men's, women's and children's styles. And maybe you can get a calendar, mug or mousepad too.
The best part about it is you can find something about every single tv show out there (and maybe more, I haven't gotten that far yet). For example, I stumbled onto the Joss Whedon pages and discovered so much Firefly and Buffy stuff I am still debating what I want. (One shirt I'm seriously considering says "Thank God we're hot chicks with superpowers" - a line Faith says to Buffy). Or Firefly-themed shirts that say, "Wash Lives" or "I Aim to Misbehave" or "Browncoats". And of course I did find horse-related shirts, many of which talk about Smarty Jones, which I thought was kind of odd, but there you are.
Anyway, just a suggestion, if you're looking for something pop-culture cool.
Sunday, February 25, 2007
More Rambling
So I went back to last week's Prison Break just to watch Michael hit Kim with the car a second time, and watch Linc kick the crap out of him. I really like the show right now; now that Sarah has joined the brothers the stakes seem to have raised, but I will miss Kellerman with them, since he's something of a loose cannon. Now, Sucre and MariCruz should get to escape scot-free, C-Note should get some sort of real justice this time, and T-Bag should just run around being T-Bag. The creepy version.
Two of the coolest names in music today: Lupe Fiasco and Sully Erna.
I have been watching so much Supernatural and talking about it so much on line I have been having dreams with the show in it. Veronica Mars was in one of them - she and Sam knew each other from way back and were good friends. The second involved a bunch of people (say, hundreds) trapped in my parents' church, and there was a black fog around the building that would kill you if you went outside. Sam and Dean were helping me figure out how to fight the fog but eventually they disappeared (but not before I got all cranky with a bunch of teeny boppers who were following Dean around because I didn't want to admit I had a crush on him myself). Then the fog lifted, and a caravan of vehicles (part of some business or group) decided to leave, and I tried to stop them, and the minute they went outside, the fog descended and devoured them, and I knew we had to wait until sunrise to escape. I even tried to use a speaker system in the kitchen area to warn everyone but I couldn't get it to work.
Sarah is now laughing her ass off that I had a dream about church. I hear you, snap!!! ;-)
While you're there, apologize to your father for my dirty mouth. I'm sure he's learned a lot more about me than he intended reading this blog! ("She's looking at half-naked pictures of actors online???")
I've been having a really hard time keeping up with all the Derby preps this year. Most aren't being shown on TV - only the biggies are - so I have to find them online. But you only get that little tiny screen, and one of the things I like to watch is jockey body language - how they move their hands and arms, how they're sitting, what they're doing with their legs and feet - and it's hard to see that on the little picture. Plus it's a lot harder to gauge a horse's stride. And what really tees me off is I can't download the videos for posterity. Argh!!
Spring got up and walked off. It's been sleeting here for the last 36 hours. It woke me up last night, it was so loud on the windowpanes. I played 'bear' today and hibernated. Well, I did laundry, cleaned the bathroom, cleaned the kitchen (mostly), caught up on Derby preps and podcasts, and organized my recycling. And of course caught up on all the TV from last week that I missed. (I love 'Midsomer Murders' on Biography!)
But I'm not watching the Oscars. I'll just get the red carpet report and the winners tomorrow (I almost wrote whiners, and not on purpose). Gives me a break from that project. I can't believe it's almost Monday already. :-(
My question to you is, what is the essential classic rock soundtrack? I mean, if you were burning a CD of the best classic rock of all time, what would you include? The only requirement is it must open with AC/DC's Back In Black. (Long story. Long fangirl story. Somewhere I hear Rap, Hoggle, Sukayro, Skye, Arafel and a host of other SnObs laughing at me.)
Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole!
Two of the coolest names in music today: Lupe Fiasco and Sully Erna.
I have been watching so much Supernatural and talking about it so much on line I have been having dreams with the show in it. Veronica Mars was in one of them - she and Sam knew each other from way back and were good friends. The second involved a bunch of people (say, hundreds) trapped in my parents' church, and there was a black fog around the building that would kill you if you went outside. Sam and Dean were helping me figure out how to fight the fog but eventually they disappeared (but not before I got all cranky with a bunch of teeny boppers who were following Dean around because I didn't want to admit I had a crush on him myself). Then the fog lifted, and a caravan of vehicles (part of some business or group) decided to leave, and I tried to stop them, and the minute they went outside, the fog descended and devoured them, and I knew we had to wait until sunrise to escape. I even tried to use a speaker system in the kitchen area to warn everyone but I couldn't get it to work.
Sarah is now laughing her ass off that I had a dream about church. I hear you, snap!!! ;-)
While you're there, apologize to your father for my dirty mouth. I'm sure he's learned a lot more about me than he intended reading this blog! ("She's looking at half-naked pictures of actors online???")
I've been having a really hard time keeping up with all the Derby preps this year. Most aren't being shown on TV - only the biggies are - so I have to find them online. But you only get that little tiny screen, and one of the things I like to watch is jockey body language - how they move their hands and arms, how they're sitting, what they're doing with their legs and feet - and it's hard to see that on the little picture. Plus it's a lot harder to gauge a horse's stride. And what really tees me off is I can't download the videos for posterity. Argh!!
Spring got up and walked off. It's been sleeting here for the last 36 hours. It woke me up last night, it was so loud on the windowpanes. I played 'bear' today and hibernated. Well, I did laundry, cleaned the bathroom, cleaned the kitchen (mostly), caught up on Derby preps and podcasts, and organized my recycling. And of course caught up on all the TV from last week that I missed. (I love 'Midsomer Murders' on Biography!)
But I'm not watching the Oscars. I'll just get the red carpet report and the winners tomorrow (I almost wrote whiners, and not on purpose). Gives me a break from that project. I can't believe it's almost Monday already. :-(
My question to you is, what is the essential classic rock soundtrack? I mean, if you were burning a CD of the best classic rock of all time, what would you include? The only requirement is it must open with AC/DC's Back In Black. (Long story. Long fangirl story. Somewhere I hear Rap, Hoggle, Sukayro, Skye, Arafel and a host of other SnObs laughing at me.)
Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
I Just Wanna Ramble
I don't know what I want to talk about today. So I'm gonna ramble.
What the &^*% is up with Britney Spears? I gotta say I'm so over whatever that girl does now, except I do worry about her kids. When you start making Kevin Federline look responsible, it's time to check into rehab. AND STAY THERE.
I just got done watching Supernatural's "Asylum" from last season, and it totally made me think about all those episodes of Ghost Hunters where they investigate creepy old asylums. Whoever did the set has obviously seen those episodes too.
That project at work is kicking my ass. Now my 'editors' want me to avoid using pronouns in a section that they want written in the third person. In other words, I shouldn't use 'he' or 'she' to be gender neutral, I should use a general term. In the interest of saving my job, I'll say 'the shopper.' Um, how long do you think it's going to be before THAT gets old? "The shopper should be certain to pick a color that is flattering to the shopper, and the shopper should then use the credit card with the least amount of the shopper's debt on it." I'm exaggerating, but you get my point.
I don't get those people who say that Lost isn't as good now as it used to be. I think it's just as good now as it's ever been, except for maybe the initial heady beginning when we were just figuring things out. I'm taping tonight's ep (a fabulous martini left me sleepy) and looking forward to it for tomorrow. I'm a sucker for TV that makes you pay attention and think. Hence, the reason I'm skipping the "How to Become the Next Pussycat Doll" or whatever they're calling it on the CW. That's just sad.
How hilarious was it on Prison Break when Michael hit Kim with the car? I stood up and yelled. Then Linc kicked the crap out of him. I yelled some more. Then Sara locked Kellerman out of the car, and I yelled again. Then I wondered if we'd have to see Kellerman in a suit again because honestly I think he's sexier in jeans. Just a thought.
I have absolutely NO life. I drink with my coworkers once in a while. I gotta find something to get involved with. If I could find a TV watchers society, I would be good.
May 1 is going to be one of the best days of the year. Both Rush and Tori Amos are putting out albums that day. Whatever did I do to please the music gods??? Whatever it was, I'll keep doing it.
Today was one of those days when I was walking outside that I could almost smell spring. That, to me, is that earthy smell you get when the ground is starting to thaw, and when you take a deep breath everything smells fresh and new. I love that smell, and it could never be bottled. Plus the sun was shining. (That made up for a very annoying doctor's visit.) I could take a dozen more days like this. It certainly makes walking to and from my car easier to bear, and maybe I'll take some lunchtime walks outside. Get my Vitamin D or something.
This is the first year I don't think I'm going to watch the Oscars. It's because I just don't care. I haven't been in a movie mood for a while now, and frankly not much out there has been appealing to me. (I do need to see 'Dreamgirls' but that's about it.) I might watch the red carpet to see who wears what but I don't think I'll watch much else of it. That's rare; normally I try to watch the show. But I've finally gotten it through my thick skull that a lot of the movies that are recognized by Oscar really don't resonate with me in any way. (That's not true of EVERY movie, but a lot of them.) It's usually heavy-handed depressing tripe. Somebody usually dies in a heart-wrenching way. I mean, that's what it feels like. I just have no interest in most of the movies nominated for anything. When am I going to run out and rent "Letters from Iwo Jima?" Or "Notes on a Scandal"? Oscar doesn't always know how just to have a good time. I suppose that's what the People's Choice awards are for?
I do love me the dresses though; I can't help that. I have my princess fantasy that someday I'll get to wear a fabulous dress like that and get my picture taken and have people talk about how lovely I looked.
Then I wake up.
What the &^*% is up with Britney Spears? I gotta say I'm so over whatever that girl does now, except I do worry about her kids. When you start making Kevin Federline look responsible, it's time to check into rehab. AND STAY THERE.
I just got done watching Supernatural's "Asylum" from last season, and it totally made me think about all those episodes of Ghost Hunters where they investigate creepy old asylums. Whoever did the set has obviously seen those episodes too.
That project at work is kicking my ass. Now my 'editors' want me to avoid using pronouns in a section that they want written in the third person. In other words, I shouldn't use 'he' or 'she' to be gender neutral, I should use a general term. In the interest of saving my job, I'll say 'the shopper.' Um, how long do you think it's going to be before THAT gets old? "The shopper should be certain to pick a color that is flattering to the shopper, and the shopper should then use the credit card with the least amount of the shopper's debt on it." I'm exaggerating, but you get my point.
I don't get those people who say that Lost isn't as good now as it used to be. I think it's just as good now as it's ever been, except for maybe the initial heady beginning when we were just figuring things out. I'm taping tonight's ep (a fabulous martini left me sleepy) and looking forward to it for tomorrow. I'm a sucker for TV that makes you pay attention and think. Hence, the reason I'm skipping the "How to Become the Next Pussycat Doll" or whatever they're calling it on the CW. That's just sad.
How hilarious was it on Prison Break when Michael hit Kim with the car? I stood up and yelled. Then Linc kicked the crap out of him. I yelled some more. Then Sara locked Kellerman out of the car, and I yelled again. Then I wondered if we'd have to see Kellerman in a suit again because honestly I think he's sexier in jeans. Just a thought.
I have absolutely NO life. I drink with my coworkers once in a while. I gotta find something to get involved with. If I could find a TV watchers society, I would be good.
May 1 is going to be one of the best days of the year. Both Rush and Tori Amos are putting out albums that day. Whatever did I do to please the music gods??? Whatever it was, I'll keep doing it.
Today was one of those days when I was walking outside that I could almost smell spring. That, to me, is that earthy smell you get when the ground is starting to thaw, and when you take a deep breath everything smells fresh and new. I love that smell, and it could never be bottled. Plus the sun was shining. (That made up for a very annoying doctor's visit.) I could take a dozen more days like this. It certainly makes walking to and from my car easier to bear, and maybe I'll take some lunchtime walks outside. Get my Vitamin D or something.
This is the first year I don't think I'm going to watch the Oscars. It's because I just don't care. I haven't been in a movie mood for a while now, and frankly not much out there has been appealing to me. (I do need to see 'Dreamgirls' but that's about it.) I might watch the red carpet to see who wears what but I don't think I'll watch much else of it. That's rare; normally I try to watch the show. But I've finally gotten it through my thick skull that a lot of the movies that are recognized by Oscar really don't resonate with me in any way. (That's not true of EVERY movie, but a lot of them.) It's usually heavy-handed depressing tripe. Somebody usually dies in a heart-wrenching way. I mean, that's what it feels like. I just have no interest in most of the movies nominated for anything. When am I going to run out and rent "Letters from Iwo Jima?" Or "Notes on a Scandal"? Oscar doesn't always know how just to have a good time. I suppose that's what the People's Choice awards are for?
I do love me the dresses though; I can't help that. I have my princess fantasy that someday I'll get to wear a fabulous dress like that and get my picture taken and have people talk about how lovely I looked.
Then I wake up.
Sunday, February 18, 2007
Somewhere I Went All Fangirl
So, do you remember the post I put out talking about the enthusiastic Supernatural bloggers on TV Guide.com?
Guess what? I'm now one of them.
I don't know where or when it happened. Probably when I started getting feedback for my comments, or when we started making X-Files references, or when 'smilineyes' sent me a link to a picture of one of the actors naked in bed - carefully covered of course.
I accused her of trying to kill me, and then I went to take a cold shower.
True, I keep my gushing to a minimum, generally. That's not because of the other bloggers; that's my natural reaction to any male a bunch of women are effusive about. I tend to seek out the less sought-after male, assuming, of course, that in real life there would be less competition for him. (I am terribly good at self-analysis.) I don't know why I don't gush much with this crowd - we're all in agreement, we're all between 27-45 (or so I've gathered) - older than the most of the actors, in fact - and of course because we're talking about actors, we have less than the snowball's chance in hell of ever meeting them, much less indulging in our wildest dreams, so a few fantasies are downright harmless. And one of 'em has been on my Meal Plan for quite a while anyway. In fact, I did this very thing with the X-Files. So it's not like I'm not right there with 'em.
In fact, read my posts, and I'm there a lot. Especially while I'm wading through this annoying-as-hell project that is taxing my brain and my patience. (Writing by committee is enough to make you want to hurl your computer monitor at the next person who thinks an introduction to a training video for the public should include an explanation of federal law.)
I'm even considering buying a t-shirt I found online that features the series' extremely sexy car - a 67 black Impala, known to fans as the Metallicar. (The back says "Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole.")
When did I go all fangirl? WHEN, I ASK YOU? We're even reviewing Season 1 on DVD during the spring hiatus that lasts a month, all online. I've never met these people, although at least one is from Michigan.
But I'm having too much fun to quit now.
So why do I feel a little guilty about it? I guess I feel like I should be above such things (I picture the Kasey Kahne ads as I write this)...but I am woman, I have pulse, I like hot men in hot cars playing Rush tunes and other classic rock. So what is there to be 'above'? (You may insert joke here.) Nothing! I guess I should just indulge my little addiction, and not worry that feeling a little like a giddy teenager from time to time is a bad thing. This is normal, I keep telling myself. And harmless. And brightens my day.
(What is normal, though, for a single woman who lives at home with her cat and constantly adjusts a list of the five famous guys she finds hottest at any one moment? Okay, that's not helping my argument.)
Anyway, I'm not putting down any of the other bloggers - not by any stretch. (I was hard on them earlier, and true, I don't always agree with them, but I've rather grown to like them. So I guess I should have just taken a pill.) They're having a good time and they really look at this show closely, so they show me things I missed. (I wish the Lost bloggers did this but they don't.) And it's a good show - mislabeled as a 'teen' show, but it's actually put together really well, it's scary, it talks a lot about family, and it does carry something of an X-Files vibe. And these bloggers often put a big grin on my face, more often than not, in fact.
I guess I just need to acknowledge my fangirl side, enjoy the show, enjoy the other bloggers - they're really nice people online; none of the other shows have bloggers as insightful or friendly (even when, yes, they occasionally get gushy) - and really consider getting that shirt. All of it guilt-free.
But first I have to go back to the Season 1 DVD. CindyRose is reviewing 'Route 666' this week, and as I recall, one of the upcoming episodes features one of the brothers in a towel.
Guess what? I'm now one of them.
I don't know where or when it happened. Probably when I started getting feedback for my comments, or when we started making X-Files references, or when 'smilineyes' sent me a link to a picture of one of the actors naked in bed - carefully covered of course.
I accused her of trying to kill me, and then I went to take a cold shower.
True, I keep my gushing to a minimum, generally. That's not because of the other bloggers; that's my natural reaction to any male a bunch of women are effusive about. I tend to seek out the less sought-after male, assuming, of course, that in real life there would be less competition for him. (I am terribly good at self-analysis.) I don't know why I don't gush much with this crowd - we're all in agreement, we're all between 27-45 (or so I've gathered) - older than the most of the actors, in fact - and of course because we're talking about actors, we have less than the snowball's chance in hell of ever meeting them, much less indulging in our wildest dreams, so a few fantasies are downright harmless. And one of 'em has been on my Meal Plan for quite a while anyway. In fact, I did this very thing with the X-Files. So it's not like I'm not right there with 'em.
In fact, read my posts, and I'm there a lot. Especially while I'm wading through this annoying-as-hell project that is taxing my brain and my patience. (Writing by committee is enough to make you want to hurl your computer monitor at the next person who thinks an introduction to a training video for the public should include an explanation of federal law.)
I'm even considering buying a t-shirt I found online that features the series' extremely sexy car - a 67 black Impala, known to fans as the Metallicar. (The back says "Driver picks the music, shotgun shuts his cakehole.")
When did I go all fangirl? WHEN, I ASK YOU? We're even reviewing Season 1 on DVD during the spring hiatus that lasts a month, all online. I've never met these people, although at least one is from Michigan.
But I'm having too much fun to quit now.
So why do I feel a little guilty about it? I guess I feel like I should be above such things (I picture the Kasey Kahne ads as I write this)...but I am woman, I have pulse, I like hot men in hot cars playing Rush tunes and other classic rock. So what is there to be 'above'? (You may insert joke here.) Nothing! I guess I should just indulge my little addiction, and not worry that feeling a little like a giddy teenager from time to time is a bad thing. This is normal, I keep telling myself. And harmless. And brightens my day.
(What is normal, though, for a single woman who lives at home with her cat and constantly adjusts a list of the five famous guys she finds hottest at any one moment? Okay, that's not helping my argument.)
Anyway, I'm not putting down any of the other bloggers - not by any stretch. (I was hard on them earlier, and true, I don't always agree with them, but I've rather grown to like them. So I guess I should have just taken a pill.) They're having a good time and they really look at this show closely, so they show me things I missed. (I wish the Lost bloggers did this but they don't.) And it's a good show - mislabeled as a 'teen' show, but it's actually put together really well, it's scary, it talks a lot about family, and it does carry something of an X-Files vibe. And these bloggers often put a big grin on my face, more often than not, in fact.
I guess I just need to acknowledge my fangirl side, enjoy the show, enjoy the other bloggers - they're really nice people online; none of the other shows have bloggers as insightful or friendly (even when, yes, they occasionally get gushy) - and really consider getting that shirt. All of it guilt-free.
But first I have to go back to the Season 1 DVD. CindyRose is reviewing 'Route 666' this week, and as I recall, one of the upcoming episodes features one of the brothers in a towel.
Thursday, February 08, 2007
TV Mid-Season Report
Since so many TV shows started late, or are just getting ramped up, I'll consider this the midseason and report on all the shows I watch. I have the new episode of Lost waiting for me on tape, so this is a perfect time to talk about this. Beware, though, of spoilers, if you're going to watch these shows in summer reruns or on DVD.
Sunday
Cold Case - Generally reliable procedural; very little character development right now except Vera's relationship with his neighbor (Vera is a man). The most interesting thing I can say about it is that Lilly has the coolest coat in the world - black, tailored, with a red lining. I SO want that coat.
Without a Trace - Another generally reliable procedural with minimal character development. What's fun about this show is figuring out exactly where the cast is all from and how well they do their American accents when one is British and two are Australian. At least it's multi-cultural, which represents New York pretty well.
Desperate Housewives - This show is really back on its feet after a dodgy last season. Gabby and Carlos are starting to reach an understanding which is a relief after all the fighting they've been doing; Bree's new husband Orson didn't kill his ex-wife Alma, who is in league with Orson's mother (a positively chilling Dixie Carter) to get knocked up, which gives the fabulous Marcia Cross a chance to really sink her teeth into the script (at least until she goes on maternity leave); Mike and Susan are doing the dance again (which is getting tiresome) now that he's out of his coma and out of prison, but she's got a British boyfriend whose wife was in a coma too and just died (oh brother!); Lynette is dealing with her husband's bratty out-of-wedlock daughter (but it gives us a chance to see more Kathryn Joosten as she babysits the Scavo brats!); and Edie hasn't had a whole lot to do. Yet. Wow! Could we cram in more stories? And yet the show is easy to follow. I find it something of a guilty pleasure, although I find the characters repeat their mistakes a lot. I would like to hear more of Andrew's zingers though now that he's back. Sometimes he just gets the best lines.
Monday
Prison Break - This show is seriously getting better and better the last few weeks. I was a little skeptical after the break out, but now that Kellerman has joined the brothers and Sarah is with them (finally, she and Michael get some liplock action!) so that makes it a little more interesting. We still don't know where Kellerman will end up - if he'll try to get back in the President's good graces or stay with the brothers to screw her over. And I still expect Mahone to turn on his handlers at some point. William Fichtner is always good. He does worldweary yet slightly off center pretty damn well. And Bellick is now back out of prison and chasing them down as a junkyard dog. I've been reading Wade Williams' blog and he seems like a really cool guy, and he's doing a great job with Bellick's layers. And who can forget T-Bag? Why Robert Knepper has never been nominated for an Emmy I will never know. He takes creepy but charismatic to a whole new level.
24 - This season is still pretty new, but it's not as gripping as it has been in the past. We're just really getting into it but so far I've felt the show has been unrealistic. The show has always stretched the boundaries of plausability, but you always felt like these situations COULD happen and the reactions you see on screen would be the ones you would expect in real life. Now a nuclear bomb goes off in LA and everybody just goes about their business? Chloe is mild-mannered?? I'm not buying it. I DO like the chance to see Robin Wood on screen again as the President. Y'know, he's really cute.
CSI: Miami - Is this show still on?? The setting is gorgeous and the theme is arguably the best one on TV now (Cold Case is right up there on my list though) but the acting is subpar and the plots are ludicrous. I'm considering ditching this one next season.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - I am a raving lunatic fan for Aaron Sorkin's writing, but he's stumbled here. He got too preachy in a show that actually should be pretty good. It's only being held together right now by some fabulous acting. But I still look forward to it and still enjoy it, warts and all. Now if Danny would just stop stalking Jordan, and somebody would tell me how to do my hair like Harriet's (without a stylist's aid) I would be happy.
Tuesday
Veronica Mars - I love this show. I really do. WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH DOES IT NOT GET THE LOVE IT DESERVES?? It's well-written and witty, and Veronica has the greatest relationship with her father - a well-adjusted, humorous, close relationship, which you just don't see on TV often. Oh sure, the show slips from time to time (more Wallace! More Weevil! More Mac!) but overall this show is brilliant and wildly underrated. Rent Season One, if you're not watching the show already. Or you can borrow mine.
Wednesday
Lost - I'm just gearing up for the second half of the season, but I'm still deeply intrigued by this show and its mythology. Locke is one of my favorite characters, and his battles with Jack over leadership and faith versus reason are entirely compelling. And that friggin Benry creeps the CRAP out of me. Watching Jack take on the ballsy role while in the hands of the Others has really been an interesting transformation, especially as he used to be so ambivalent about himself. Now if only Kate would make up her mind about the guys and stop making that worried face. She'll get a wrinkle.
And more Hurley, dammit!
Bones - If you're not watching this one, why not??? It's got David Boreanaz, which should get all you Angel fans. It's occasionally gross but witty (I learned the words 'wanktard' and 'pornado' from this show) and the characters are endearing (watch Hodgins' wooing of Angela). This show got me reading all of Kathy Reichs' novels and they're pretty damn good. Plus you occasionally get to see Booth's funky socks and Bones' great earrings. That's just me, I guess. Anyway, although I miss the Chinese restaurant and its maitre'd Heavy D, I still adore this show passionately.
CSI:NY - I retain my odd TV crush on Gary Sinise. This show hasn't fallen into Miami's trap and good for it - it's still solid in the acting department, although I think New York is a bit of a crutch when it comes to setting shows. Still, the show is doing a better job of highlighting what makes NY unique and I still look forward to it. Worth your time if you like the original and are giving up on Miami.
Mythbusters - Seriously, shit blows up. You have to love a show where shit blows up. EVERY WEEK.
Ghost Hunters - Not coming back until JUNE!!!!! Argh! In the meantime, if you get a chance to catch a marathon, watch the Lighthouse episode. Freaky. Freaky. Freaky.
Thursday
CSI - This show continues to be a solid player every week. I'm interested in the characters but I'm not bombarded by their troubles. The mysteries are still good, although I wonder why Catherine gets away with wearing the stuff she wears to crime scenes. And I would so cast Paul Guilfoyle (Brass) as my dad in the movie of his life. I only wish the regulars got more screen time. Sara is still probably my favorite character on that show. I guess I relate sometimes to some of her layers. Except the 'sleeping with the boss' thing.
And you can't tell me you've never imagined being frisked by Warrick. I'm just sayin'.
Supernatural - Come 9:00 tonight I will be in my pajamas, in bed, in the dark, watching my favorite guilty pleasure show of the entire season. I not only have the Meal Plan hots for Jensen Ackles, but the show chases ghosts and ghoulies, which I love, and the Metallicar is a beauty all on its own (67 Impala, black). And the classic rock soundtrack, that's something. They recently used Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit beautifully and they've even used Rush twice so far. Then, I admit it, I get on TV Guide.com on Friday and blog with all the other obsessed fans out there. Seriously, we are so obsessed, we blog all week about the show (we're up to nearly 300 posts from last week's show). I've even started referencing the X-Files, which caused at least one blogger to admit she 'LMFAO' when she read my reference to the Magic Fingers. If this show doesn't get renewed for a third season, women (and some guys) all over the US are going to rebel. And it ain't gonna be pretty, because some of 'em ain't teens anymore.
Actually the show is really good. The two brothers treat each other like brothers would. They have a complicated relationship with their father and they still get to hunt down creepy things every week, including the Freaky Yellow-Eyed Demon that is after Sam. And the show is pretty good about its roots - one episode was an homage to the Shining, for example.
And did I mention the Metallicar?
Friday and Saturday
Nuthin'. Except for racing. That's another story, and another blog, altogether.
Sunday
Cold Case - Generally reliable procedural; very little character development right now except Vera's relationship with his neighbor (Vera is a man). The most interesting thing I can say about it is that Lilly has the coolest coat in the world - black, tailored, with a red lining. I SO want that coat.
Without a Trace - Another generally reliable procedural with minimal character development. What's fun about this show is figuring out exactly where the cast is all from and how well they do their American accents when one is British and two are Australian. At least it's multi-cultural, which represents New York pretty well.
Desperate Housewives - This show is really back on its feet after a dodgy last season. Gabby and Carlos are starting to reach an understanding which is a relief after all the fighting they've been doing; Bree's new husband Orson didn't kill his ex-wife Alma, who is in league with Orson's mother (a positively chilling Dixie Carter) to get knocked up, which gives the fabulous Marcia Cross a chance to really sink her teeth into the script (at least until she goes on maternity leave); Mike and Susan are doing the dance again (which is getting tiresome) now that he's out of his coma and out of prison, but she's got a British boyfriend whose wife was in a coma too and just died (oh brother!); Lynette is dealing with her husband's bratty out-of-wedlock daughter (but it gives us a chance to see more Kathryn Joosten as she babysits the Scavo brats!); and Edie hasn't had a whole lot to do. Yet. Wow! Could we cram in more stories? And yet the show is easy to follow. I find it something of a guilty pleasure, although I find the characters repeat their mistakes a lot. I would like to hear more of Andrew's zingers though now that he's back. Sometimes he just gets the best lines.
Monday
Prison Break - This show is seriously getting better and better the last few weeks. I was a little skeptical after the break out, but now that Kellerman has joined the brothers and Sarah is with them (finally, she and Michael get some liplock action!) so that makes it a little more interesting. We still don't know where Kellerman will end up - if he'll try to get back in the President's good graces or stay with the brothers to screw her over. And I still expect Mahone to turn on his handlers at some point. William Fichtner is always good. He does worldweary yet slightly off center pretty damn well. And Bellick is now back out of prison and chasing them down as a junkyard dog. I've been reading Wade Williams' blog and he seems like a really cool guy, and he's doing a great job with Bellick's layers. And who can forget T-Bag? Why Robert Knepper has never been nominated for an Emmy I will never know. He takes creepy but charismatic to a whole new level.
24 - This season is still pretty new, but it's not as gripping as it has been in the past. We're just really getting into it but so far I've felt the show has been unrealistic. The show has always stretched the boundaries of plausability, but you always felt like these situations COULD happen and the reactions you see on screen would be the ones you would expect in real life. Now a nuclear bomb goes off in LA and everybody just goes about their business? Chloe is mild-mannered?? I'm not buying it. I DO like the chance to see Robin Wood on screen again as the President. Y'know, he's really cute.
CSI: Miami - Is this show still on?? The setting is gorgeous and the theme is arguably the best one on TV now (Cold Case is right up there on my list though) but the acting is subpar and the plots are ludicrous. I'm considering ditching this one next season.
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip - I am a raving lunatic fan for Aaron Sorkin's writing, but he's stumbled here. He got too preachy in a show that actually should be pretty good. It's only being held together right now by some fabulous acting. But I still look forward to it and still enjoy it, warts and all. Now if Danny would just stop stalking Jordan, and somebody would tell me how to do my hair like Harriet's (without a stylist's aid) I would be happy.
Tuesday
Veronica Mars - I love this show. I really do. WHY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH DOES IT NOT GET THE LOVE IT DESERVES?? It's well-written and witty, and Veronica has the greatest relationship with her father - a well-adjusted, humorous, close relationship, which you just don't see on TV often. Oh sure, the show slips from time to time (more Wallace! More Weevil! More Mac!) but overall this show is brilliant and wildly underrated. Rent Season One, if you're not watching the show already. Or you can borrow mine.
Wednesday
Lost - I'm just gearing up for the second half of the season, but I'm still deeply intrigued by this show and its mythology. Locke is one of my favorite characters, and his battles with Jack over leadership and faith versus reason are entirely compelling. And that friggin Benry creeps the CRAP out of me. Watching Jack take on the ballsy role while in the hands of the Others has really been an interesting transformation, especially as he used to be so ambivalent about himself. Now if only Kate would make up her mind about the guys and stop making that worried face. She'll get a wrinkle.
And more Hurley, dammit!
Bones - If you're not watching this one, why not??? It's got David Boreanaz, which should get all you Angel fans. It's occasionally gross but witty (I learned the words 'wanktard' and 'pornado' from this show) and the characters are endearing (watch Hodgins' wooing of Angela). This show got me reading all of Kathy Reichs' novels and they're pretty damn good. Plus you occasionally get to see Booth's funky socks and Bones' great earrings. That's just me, I guess. Anyway, although I miss the Chinese restaurant and its maitre'd Heavy D, I still adore this show passionately.
CSI:NY - I retain my odd TV crush on Gary Sinise. This show hasn't fallen into Miami's trap and good for it - it's still solid in the acting department, although I think New York is a bit of a crutch when it comes to setting shows. Still, the show is doing a better job of highlighting what makes NY unique and I still look forward to it. Worth your time if you like the original and are giving up on Miami.
Mythbusters - Seriously, shit blows up. You have to love a show where shit blows up. EVERY WEEK.
Ghost Hunters - Not coming back until JUNE!!!!! Argh! In the meantime, if you get a chance to catch a marathon, watch the Lighthouse episode. Freaky. Freaky. Freaky.
Thursday
CSI - This show continues to be a solid player every week. I'm interested in the characters but I'm not bombarded by their troubles. The mysteries are still good, although I wonder why Catherine gets away with wearing the stuff she wears to crime scenes. And I would so cast Paul Guilfoyle (Brass) as my dad in the movie of his life. I only wish the regulars got more screen time. Sara is still probably my favorite character on that show. I guess I relate sometimes to some of her layers. Except the 'sleeping with the boss' thing.
And you can't tell me you've never imagined being frisked by Warrick. I'm just sayin'.
Supernatural - Come 9:00 tonight I will be in my pajamas, in bed, in the dark, watching my favorite guilty pleasure show of the entire season. I not only have the Meal Plan hots for Jensen Ackles, but the show chases ghosts and ghoulies, which I love, and the Metallicar is a beauty all on its own (67 Impala, black). And the classic rock soundtrack, that's something. They recently used Jefferson Airplane's White Rabbit beautifully and they've even used Rush twice so far. Then, I admit it, I get on TV Guide.com on Friday and blog with all the other obsessed fans out there. Seriously, we are so obsessed, we blog all week about the show (we're up to nearly 300 posts from last week's show). I've even started referencing the X-Files, which caused at least one blogger to admit she 'LMFAO' when she read my reference to the Magic Fingers. If this show doesn't get renewed for a third season, women (and some guys) all over the US are going to rebel. And it ain't gonna be pretty, because some of 'em ain't teens anymore.
Actually the show is really good. The two brothers treat each other like brothers would. They have a complicated relationship with their father and they still get to hunt down creepy things every week, including the Freaky Yellow-Eyed Demon that is after Sam. And the show is pretty good about its roots - one episode was an homage to the Shining, for example.
And did I mention the Metallicar?
Friday and Saturday
Nuthin'. Except for racing. That's another story, and another blog, altogether.
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
Keeping Bath and Body Works in Business
So the other day I started counting the various scented products I have in my house.
I have:
20 different flavors of scented lotion and body splash (that does not count 3 scents that are purse sized in my office, or the 2 different types of Lubriderm I have in my house and office)
2 flavors of perfume
6 flavors of body wash
5 different scented soaps, 6 if you count Ivory
3 kinds of shampoo
2 types of face wash
2 types of conditioner
6 flavors of bubble bath
3 scents made for specifically foot rubs and/or exfoliation
I can literally wear a different scent to work every day for an entire month, never wearing the same scent twice. I'm going to cause somebody to have a serious allergy one of these days.
On another note:
My cousin just asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, next spring, which is very sweet and very cool (I haven't met the groom yet but he sounds like a doll - plus he likes the X-Files). Of course this means I will have to buy two bridesmaid dresses, one for November this year for my brother's wedding, one for March or April next year. So I am keeping David's Bridal hopping. Think they have volume discounts? ;-)
I have:
20 different flavors of scented lotion and body splash (that does not count 3 scents that are purse sized in my office, or the 2 different types of Lubriderm I have in my house and office)
2 flavors of perfume
6 flavors of body wash
5 different scented soaps, 6 if you count Ivory
3 kinds of shampoo
2 types of face wash
2 types of conditioner
6 flavors of bubble bath
3 scents made for specifically foot rubs and/or exfoliation
I can literally wear a different scent to work every day for an entire month, never wearing the same scent twice. I'm going to cause somebody to have a serious allergy one of these days.
On another note:
My cousin just asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding, next spring, which is very sweet and very cool (I haven't met the groom yet but he sounds like a doll - plus he likes the X-Files). Of course this means I will have to buy two bridesmaid dresses, one for November this year for my brother's wedding, one for March or April next year. So I am keeping David's Bridal hopping. Think they have volume discounts? ;-)
Monday, January 29, 2007
Crappy Birthday To Me
By now you've probably heard what happened to Barbaro. The Kentucky Derby winner was euthanized today after complications from surgery. I saw it coming; the vet had been using the word 'quit' far more often than in the past, but I had had hope. Up until recently he'd been doing well and talk had been that he'd move to a farm soon. Then the problems began.
I'm afraid this means that any other horse that suffers the same injury will be euthanized immediately. I had hoped his survival would mean good things for other injured horses, but consensus will likely be they should be put down immediately.
This sport just breaks your heart sometimes.
I'm afraid this means that any other horse that suffers the same injury will be euthanized immediately. I had hoped his survival would mean good things for other injured horses, but consensus will likely be they should be put down immediately.
This sport just breaks your heart sometimes.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Movie Review - Adaptation
Nicholas Cage is fond of being the action-hero type - tough, craggy, dangerous. The problem is, he hasn't really looked in a mirror lately. Cage isn't action-hero handsome and instead of using that to his advantage, he signs up for movies that play to his ego rather than his strengths. (There wasn't anything wrong with National Treasure, for example - it was a travelogue of my last four vacations - but would the movie have been even better with Sean Bean in the lead and some other schlub as the bad guy? And is anybody really thrilled to see that ghost biker movie he's promoting right now?)
In Adaptation, Cage gives a fabulous performance. By playing against type. And, according to some movie notes I read, by playing the part not as he would have liked to play it but as the director insisted. He should listen more often.
Adaptation is the story of a pair of screenwriting brothers - Charlie and Donald Kaufman. Charlie writes deep-mind theater, while Donald writes scream-happy crap. Donald is becoming happily successful. Charlie is depressed, cranky and resentful, not to mention frustrated. He's just coming off his film "Being John Malkovich", which is another odd mind bender. That movie and this one rub elbows quite a bit, so you'll see a lot of familiar faces, including Maggie Gyllenhaal in a small role, and Malkovich himself, briefly, in the very beginning. (You should watch "Malkovich" first just to make it easier to figure out what's going on.)
Charlie is in the midst of trying to adapt a book called 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep). It's about a woman who writes an article about an orchid thief (Chris Cooper) and then expands it into a book that really doesn't have a narrative thread. Charlie is practically pulling his balding hair out trying to figure out what to say. He wants to meet Orlean but gets too shy to do so, so he has his twin brother do it. Donald, always more socially adjusted, realizes something is up.
Cage is perfect as the neurotic, balding, odd duck Charlie, and even has fun as the more self-assured yet self-delusional Donald. Charlie's worried eyes and slumped posture fit perfectly with Cage's nasal voice and creased forehead.
Streep is good as Orlean (the dial tone scene is funny), and Chris Cooper breathes life into another odd-duck character John LaRoche, who flits from obsession to obsession without a shred of self-recrimination or introspection. This is Cooper at his oddly creepiest, yet LaRoche is very clear on who he is, while many of the other characters (not to spoil anything) are still trying to find that connection to self.
If this sounds ambitious, it is. We don't really understand the obsession with orchids, but it's not really about that anyway. It's about, no surprise, adaptation. Who are we? How do we make do with who we are and where we are? What makes us happy and connected?
This is one of those 'critics-darling' movies, and I'll be honest in saying I'd rather just be entertained. When the movie takes on its action angle, it's mocking itself and its characters, but after a while, I sat with furrowed brow, wondering where this is going and how it all can go so wrong. I prefer redemption for my characters, and it's true Charlie finds it by the end, but too many other souls have gone wrong by that point to make it feel worthwhile. Anyway, I'll be honest and show my lack of class and say in the end the film got a little too artsy-fartsy for me, even though I did like the line, "Catherine Keener is in my house???"
Animal Trauma: None that I could see, although I did watch an edited version taped from Oxygen network. However, having to see Cooper's bare butt is enough to make you cringe.
Overall: It's ambitious but alienating and a little slow. I give it two and a half roses out of five.
In Adaptation, Cage gives a fabulous performance. By playing against type. And, according to some movie notes I read, by playing the part not as he would have liked to play it but as the director insisted. He should listen more often.
Adaptation is the story of a pair of screenwriting brothers - Charlie and Donald Kaufman. Charlie writes deep-mind theater, while Donald writes scream-happy crap. Donald is becoming happily successful. Charlie is depressed, cranky and resentful, not to mention frustrated. He's just coming off his film "Being John Malkovich", which is another odd mind bender. That movie and this one rub elbows quite a bit, so you'll see a lot of familiar faces, including Maggie Gyllenhaal in a small role, and Malkovich himself, briefly, in the very beginning. (You should watch "Malkovich" first just to make it easier to figure out what's going on.)
Charlie is in the midst of trying to adapt a book called 'The Orchid Thief' by Susan Orlean (Meryl Streep). It's about a woman who writes an article about an orchid thief (Chris Cooper) and then expands it into a book that really doesn't have a narrative thread. Charlie is practically pulling his balding hair out trying to figure out what to say. He wants to meet Orlean but gets too shy to do so, so he has his twin brother do it. Donald, always more socially adjusted, realizes something is up.
Cage is perfect as the neurotic, balding, odd duck Charlie, and even has fun as the more self-assured yet self-delusional Donald. Charlie's worried eyes and slumped posture fit perfectly with Cage's nasal voice and creased forehead.
Streep is good as Orlean (the dial tone scene is funny), and Chris Cooper breathes life into another odd-duck character John LaRoche, who flits from obsession to obsession without a shred of self-recrimination or introspection. This is Cooper at his oddly creepiest, yet LaRoche is very clear on who he is, while many of the other characters (not to spoil anything) are still trying to find that connection to self.
If this sounds ambitious, it is. We don't really understand the obsession with orchids, but it's not really about that anyway. It's about, no surprise, adaptation. Who are we? How do we make do with who we are and where we are? What makes us happy and connected?
This is one of those 'critics-darling' movies, and I'll be honest in saying I'd rather just be entertained. When the movie takes on its action angle, it's mocking itself and its characters, but after a while, I sat with furrowed brow, wondering where this is going and how it all can go so wrong. I prefer redemption for my characters, and it's true Charlie finds it by the end, but too many other souls have gone wrong by that point to make it feel worthwhile. Anyway, I'll be honest and show my lack of class and say in the end the film got a little too artsy-fartsy for me, even though I did like the line, "Catherine Keener is in my house???"
Animal Trauma: None that I could see, although I did watch an edited version taped from Oxygen network. However, having to see Cooper's bare butt is enough to make you cringe.
Overall: It's ambitious but alienating and a little slow. I give it two and a half roses out of five.
DVD Review - An Inconvenient Truth
It's easy enough to throw the tin can in the trash, or run down to the store one more time for salsa. But you might just change your mind about that after seeing this Oscar-nominated documentary. The glorified slide show An Inconvenient Truth encourages you to recycle, buy energy efficient appliances and buy a hybrid vehicle, mostly by showing you just how close our Earth is to big-time disaster. (And we're closer than you think.)
In the interest of full disclosure, I have been known to hug trees in my day. (It's an odd but vaguely stirring feeling, embracing something so old and so still but unquestionably alive. I recommend you try it at least once. But I digress.) So I was already open to the messages former Vice President Al Gore was going to share with us and his studio audience. Still, even I wasn't prepared for the depths he plumbs in an hour and a half.
Gore's schtick is still political but he's thorough in his persuasion. He takes complex environmental theories and data, and explains them through the use of bar graphs, charts, pictures and short videos so that even the densest viewer can follow just how bad it would be if, say, Greenland just melted away. And he does it all with the assurance and persuasiveness of a man used to being in front of an audience. He doesn't use straight scare tactics; he approaches the material carefully and with a genuine understanding and care. Here's a guy who knows his stuff, and he knows how to make sure you get it too. If you don't catch yourself sucking in a deep breath at least once during this movie, you're not paying attention.
The focus is almost strictly on global warming, and what that means for you and me. It's an abstract concept, one that most of us think of only when the mercury tops 100 on a sweaty July day. But the problem is, Gore says, it's bigger than that. We're rushing wholesale into a time when our air might not be breathable, when our oceans could rise 20 feet and flood significant parts of Florida, New York and California, when our inland lakes and seas are drying up to become red deserts. This is happening world-wide, but Gore does point out the US is the worst offender. He takes a few shots at the Bush administration (you can't mention the Kyoto Treaty without doing so) but he doesn't lay it all at Dubya's feet. And he shows how the effect doesn't hit just the States but the rest of the world too. How days are getting hotter. How the ice is breaking up at the poles. How fresh water resources are being depleted. (And what he doesn't say, but I picked up from my own research is, when that happens, guess what? The world will come to Michigan to draw water from the Great Lakes. So this has a bigger implication for the Wolverine state.)
This movie can also be titled "The Resurrection of Al Gore." The slideshow is broken up into personal segments highlighting the Man Who Would Be President, presumably to distract the viewer from the 'This is a slide show!' realization. Gore is unquestionably the star, and at times it feels like environmentalism, his raison d'etre, takes a back seat to 'look at what you COULD have had in the White House.'
That's one of the movie's drawbacks. The other is the fact that there are few solutions presented. From my study it's clear to me that the problems we face can't be solved by individual change alone, although individual change certainly puts a dent in the problem. But we can't do it while companies belch carbon monoxide and other pollutants from their smokestacks tons at a time, earning tax breaks and little environmental oversight. Corporations and governments need to change their policies instead of shouting 'but that will cost jobs!' whenever someone proposes tougher environmental standards (instead, say, of finding ways to move some of those workers into new positions enforcing the tougher environmental standards - Big 3, I'm talking to you regarding the CAFE standards). Gore wants you to take the problem seriously, and a few solutions roll with the credits, but the overall solution doesn't really lie with you and me - it's up to the United States government, regardless of who is in power, to start cleaning up the mess. Unfortunately, it's politically expedient to look at the short term answer. Gore doesn't call out the offenders with the vitriol they actually earn.
And you and I shouldn't feel powerless either. Every little bit helps - it has to. Covering our eyes to the problem isn't going to make it go away, and our efforts might be able to encourage bigger effort. Gore does touch on that, probably because after a while this video starts to feel a little hopeless.
On a lighter note, in the Extras, Gore updates the data he presented in the slide show. It's then I notice that he's starting to really sport a combover - nowhere near Carl Levin status, for example, but watch the slicked-back hair action. I think someone should admit he's lost some hair and move on. Can hair gel deplete the environment?
Animal Trauma: A cartoon polar bear and a cartoon frog are placed in jeopardy. In the extras, there is a still shot of a horse crossing sands that used to be a lake. I dare you not to start singing "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name."
Overall: If this doesn't persuade you that we're in a world of hurt, nothing will. I give it four roses out of five.
In the interest of full disclosure, I have been known to hug trees in my day. (It's an odd but vaguely stirring feeling, embracing something so old and so still but unquestionably alive. I recommend you try it at least once. But I digress.) So I was already open to the messages former Vice President Al Gore was going to share with us and his studio audience. Still, even I wasn't prepared for the depths he plumbs in an hour and a half.
Gore's schtick is still political but he's thorough in his persuasion. He takes complex environmental theories and data, and explains them through the use of bar graphs, charts, pictures and short videos so that even the densest viewer can follow just how bad it would be if, say, Greenland just melted away. And he does it all with the assurance and persuasiveness of a man used to being in front of an audience. He doesn't use straight scare tactics; he approaches the material carefully and with a genuine understanding and care. Here's a guy who knows his stuff, and he knows how to make sure you get it too. If you don't catch yourself sucking in a deep breath at least once during this movie, you're not paying attention.
The focus is almost strictly on global warming, and what that means for you and me. It's an abstract concept, one that most of us think of only when the mercury tops 100 on a sweaty July day. But the problem is, Gore says, it's bigger than that. We're rushing wholesale into a time when our air might not be breathable, when our oceans could rise 20 feet and flood significant parts of Florida, New York and California, when our inland lakes and seas are drying up to become red deserts. This is happening world-wide, but Gore does point out the US is the worst offender. He takes a few shots at the Bush administration (you can't mention the Kyoto Treaty without doing so) but he doesn't lay it all at Dubya's feet. And he shows how the effect doesn't hit just the States but the rest of the world too. How days are getting hotter. How the ice is breaking up at the poles. How fresh water resources are being depleted. (And what he doesn't say, but I picked up from my own research is, when that happens, guess what? The world will come to Michigan to draw water from the Great Lakes. So this has a bigger implication for the Wolverine state.)
This movie can also be titled "The Resurrection of Al Gore." The slideshow is broken up into personal segments highlighting the Man Who Would Be President, presumably to distract the viewer from the 'This is a slide show!' realization. Gore is unquestionably the star, and at times it feels like environmentalism, his raison d'etre, takes a back seat to 'look at what you COULD have had in the White House.'
That's one of the movie's drawbacks. The other is the fact that there are few solutions presented. From my study it's clear to me that the problems we face can't be solved by individual change alone, although individual change certainly puts a dent in the problem. But we can't do it while companies belch carbon monoxide and other pollutants from their smokestacks tons at a time, earning tax breaks and little environmental oversight. Corporations and governments need to change their policies instead of shouting 'but that will cost jobs!' whenever someone proposes tougher environmental standards (instead, say, of finding ways to move some of those workers into new positions enforcing the tougher environmental standards - Big 3, I'm talking to you regarding the CAFE standards). Gore wants you to take the problem seriously, and a few solutions roll with the credits, but the overall solution doesn't really lie with you and me - it's up to the United States government, regardless of who is in power, to start cleaning up the mess. Unfortunately, it's politically expedient to look at the short term answer. Gore doesn't call out the offenders with the vitriol they actually earn.
And you and I shouldn't feel powerless either. Every little bit helps - it has to. Covering our eyes to the problem isn't going to make it go away, and our efforts might be able to encourage bigger effort. Gore does touch on that, probably because after a while this video starts to feel a little hopeless.
On a lighter note, in the Extras, Gore updates the data he presented in the slide show. It's then I notice that he's starting to really sport a combover - nowhere near Carl Levin status, for example, but watch the slicked-back hair action. I think someone should admit he's lost some hair and move on. Can hair gel deplete the environment?
Animal Trauma: A cartoon polar bear and a cartoon frog are placed in jeopardy. In the extras, there is a still shot of a horse crossing sands that used to be a lake. I dare you not to start singing "I've been through the desert on a horse with no name."
Overall: If this doesn't persuade you that we're in a world of hurt, nothing will. I give it four roses out of five.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Movie Review - Phantom of the Opera
Before I get to my movie review, I want to say I just realized I have to moderate the comments, so that's why your comments didn't get posted until today. Some change I must have selected without knowing it, I guess. Sorry!
And on to the movie review...
I got HBO free for a few months when I signed up to Comcast and so I have been taping several movies and am now just getting around to watching them. Phantom of the Opera is one of those films.
Most of you already know the story of the Phantom of the Opera. Orphaned chorus girl Christine Daae has been taking voice lessons from an anonymous benefactor she calls the Angel of Music. When theatrical diva Carlotta won't go on during a performance of 'Hannibal', Christine gets her chance and becomes a sensation. While on stage, her old friend Raoul sees her and the two fall in love, angering the Phantom, who has been Christine's anonymous teacher. And struggle ensues.
The movie stays fairly close to the theatrical performance. Andrew Lloyd Webber worked with Joel Schumacher on the screenplay and added a few bits here and there, based on the original novel, so there's more backstory than you'll see on the stage. I found some of that a little distracting, as I did the black and white flashbacks; I much prefer to get lost in the colorized moment.
Speaking of the auction, I was thrilled to see the movie keeps my favorite moment, when the auctioneer selling an old chandelier says he'd like "a little illumination. Gentlemen?" And as they whip the covering off the chandelier, it bursts into colorful life to the strains of the organ overture. That's one of those moments I can be watching the movie, the stage play or just listening to the CD and the hair on my arms stands up. That's when I knew this movie wouldn't deviate from the successful stage performance, and that's to the film's benefit. Why mess with a worldwide success?
Emmy Rossum plays Christine and to say she has a voice is an understatement of the highest degree. I found myself wondering why we hadn't seen her in more films since this one, then wondered if she was doing stage work. She should be. She filmed this role at 16 and she sounds amazing - she carries the highs and the lows of Christine's singing with little effort. Plus she's gorgeous, so you can understand why men are fighting over her. I'll admit I was a bit surprised that we get a shot or two of her thigh high stockings - especially once I realized how young she was. This is a sexier Phantom.
Patrick Wilson plays Raoul, and he too has a lovely voice, if you can look past the nancy-boy haircut. (He looks more manly when his hair is pulled back, which is only done once.) He is a stage veteran and it shows vocally, so his duets with Christine will remind you of being in the theater. This is a bit of a 'white hat' role - he's asked to play the Prince Charming, oh-so-good. He has a title, he dances eloquently, he rides horses bareback to rescue the damsel in distress. I hear the swooning now.
Of course he has to do this to fight his rival for Christine's affections, a 'black hat' who is not quite a villain, a sexy, open-neck-shirt-wearing Phantom who gropes Christine while singing to her (I hear more swooning). Gerard Butler plays the Phantom with a stronger dose of testosterone than I'd seen on stage, and it would be effective - if his voice could play along. He doesn't have the requisite vibratto to keep up with Emmy Rossum, and when the two sing together, he's aiming for force, while she's aiming for range, and that's distracting. His is a rock band voice, which I understand from reading IMDB was what Webber wanted, but it doesn't fit.
In fact, that was my big complaint with the movie. Some of the voices are exquisite. Some are merely in tune (Ciarin Hinds is another example of a voice that wouldn't work on Broadway). Some casting changes would have evened out the vocals and focused attention where it should be - songs that stick in your mind, gorgeous sets, strong acting.
Even if you don't recognize a lot of the faces in this film, you should recognize Minnie Driver, having a riotously good time as the diva Carlotta. She does not do her own singing, but it looks like she's having so much fun that you can imagine her breaking into snorts of laughter the minute the director yells 'cut'. She's supposed to be over the top, and she does it with panache. Why she doesn't get good comedies is a mystery. Also, Miranda Richardson plays Madame Giry, and the movie actually fleshes out her role, which cleared up a few things I had missed from the stage performance.
One other note that occurred to me while watching this movie, and I hope you won't see this as a spoiler if you don't know the story. Christine's father told her about the Angel of Music before he died - so at first she thinks the Phantom is her father's ghost. Yet there are a few scenes where she's clearly hot under the collar for the Phantom. Does this strike you as a bit creepy? Me too.
Animal Trauma: None, although you'll find yourself feeling sorry for Carlotta's lapdog and the on-stage sheep. The movie also restores a few horses apparently found in the original text that aren't utilized on stage.
Overall: Exquisite sets, attractive leads, a great story and songs, and a few mediocre voices. I give this film three roses out of five.
And on to the movie review...
I got HBO free for a few months when I signed up to Comcast and so I have been taping several movies and am now just getting around to watching them. Phantom of the Opera is one of those films.
Most of you already know the story of the Phantom of the Opera. Orphaned chorus girl Christine Daae has been taking voice lessons from an anonymous benefactor she calls the Angel of Music. When theatrical diva Carlotta won't go on during a performance of 'Hannibal', Christine gets her chance and becomes a sensation. While on stage, her old friend Raoul sees her and the two fall in love, angering the Phantom, who has been Christine's anonymous teacher. And struggle ensues.
The movie stays fairly close to the theatrical performance. Andrew Lloyd Webber worked with Joel Schumacher on the screenplay and added a few bits here and there, based on the original novel, so there's more backstory than you'll see on the stage. I found some of that a little distracting, as I did the black and white flashbacks; I much prefer to get lost in the colorized moment.
Speaking of the auction, I was thrilled to see the movie keeps my favorite moment, when the auctioneer selling an old chandelier says he'd like "a little illumination. Gentlemen?" And as they whip the covering off the chandelier, it bursts into colorful life to the strains of the organ overture. That's one of those moments I can be watching the movie, the stage play or just listening to the CD and the hair on my arms stands up. That's when I knew this movie wouldn't deviate from the successful stage performance, and that's to the film's benefit. Why mess with a worldwide success?
Emmy Rossum plays Christine and to say she has a voice is an understatement of the highest degree. I found myself wondering why we hadn't seen her in more films since this one, then wondered if she was doing stage work. She should be. She filmed this role at 16 and she sounds amazing - she carries the highs and the lows of Christine's singing with little effort. Plus she's gorgeous, so you can understand why men are fighting over her. I'll admit I was a bit surprised that we get a shot or two of her thigh high stockings - especially once I realized how young she was. This is a sexier Phantom.
Patrick Wilson plays Raoul, and he too has a lovely voice, if you can look past the nancy-boy haircut. (He looks more manly when his hair is pulled back, which is only done once.) He is a stage veteran and it shows vocally, so his duets with Christine will remind you of being in the theater. This is a bit of a 'white hat' role - he's asked to play the Prince Charming, oh-so-good. He has a title, he dances eloquently, he rides horses bareback to rescue the damsel in distress. I hear the swooning now.
Of course he has to do this to fight his rival for Christine's affections, a 'black hat' who is not quite a villain, a sexy, open-neck-shirt-wearing Phantom who gropes Christine while singing to her (I hear more swooning). Gerard Butler plays the Phantom with a stronger dose of testosterone than I'd seen on stage, and it would be effective - if his voice could play along. He doesn't have the requisite vibratto to keep up with Emmy Rossum, and when the two sing together, he's aiming for force, while she's aiming for range, and that's distracting. His is a rock band voice, which I understand from reading IMDB was what Webber wanted, but it doesn't fit.
In fact, that was my big complaint with the movie. Some of the voices are exquisite. Some are merely in tune (Ciarin Hinds is another example of a voice that wouldn't work on Broadway). Some casting changes would have evened out the vocals and focused attention where it should be - songs that stick in your mind, gorgeous sets, strong acting.
Even if you don't recognize a lot of the faces in this film, you should recognize Minnie Driver, having a riotously good time as the diva Carlotta. She does not do her own singing, but it looks like she's having so much fun that you can imagine her breaking into snorts of laughter the minute the director yells 'cut'. She's supposed to be over the top, and she does it with panache. Why she doesn't get good comedies is a mystery. Also, Miranda Richardson plays Madame Giry, and the movie actually fleshes out her role, which cleared up a few things I had missed from the stage performance.
One other note that occurred to me while watching this movie, and I hope you won't see this as a spoiler if you don't know the story. Christine's father told her about the Angel of Music before he died - so at first she thinks the Phantom is her father's ghost. Yet there are a few scenes where she's clearly hot under the collar for the Phantom. Does this strike you as a bit creepy? Me too.
Animal Trauma: None, although you'll find yourself feeling sorry for Carlotta's lapdog and the on-stage sheep. The movie also restores a few horses apparently found in the original text that aren't utilized on stage.
Overall: Exquisite sets, attractive leads, a great story and songs, and a few mediocre voices. I give this film three roses out of five.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Everybody Else Made An End of the Year List...
2006 can take a flying leap out of here.
It was, in a lot of ways, a fully rotten year. So, 2006, don't let the proverbial door hit you in your proverbial ass.
My Pop Culture (and Other Stuff) List of the Year
Best Movie I Saw in 2006
You know, that was tough because I figured out I saw five whole movies in the theater and saw one new release on video. Guess it wasn't a movie year. So I'd have to say Casino Royale, partly because of that kickin chase scene in the beginning (the guy who played the bomber is AMAZING) and because Daniel Craig can look alternately creepily unattractive and full-on sexy. Not too often you run across a guy like that.
Best Book I Read in 2006
This one's a no-brainer. Dick Francis put out Under Orders, and since it brings back Sid Halley, my all-time favorite hero, this tops the list. And Sid ends up happy. I think we can end his saga right there, satisfactorily.
Best New Author I Picked Up in 2006
My family convinced me to read Janet Evanovich, and I've been laughing ever since. Pick up her number series (Stephanie Plum) and answer for me the question: Morelli or Ranger????
Biggest Hassle of 2006
Moving. I hate moving. I only like unpacking when it means decorating. Now I'm at that boring part where I have to figure out what ELSE to get rid of. The guest bedroom still looks like I just hauled all the boxes in. Ugh.
Least Missed Person in 2006
Stephen C Trivers. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Babies of 2006
This is a good one! Rachael and Vivian, welcome!!
What I want for 2007:
On TV
- I want Veronica Mars to get a man worthy of her wit - Logan is one trauma away from a full-on meltdown and Piz is a marshmallow - soft and gooey. And more Wallace. I miss the way he works with Veronica, and the fact that they are such good friends with no hint of a dating relationship, which is realistic.
- I want Lost to get back to the good stuff, including the old Losties like Hurley and Locke, two of my faves. And don't just get rid of Ben yet - he's so creepy I enjoy watching him even while I cringe. And show me more about the hatches and that guy with the eyepatch! Intrigue me! Make me think! Shock me!!
- I want more Rush on Supernatural. And more of that sexy car. And more naughty lines out of Dean's mouth. For my next Hot Man Movie Moment night.
- I want CSI Miami to stop David Caruso's acting tics RIGHT NOW. They used to be endearing. Now they're annoying.
- I want Bones to give Cam something to do so bloggers stop bashing her (I have too much time on my hands). And I want more of Angela's off-the-cuff comments and Hodgins' conspiracy theories. And more of Booth's socks.
- I want more humor on Studio 60. More Aaron Sorkin make-you-think humor. More coconuts through tables. More witty/snide lines from Jordan McDeere. More so-fast-you-have-to-rewind-it dialogue. More references to Brighton!
- I want more stuff to blow up on Mythbusters and more of Adam's maniacal laughter. And anything that will make Jamie giggle (like Mentos and Diet Coke).
- I want Ghost Hunters to find something downright creepy, like the Civil War soldier or the lighthouse ghost. Anything that makes my hair stand on end.
- I want really good shows for people like DB Sweeney, Bradley Cooper (Alias), Mark Valley (Boston Legal is SO not the way to go), and of course Nick Lea - if only I could see it in the States. In fact, anybody from the X-Files back on my TV screen would be welcome.
After I leave I will think of twelve women who I would also like to see get good shows. Give me time. I'll come up with them.
- Ooh, here's one, Aisha Tyler. LOVE HER. Why can she not find a really good show to make use of her wit? She's freakin' hilarious.
- And what about Amber Benson, who was Tara on Buffy? She had a guest spot on Supernatural but that's all I've seen of her.
- Ooh, and Eliza Dushku, who was all sass as Faith. Miss her in that role.
In the Movies
- I want the next Harry Potter to be amazing. Phoenix is a difficult book. I want the movie to really delve into the changes in Harry's life. (Never read it? Call me, I'll loan you Book One.)
- I want the next Pirates of the Caribbean to be a little tighter than the previous one and feature a lot less juvenile behavior. (And more of that lady witch doctor, eh? She was good.)
- I want something at the theater that moves me the way the Lord of the Rings movies did - a fully-realized world that draws you in so completely you feel like someone squeezed the breath out of your chest when its over. Then you find yourself counting the days until it comes out on DVD so you can watch it all over again.
In Books
- I want another Dick Francis novel. If he wants to write it, that is. He's more than earned his retirement, but while he was gone I missed him.
- I want to be blown away by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but not in a bad way. I want a happy ending for our boy hero, and his friends - and don't kill off any Weasleys! I love that family. And I want to know that JK Rowling will someday revisit this world she's created, because I will be depressed when I finish Book Seven. That's how good she is. Really, people, she's amazing. I want to create like that.
In Sports
- I want a healthy happy retirement for Barbaro. And I want his story and his treatment to save the lives of other racehorses who might otherwise have been euthanized.
- I want a nice quiet retirement for Perfect Drift where he lives out the rest of his days in comfort - preferably somewhere I can go to give him a peppermint.
- I want another racing hero the fans can get behind, like Smarty Jones or my boy Afleet Alex.
- I want another great Tigers season! (Without the ego problems that smacked the Pistons.)
- I want the Lions to finally realize what a colossal mess they're in. Fire Millen. The league should also snap its fingers in William Clay Ford's face and say "Are you awake? Do you care?" If he paid more attention to the team, he could help the state's struggling economy by boosting Detroit economically. But I honestly think someone should put a mirror under his nose just to be sure he's even breathing.
Just Disappear Already
Brangelina, TomKat, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan - PLEASE!! Go somewhere FAR FAR AWAY! And take your lack of underwear/class/brains with you.
Britney amazes me in all the wrong ways. For someone as cute as she can be (and she really can be cute), she usually looks like a tart or trash, and acts like it too. I'm done giving her the benefit of the doubt. And Paris Hilton has three brain cells and they're all focused on making sure she stands in the exact same off-kilter pose in every picture.
Oh, and when you leave, take Mel Gibson with you. I'm SO OVER that guy.
She's Right, You Know
Just to put my two cents in, Rosie O'Donnell was right when she said Donald Trump is a snake-oil salesman. He gives me the creeps. Not that he's not smart, mind you, but come on, you can't tell me he honestly doesn't make you squirm. Maybe it's the hair.
Not that Rosie is always the model of appropriate attitude.
Best Modeling Development of the Year
Fashion houses are now restricting super skinny models on the runway. Hear, hear!!! It's one thing if it's natural, but it's another when it's not, and we can all tell. HIPS. Women have HIPS, people.
That'll do for now. I'll come up with a few more I'm sure. In the meantime, Happy New Year!!!
It was, in a lot of ways, a fully rotten year. So, 2006, don't let the proverbial door hit you in your proverbial ass.
My Pop Culture (and Other Stuff) List of the Year
Best Movie I Saw in 2006
You know, that was tough because I figured out I saw five whole movies in the theater and saw one new release on video. Guess it wasn't a movie year. So I'd have to say Casino Royale, partly because of that kickin chase scene in the beginning (the guy who played the bomber is AMAZING) and because Daniel Craig can look alternately creepily unattractive and full-on sexy. Not too often you run across a guy like that.
Best Book I Read in 2006
This one's a no-brainer. Dick Francis put out Under Orders, and since it brings back Sid Halley, my all-time favorite hero, this tops the list. And Sid ends up happy. I think we can end his saga right there, satisfactorily.
Best New Author I Picked Up in 2006
My family convinced me to read Janet Evanovich, and I've been laughing ever since. Pick up her number series (Stephanie Plum) and answer for me the question: Morelli or Ranger????
Biggest Hassle of 2006
Moving. I hate moving. I only like unpacking when it means decorating. Now I'm at that boring part where I have to figure out what ELSE to get rid of. The guest bedroom still looks like I just hauled all the boxes in. Ugh.
Least Missed Person in 2006
Stephen C Trivers. Yeah, you know what I mean.
Babies of 2006
This is a good one! Rachael and Vivian, welcome!!
What I want for 2007:
On TV
- I want Veronica Mars to get a man worthy of her wit - Logan is one trauma away from a full-on meltdown and Piz is a marshmallow - soft and gooey. And more Wallace. I miss the way he works with Veronica, and the fact that they are such good friends with no hint of a dating relationship, which is realistic.
- I want Lost to get back to the good stuff, including the old Losties like Hurley and Locke, two of my faves. And don't just get rid of Ben yet - he's so creepy I enjoy watching him even while I cringe. And show me more about the hatches and that guy with the eyepatch! Intrigue me! Make me think! Shock me!!
- I want more Rush on Supernatural. And more of that sexy car. And more naughty lines out of Dean's mouth. For my next Hot Man Movie Moment night.
- I want CSI Miami to stop David Caruso's acting tics RIGHT NOW. They used to be endearing. Now they're annoying.
- I want Bones to give Cam something to do so bloggers stop bashing her (I have too much time on my hands). And I want more of Angela's off-the-cuff comments and Hodgins' conspiracy theories. And more of Booth's socks.
- I want more humor on Studio 60. More Aaron Sorkin make-you-think humor. More coconuts through tables. More witty/snide lines from Jordan McDeere. More so-fast-you-have-to-rewind-it dialogue. More references to Brighton!
- I want more stuff to blow up on Mythbusters and more of Adam's maniacal laughter. And anything that will make Jamie giggle (like Mentos and Diet Coke).
- I want Ghost Hunters to find something downright creepy, like the Civil War soldier or the lighthouse ghost. Anything that makes my hair stand on end.
- I want really good shows for people like DB Sweeney, Bradley Cooper (Alias), Mark Valley (Boston Legal is SO not the way to go), and of course Nick Lea - if only I could see it in the States. In fact, anybody from the X-Files back on my TV screen would be welcome.
After I leave I will think of twelve women who I would also like to see get good shows. Give me time. I'll come up with them.
- Ooh, here's one, Aisha Tyler. LOVE HER. Why can she not find a really good show to make use of her wit? She's freakin' hilarious.
- And what about Amber Benson, who was Tara on Buffy? She had a guest spot on Supernatural but that's all I've seen of her.
- Ooh, and Eliza Dushku, who was all sass as Faith. Miss her in that role.
In the Movies
- I want the next Harry Potter to be amazing. Phoenix is a difficult book. I want the movie to really delve into the changes in Harry's life. (Never read it? Call me, I'll loan you Book One.)
- I want the next Pirates of the Caribbean to be a little tighter than the previous one and feature a lot less juvenile behavior. (And more of that lady witch doctor, eh? She was good.)
- I want something at the theater that moves me the way the Lord of the Rings movies did - a fully-realized world that draws you in so completely you feel like someone squeezed the breath out of your chest when its over. Then you find yourself counting the days until it comes out on DVD so you can watch it all over again.
In Books
- I want another Dick Francis novel. If he wants to write it, that is. He's more than earned his retirement, but while he was gone I missed him.
- I want to be blown away by Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, but not in a bad way. I want a happy ending for our boy hero, and his friends - and don't kill off any Weasleys! I love that family. And I want to know that JK Rowling will someday revisit this world she's created, because I will be depressed when I finish Book Seven. That's how good she is. Really, people, she's amazing. I want to create like that.
In Sports
- I want a healthy happy retirement for Barbaro. And I want his story and his treatment to save the lives of other racehorses who might otherwise have been euthanized.
- I want a nice quiet retirement for Perfect Drift where he lives out the rest of his days in comfort - preferably somewhere I can go to give him a peppermint.
- I want another racing hero the fans can get behind, like Smarty Jones or my boy Afleet Alex.
- I want another great Tigers season! (Without the ego problems that smacked the Pistons.)
- I want the Lions to finally realize what a colossal mess they're in. Fire Millen. The league should also snap its fingers in William Clay Ford's face and say "Are you awake? Do you care?" If he paid more attention to the team, he could help the state's struggling economy by boosting Detroit economically. But I honestly think someone should put a mirror under his nose just to be sure he's even breathing.
Just Disappear Already
Brangelina, TomKat, Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsey Lohan - PLEASE!! Go somewhere FAR FAR AWAY! And take your lack of underwear/class/brains with you.
Britney amazes me in all the wrong ways. For someone as cute as she can be (and she really can be cute), she usually looks like a tart or trash, and acts like it too. I'm done giving her the benefit of the doubt. And Paris Hilton has three brain cells and they're all focused on making sure she stands in the exact same off-kilter pose in every picture.
Oh, and when you leave, take Mel Gibson with you. I'm SO OVER that guy.
She's Right, You Know
Just to put my two cents in, Rosie O'Donnell was right when she said Donald Trump is a snake-oil salesman. He gives me the creeps. Not that he's not smart, mind you, but come on, you can't tell me he honestly doesn't make you squirm. Maybe it's the hair.
Not that Rosie is always the model of appropriate attitude.
Best Modeling Development of the Year
Fashion houses are now restricting super skinny models on the runway. Hear, hear!!! It's one thing if it's natural, but it's another when it's not, and we can all tell. HIPS. Women have HIPS, people.
That'll do for now. I'll come up with a few more I'm sure. In the meantime, Happy New Year!!!
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Why do I love my family?
I love my family for a lot of little things.
I love that we make each other laugh so hard, we cry, or at least give ourselves sore stomachs. It's the worst when my brother and my cousins and I get together, because inevitably someone says something so wrong, it's utterly hilarious. Like when my crazy great-aunt gave my dad and my cousin-in-law black gloves for Christmas, my brother quipped, "I think OJ has a pair just like it."
I love (and occasionally do not love) when old incidents come back to haunt. "Have you shut your ear in a car door lately?" might get the response, "Did you hit yourself in the face with a boot this week?" (Yes, the former happened to me. I was present for the latter but not responsible.)
I love watching the family deal with said great-aunt when she's refusing to leave a tip at a restaurant because she doesn't think she has to, or when she's telling the gas explosion story for the 80th time, or when she straps on the fanny pack to go to Christmas Eve service but won't put in her hearing aid. If ever there is a family bonding moment, it is usually over the requisite black sheep and the fact that social mores and expectations have COMPLETELY passed her by, quite with her assistance.
I love sitting at the kids' table, even though I'm almost 34, listening to the guys dissect the stuffing. (I love that my cousin-in-law has started to really show his 'silly side' now that he knows us better, because he's hilarious.)
I love being at the age where somebody will slip a little bottle of Absolut Rasberri in my stocking.
I love sitting around the table playing Apples to Apples with every generation, although the baby (at age 2) has no idea what's going on, but when you ask her who's cute, she points to herself - and her sassy new pink cowboy boots.
I love how the baby turns my uncle into a big teddy bear. I love being Aunt LaLa, even if I don't always know what to say to her.
I love that nobody pressures me to get married or have kids, although my grandmother once wondered what I would offer a nice young man when I got married, if I couldn't cook.
I love playing games. We love board games and card games and Numerica (a number order game, at which I suck mightily, but I more than make up for that at Buzz Word). The day after Christmas is almost exclusively reserved for board games and snacks like puppy chow and caramel corn and cookies.
I love how we buy Christmas gifts for each other's pets.
I love how we take zillions of pictures and then mail them to each other throughout January. Actually, we do this all year long. If there's a family event, expect a camera. There is no 'shy' with the family.
I love how we welcome new people in with open arms, including significant others. We have been known to overwhelm new family members, especially at Christmas, with our all-day present opening tradition. More than once I've heard a departing spouse or fiance(e) say as they leave for their parents' house, "I want to stay here, you guys are so much fun!"
Well, yes, yes we are. Black sheep included.
I love that we make each other laugh so hard, we cry, or at least give ourselves sore stomachs. It's the worst when my brother and my cousins and I get together, because inevitably someone says something so wrong, it's utterly hilarious. Like when my crazy great-aunt gave my dad and my cousin-in-law black gloves for Christmas, my brother quipped, "I think OJ has a pair just like it."
I love (and occasionally do not love) when old incidents come back to haunt. "Have you shut your ear in a car door lately?" might get the response, "Did you hit yourself in the face with a boot this week?" (Yes, the former happened to me. I was present for the latter but not responsible.)
I love watching the family deal with said great-aunt when she's refusing to leave a tip at a restaurant because she doesn't think she has to, or when she's telling the gas explosion story for the 80th time, or when she straps on the fanny pack to go to Christmas Eve service but won't put in her hearing aid. If ever there is a family bonding moment, it is usually over the requisite black sheep and the fact that social mores and expectations have COMPLETELY passed her by, quite with her assistance.
I love sitting at the kids' table, even though I'm almost 34, listening to the guys dissect the stuffing. (I love that my cousin-in-law has started to really show his 'silly side' now that he knows us better, because he's hilarious.)
I love being at the age where somebody will slip a little bottle of Absolut Rasberri in my stocking.
I love sitting around the table playing Apples to Apples with every generation, although the baby (at age 2) has no idea what's going on, but when you ask her who's cute, she points to herself - and her sassy new pink cowboy boots.
I love how the baby turns my uncle into a big teddy bear. I love being Aunt LaLa, even if I don't always know what to say to her.
I love that nobody pressures me to get married or have kids, although my grandmother once wondered what I would offer a nice young man when I got married, if I couldn't cook.
I love playing games. We love board games and card games and Numerica (a number order game, at which I suck mightily, but I more than make up for that at Buzz Word). The day after Christmas is almost exclusively reserved for board games and snacks like puppy chow and caramel corn and cookies.
I love how we buy Christmas gifts for each other's pets.
I love how we take zillions of pictures and then mail them to each other throughout January. Actually, we do this all year long. If there's a family event, expect a camera. There is no 'shy' with the family.
I love how we welcome new people in with open arms, including significant others. We have been known to overwhelm new family members, especially at Christmas, with our all-day present opening tradition. More than once I've heard a departing spouse or fiance(e) say as they leave for their parents' house, "I want to stay here, you guys are so much fun!"
Well, yes, yes we are. Black sheep included.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Nerves Nerves Nerves
Ah, let me count the way the stress is pounding me.
First of all, it's the holidays. And that means trying to get all the Christmas cards written and mailed (after, of course, the Christmas letter gets written and printed); buying all the appropriate gifts for almost 20 people - friends and family - and wrapping them; negotiating stores, parking lots, roads and everything else that's insane; going to parties; making food; and protecting everything I already bought from theft.
Second of all, it's also winter. Not that we've had much to complain about so far, but whenever there's bad weather, my blood pressure goes through the roof. I slid down the icy stairs outside the office a few weeks ago - I wasn't hurt, just sore afterward, but that was upsetting and whenever the weather is bad, I'm on edge.
Third of all, in case you didn't hear about my little incident the other week, a thug stole my bag in my apartment complex parking lot. So now I'm stressed out whenever I go to and from my car, in a relatively safe neighborhood. And I'm stressed going to and from my car at work, which is a several-minute walk. And all this takes place in the dark. And whenever I go to a store, I find myself clutching my purse just that much tighter whenever a young man comes near me, regardless of color or age or clothing type. I leave the store with adrenaline rushing through me, sometimes with a headache from clenching my teeth. I suspect every young man I see, just about anywhere. (Sorry guys, but there it is.)
Fourth of all, it's the sickness season. I am getting over a rotten cold, and I just found out that a large chunk of my family is recovering from what appears to be a norovirus. Yes, those nasty stomach flu bugs you hear about on cruise ships (sometimes mistaken for food poisoning). Our local Applebee's closed down a few weeks ago - TWICE - because of the bug. The last time I had it I was sick as a dog for about 24 hours. (I loathe throwing up. I dread it. I do anything I can to avoid it.) They say you're only ill for 24-48 hours but I can tell you that's the longest day of your life. This is coming from someone with terrible acid reflux, so I feel rotten a lot. I really don't think in the grand scheme of things I should have to suffer stomach flu on top of it, all things considered.
The experts say you should avoid preparing food for three days after you feel better. Um, guess who will be making food to bring to our family Christmas in a WEEK??? I'm trying to figure out how to ask nicely that they wait to make something. I'm TERRIFIED of getting sick after Christmas, like I did a few years ago. Well, I'm terrified of getting that kind of sickness - I'll take almost anything else over stomach flu - and I'm about to pull a Michael Jackson and buy a breathing mask for the Christmas festivities. My mom already had a bout of influenza, and she's hosting. Oh boy, I am going to cart around an antimicrobial hand solution. Something that kills viruses and bacteria. And I'm going to wash my hands even more than I do now. ANYTHING to avoid getting sick.
I'm trying to get plenty of sleep, eat well, and like I said, wash my hands. I'm afraid my nerves will make me more vulnerable to a bug, but I don't know how to settle them. I'm thinking I'll probably take New Year's Day or the day after and just SIT. On my butt. In front of the TV.
If I'm well.
First of all, it's the holidays. And that means trying to get all the Christmas cards written and mailed (after, of course, the Christmas letter gets written and printed); buying all the appropriate gifts for almost 20 people - friends and family - and wrapping them; negotiating stores, parking lots, roads and everything else that's insane; going to parties; making food; and protecting everything I already bought from theft.
Second of all, it's also winter. Not that we've had much to complain about so far, but whenever there's bad weather, my blood pressure goes through the roof. I slid down the icy stairs outside the office a few weeks ago - I wasn't hurt, just sore afterward, but that was upsetting and whenever the weather is bad, I'm on edge.
Third of all, in case you didn't hear about my little incident the other week, a thug stole my bag in my apartment complex parking lot. So now I'm stressed out whenever I go to and from my car, in a relatively safe neighborhood. And I'm stressed going to and from my car at work, which is a several-minute walk. And all this takes place in the dark. And whenever I go to a store, I find myself clutching my purse just that much tighter whenever a young man comes near me, regardless of color or age or clothing type. I leave the store with adrenaline rushing through me, sometimes with a headache from clenching my teeth. I suspect every young man I see, just about anywhere. (Sorry guys, but there it is.)
Fourth of all, it's the sickness season. I am getting over a rotten cold, and I just found out that a large chunk of my family is recovering from what appears to be a norovirus. Yes, those nasty stomach flu bugs you hear about on cruise ships (sometimes mistaken for food poisoning). Our local Applebee's closed down a few weeks ago - TWICE - because of the bug. The last time I had it I was sick as a dog for about 24 hours. (I loathe throwing up. I dread it. I do anything I can to avoid it.) They say you're only ill for 24-48 hours but I can tell you that's the longest day of your life. This is coming from someone with terrible acid reflux, so I feel rotten a lot. I really don't think in the grand scheme of things I should have to suffer stomach flu on top of it, all things considered.
The experts say you should avoid preparing food for three days after you feel better. Um, guess who will be making food to bring to our family Christmas in a WEEK??? I'm trying to figure out how to ask nicely that they wait to make something. I'm TERRIFIED of getting sick after Christmas, like I did a few years ago. Well, I'm terrified of getting that kind of sickness - I'll take almost anything else over stomach flu - and I'm about to pull a Michael Jackson and buy a breathing mask for the Christmas festivities. My mom already had a bout of influenza, and she's hosting. Oh boy, I am going to cart around an antimicrobial hand solution. Something that kills viruses and bacteria. And I'm going to wash my hands even more than I do now. ANYTHING to avoid getting sick.
I'm trying to get plenty of sleep, eat well, and like I said, wash my hands. I'm afraid my nerves will make me more vulnerable to a bug, but I don't know how to settle them. I'm thinking I'll probably take New Year's Day or the day after and just SIT. On my butt. In front of the TV.
If I'm well.
Friday, December 01, 2006
Today I learned that Kalamazoo has one thing Lansing doesn't.
Salt.
I took a fine header (or would that be 'butter') down some steps outside the office today, because apparently either the city of Lansing or the state of Michigan doesn't think it's a good idea to salt the walks AFTER THERE'S BEEN AN ICE STORM.
I didn't see a damn grain anywhere. And I wasn't skipping merrily down the walk. I was watching every step very very carefully. In fact, I nearly slipped going to and from work several more times today. (And the worst part is it was one of those days where I kept getting everything wrong. This was the icing on the proverbial cake.)
I'm fine, sore but otherwise fine. A nice man stopped to see if I was okay and helped me down the rest of the stairs. Oddly enough, what always happens to me after I've nearly been hurt and someone is nice to me is I want to burst into tears, even though there was nothing wrong with me (which I learned after a brief inventory - it's hard to tell if you're hurt immediately sometimes). Dunno why that is.
But anyway. By the time I got home it was too late to call and yell at anybody because it was after business hours on a Friday. And I should have called my office mates to warn them, but by that time they had already gone home. So come Monday I'm going to have to find out what the hell they were thinking. Or revel in somebody's lawsuit. Because somebody's gettin' an earful.
Salt.
I took a fine header (or would that be 'butter') down some steps outside the office today, because apparently either the city of Lansing or the state of Michigan doesn't think it's a good idea to salt the walks AFTER THERE'S BEEN AN ICE STORM.
I didn't see a damn grain anywhere. And I wasn't skipping merrily down the walk. I was watching every step very very carefully. In fact, I nearly slipped going to and from work several more times today. (And the worst part is it was one of those days where I kept getting everything wrong. This was the icing on the proverbial cake.)
I'm fine, sore but otherwise fine. A nice man stopped to see if I was okay and helped me down the rest of the stairs. Oddly enough, what always happens to me after I've nearly been hurt and someone is nice to me is I want to burst into tears, even though there was nothing wrong with me (which I learned after a brief inventory - it's hard to tell if you're hurt immediately sometimes). Dunno why that is.
But anyway. By the time I got home it was too late to call and yell at anybody because it was after business hours on a Friday. And I should have called my office mates to warn them, but by that time they had already gone home. So come Monday I'm going to have to find out what the hell they were thinking. Or revel in somebody's lawsuit. Because somebody's gettin' an earful.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Hovering
I've been reading a lot lately about the 'helicopter parents' syndrome. That's where parents become so overly involved in their children's lives, they won't let them have any unstructured play time. They freak out if their boys make weapon toys out of sticks (which, I'm told, boys do pretty much on their own) or run through the neighborhood. They not only help kids with their homework, they do it for them, and if Johnny doesn't get an A, they call the teacher to demand it.
When the kids get older, these parents talk to their child daily from college, read their papers and correct them, calling the professors if the child doesn't get good grades. After that, they actually call job recruiters to find out why their child wasn't hired. In fact, they probably wrote the resume and the cover letter and scheduled the interview as well.
WTF????? When did we get to the place where we couldn't just let kids be kids and make their own mistakes? Granted, I don't have any of my own (kids, not mistakes, I have a lot of mistakes), so I'm speaking from an observer's platform only (and as a former kid). Can't we fence in our back yards to prevent kids from abduction and then let them run around and get messy instead of worrying about clean clothes and PC play? To paraphrase my cousin's grandmother, it was a good day when the kids came home dirty.
Can't we let kids make their own mistakes? Didn't do your homework? Take the F. Didn't pay your bills? Pay the penalties and the collection agency. Didn't get up in time for class? Set your alarm next time and explain it to the prof yourself.
One guy on this blog I'm reading says his young daughter found a rusty razor blade on the playground. She told another child to keep an eye on it while she went to get a teacher. When the teacher arrived, the razor blade was apparently thrown out, while the girl was taken to the principal's office, and suspension papers begun because she had 'endangered the other students by pointing out a weapon to them.' The dad called his lawyer.
I'm not sure here who overreacted, but I think it was both of them. The principal for being WAY too anal about the 'rules' and the dad for getting furious immediately. Stupidity has run amok with the fear of litigation, and we've stopped looking at what really happened here. The little girl was smart and safe, and behaved EXACTLY as I'd like my kid to behave. She should have been commended.
I used to get on my mom's case about some similar behavior. I admit it, my parents helicoptered, all with the best intentions (as I'm quite sure all these parents have). We were shy kids and it was hard for us to stand up for ourselves, especially when we were very young. Still, I'm finding there are drawbacks when you get older to letting your parents helicopter you. It's hard for them to LET GO. While I was in college the first few years, my folks came to town and took me grocery shopping (I didn't have a car then). When I got a car and a job, I was able to take care of all of that myself, but they still asked if I needed groceries. That continued after college and almost to this day. "What do you need?" they'll ask, which is very sweet, and I'll either tell them 'nothing' or in the recent instance, I bought shelves for my guest bedroom and needed another set of hands to help me carry them home from Lowe's. Then my brother and my dad installed them while I was hanging up pictures in the other room with my mom's help.
So I guess on the one hand it's nice to have their assistance and their willingness to help when I need it, and we do help each other out often. On the other hand, my mother still wants to know if I've paid my bills, and my dad keeps wanting to offer me money (I had a low paying job for several years). And after a while I get a little testy about it, because as much as they want to help, sometimes it just gets a little smothering. So I'm learning how to handle that - to 'push back' gently, to say "I can buy that myself" and when Dad asks if I can afford it, I just say yes and offer no further explanations. (Okay, I did say "I have a credit card" which didn't help.)
It's odd to have to assert one's independence at this age, but I still do. And my guess is a lot of these kids will eventually find all of this help restricting, and the parents will find Junior living at home at age 30 to be a real pain in the butt.
When the kids get older, these parents talk to their child daily from college, read their papers and correct them, calling the professors if the child doesn't get good grades. After that, they actually call job recruiters to find out why their child wasn't hired. In fact, they probably wrote the resume and the cover letter and scheduled the interview as well.
WTF????? When did we get to the place where we couldn't just let kids be kids and make their own mistakes? Granted, I don't have any of my own (kids, not mistakes, I have a lot of mistakes), so I'm speaking from an observer's platform only (and as a former kid). Can't we fence in our back yards to prevent kids from abduction and then let them run around and get messy instead of worrying about clean clothes and PC play? To paraphrase my cousin's grandmother, it was a good day when the kids came home dirty.
Can't we let kids make their own mistakes? Didn't do your homework? Take the F. Didn't pay your bills? Pay the penalties and the collection agency. Didn't get up in time for class? Set your alarm next time and explain it to the prof yourself.
One guy on this blog I'm reading says his young daughter found a rusty razor blade on the playground. She told another child to keep an eye on it while she went to get a teacher. When the teacher arrived, the razor blade was apparently thrown out, while the girl was taken to the principal's office, and suspension papers begun because she had 'endangered the other students by pointing out a weapon to them.' The dad called his lawyer.
I'm not sure here who overreacted, but I think it was both of them. The principal for being WAY too anal about the 'rules' and the dad for getting furious immediately. Stupidity has run amok with the fear of litigation, and we've stopped looking at what really happened here. The little girl was smart and safe, and behaved EXACTLY as I'd like my kid to behave. She should have been commended.
I used to get on my mom's case about some similar behavior. I admit it, my parents helicoptered, all with the best intentions (as I'm quite sure all these parents have). We were shy kids and it was hard for us to stand up for ourselves, especially when we were very young. Still, I'm finding there are drawbacks when you get older to letting your parents helicopter you. It's hard for them to LET GO. While I was in college the first few years, my folks came to town and took me grocery shopping (I didn't have a car then). When I got a car and a job, I was able to take care of all of that myself, but they still asked if I needed groceries. That continued after college and almost to this day. "What do you need?" they'll ask, which is very sweet, and I'll either tell them 'nothing' or in the recent instance, I bought shelves for my guest bedroom and needed another set of hands to help me carry them home from Lowe's. Then my brother and my dad installed them while I was hanging up pictures in the other room with my mom's help.
So I guess on the one hand it's nice to have their assistance and their willingness to help when I need it, and we do help each other out often. On the other hand, my mother still wants to know if I've paid my bills, and my dad keeps wanting to offer me money (I had a low paying job for several years). And after a while I get a little testy about it, because as much as they want to help, sometimes it just gets a little smothering. So I'm learning how to handle that - to 'push back' gently, to say "I can buy that myself" and when Dad asks if I can afford it, I just say yes and offer no further explanations. (Okay, I did say "I have a credit card" which didn't help.)
It's odd to have to assert one's independence at this age, but I still do. And my guess is a lot of these kids will eventually find all of this help restricting, and the parents will find Junior living at home at age 30 to be a real pain in the butt.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Oh The Random
In the category of 'random thoughts'...
Does anybody else use the word 'flavor' when they really mean 'scent'? Like when referring to candles or lotion? I love it when people correct me, like apparently I'm just three IQ points from algae. Um, I have an English degree. I know what I'm saying. I just do it wrong on purpose.
I cannot summon up even an iota of interest in the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes wedding. It just gives me the wiggins. It's not even the age difference that creeps me out. It's Fan Girl Marries Childhood Lust Object. Ew. When I was little I liked to watch the Mike Douglas Show, but I sure didn't want to marry him. (Good thing, since he's dead.)
Nor do I give two hoots that Paris Hilton and Britney Spears are hanging out together. I'm just surprised it didn't happen sooner. Think Justin Timberlake is counting his lucky stars he got out when he did?
At work I discovered I can walk in the underground parking garage during my lunch hour to get some exercise. Other people walk too, so I'm not alone, but I gotta tell ya, I find myself thinking of every horror movie or creepy TV show where a woman is assaulted in a dark parking structure. That's why I only wear one earbud on my headphones when I'm down there. So far the most dangerous thing I encountered was nearly getting run down by a maniac in a bright yellow Hummer. All you see is grille when that thing's headed toward you.
Got a call the other day from the guy you could probably label my 'high school sweetheart.' He was cleaning out some stuff at home and decided to track me down. Now, I haven't talked to this guy in approximately eight years. Suddenly he's on my phone. Huh. Think it would be weird if I asked him if he had any single male friends?
For somebody who talks so much you think I'd be better about calling people, but I'm really wretched about it. I need to do better!! I'm more consistent with email, really.
Anybody else starting to panic about Christmas cards? It's not even December!!!
I won't even tell you about the panic involved in my credit card bill. Heh.
Does anybody else use the word 'flavor' when they really mean 'scent'? Like when referring to candles or lotion? I love it when people correct me, like apparently I'm just three IQ points from algae. Um, I have an English degree. I know what I'm saying. I just do it wrong on purpose.
I cannot summon up even an iota of interest in the Tom Cruise/Katie Holmes wedding. It just gives me the wiggins. It's not even the age difference that creeps me out. It's Fan Girl Marries Childhood Lust Object. Ew. When I was little I liked to watch the Mike Douglas Show, but I sure didn't want to marry him. (Good thing, since he's dead.)
Nor do I give two hoots that Paris Hilton and Britney Spears are hanging out together. I'm just surprised it didn't happen sooner. Think Justin Timberlake is counting his lucky stars he got out when he did?
At work I discovered I can walk in the underground parking garage during my lunch hour to get some exercise. Other people walk too, so I'm not alone, but I gotta tell ya, I find myself thinking of every horror movie or creepy TV show where a woman is assaulted in a dark parking structure. That's why I only wear one earbud on my headphones when I'm down there. So far the most dangerous thing I encountered was nearly getting run down by a maniac in a bright yellow Hummer. All you see is grille when that thing's headed toward you.
Got a call the other day from the guy you could probably label my 'high school sweetheart.' He was cleaning out some stuff at home and decided to track me down. Now, I haven't talked to this guy in approximately eight years. Suddenly he's on my phone. Huh. Think it would be weird if I asked him if he had any single male friends?
For somebody who talks so much you think I'd be better about calling people, but I'm really wretched about it. I need to do better!! I'm more consistent with email, really.
Anybody else starting to panic about Christmas cards? It's not even December!!!
I won't even tell you about the panic involved in my credit card bill. Heh.
Monday, November 20, 2006
All These Things I Think About
So I like my new hometown so far, and I like my job, even though I'm used to something much more hectic. Still, I like not having a sales manager constantly trying to dictate my news content or a company president breathing down my neck every five minutes. No micromanaging! I don't know what to do! Ha
My old city doesn't seem quite like home anymore, and my new city doesn't quite feel like home, yet, so I feel like I'm kind of caught between two places, but I know that will eventually fade and everything will straighten out. Howell still feels like home to some degree and I haven't lived there in 15 years, so I suppose I'll always feel some sort of kinship to Kzoo.
I admit that I have a bit of a 'habit' when it comes to television (and Chex Mix, but that's neither here nor there). I read the TV Guide online comments and I post from time to time (those of you who know my horse racing fetish will be able to figure out who I am). One of my fave shows is 'Supernatural' - two hot guys, a hot car, ghosts and other beasties, and the occasional Rush tune. What's not to like? But I read the comments posted on the website, and I can't get over the fangirlness! These people are gushing like Jensen and Jared are going to win Oscars some day, and I gotta say, it slays me! Like I roll my eyes when they get all protective and analytical of every tic and twitch and sad face, and it's all I can do not to snort. And then it occurs to me - didn't I do the same damn thing with the X-Files?
Well, sort of. I mean, I overanalyzed that show to the nth degree, and I was a huge fangirl/shipper (and don't EVEN get me started on how hot Krycek is). But when it came to that gun-toting, one-armed bad boy, I wasn't overanalyzing his every eyebrow raise like it was going to win him an Emmy. I was just picturing him ..... um, let's just stop there.
I guess I just have a thing about jumping headlong into any sort of hero worship, any overwhelming trust, any slobbering devotion, all of it. I tend to be skittish about devoting myself wholeheartedly to anything that asks for such complete immersion. (Which is part of the reason why I'm not a regular churchgoer, but that's a discussion for another time. And it's probably a good reason why I'm not married.) I used to do anything I could to keep my friends around (when I was young) and made a total ass of myself, and I've gone the other way in my old age - a little too selfish, in self-preservation. Which doesn't excuse my behavior on occasion, but at least I recognize the fault. So to listen to these people gush wildly about these CW actors, of all people, strikes me as both ludicrous and funny, like they don't have anything else to do but slobber headlong over two twenty-somethings. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the show - it's the high point of my week almost (Veronica Mars is right up there too, what a damn good show!) and yes, the acting is good, and the scripts are fun, but I guess I find the fangirl admiration a bit thick.
Then again, if that's the worst thing that happens to me all week, I'm doing really well. And that's the beauty of having a free country!
I'm glad the elections are over, because the ads were so wretched I don't even know where to begin. One woman was painted by her opponent this way: "She supports gay marriage. And opposes traditional marriage." NOW WAIT A DAMN MINUTE. I think if you polled everyone in this world about their feelings on marriage, you might get 1/2 of 1% who really think marriage as an institution is a crock. But everybody else probably doesn't have anything against it. So supporting gay marriage means you oppose traditional marriage? What the hell is that?? Look, if you're lucky enough to find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, God bless you, and I envy you. The woman didn't win, but it was a close one, and she wasn't even expected to do as well as she did. My guess is people got sick of that crap real fast.
And I 'm glad we defeated the mourning dove ballot. You mean we DON'T have enough to kill in Michigan, we've got to shoot these fat stupid little birds???? (That I happen to like because they're fat and stupid and have that sad little cry?) I'm glad people realized that banning mourning dove hunting wasn't a slam on all of hunting, even though people tried to paint it that way. I personally do not get what is fun about killing things, but whatever. Keep your trophies out of my sight, and we're good.
I didn't quite mean to get on a soapbox. It just sort of happened that way.
Anybody watch Prison Break? When Sara sticks the iron to Kellerman? I'm in the house whooping at the TV. The neighbors have no idea what to think by now. She's gotta come save Michael from Mahone. And Kellerman's screwed. Whaddya wanna bet he starts to help the brothers now? That would be FAB.
See, there I go, all fangirl.
My old city doesn't seem quite like home anymore, and my new city doesn't quite feel like home, yet, so I feel like I'm kind of caught between two places, but I know that will eventually fade and everything will straighten out. Howell still feels like home to some degree and I haven't lived there in 15 years, so I suppose I'll always feel some sort of kinship to Kzoo.
I admit that I have a bit of a 'habit' when it comes to television (and Chex Mix, but that's neither here nor there). I read the TV Guide online comments and I post from time to time (those of you who know my horse racing fetish will be able to figure out who I am). One of my fave shows is 'Supernatural' - two hot guys, a hot car, ghosts and other beasties, and the occasional Rush tune. What's not to like? But I read the comments posted on the website, and I can't get over the fangirlness! These people are gushing like Jensen and Jared are going to win Oscars some day, and I gotta say, it slays me! Like I roll my eyes when they get all protective and analytical of every tic and twitch and sad face, and it's all I can do not to snort. And then it occurs to me - didn't I do the same damn thing with the X-Files?
Well, sort of. I mean, I overanalyzed that show to the nth degree, and I was a huge fangirl/shipper (and don't EVEN get me started on how hot Krycek is). But when it came to that gun-toting, one-armed bad boy, I wasn't overanalyzing his every eyebrow raise like it was going to win him an Emmy. I was just picturing him ..... um, let's just stop there.
I guess I just have a thing about jumping headlong into any sort of hero worship, any overwhelming trust, any slobbering devotion, all of it. I tend to be skittish about devoting myself wholeheartedly to anything that asks for such complete immersion. (Which is part of the reason why I'm not a regular churchgoer, but that's a discussion for another time. And it's probably a good reason why I'm not married.) I used to do anything I could to keep my friends around (when I was young) and made a total ass of myself, and I've gone the other way in my old age - a little too selfish, in self-preservation. Which doesn't excuse my behavior on occasion, but at least I recognize the fault. So to listen to these people gush wildly about these CW actors, of all people, strikes me as both ludicrous and funny, like they don't have anything else to do but slobber headlong over two twenty-somethings. I'm not saying I don't enjoy the show - it's the high point of my week almost (Veronica Mars is right up there too, what a damn good show!) and yes, the acting is good, and the scripts are fun, but I guess I find the fangirl admiration a bit thick.
Then again, if that's the worst thing that happens to me all week, I'm doing really well. And that's the beauty of having a free country!
I'm glad the elections are over, because the ads were so wretched I don't even know where to begin. One woman was painted by her opponent this way: "She supports gay marriage. And opposes traditional marriage." NOW WAIT A DAMN MINUTE. I think if you polled everyone in this world about their feelings on marriage, you might get 1/2 of 1% who really think marriage as an institution is a crock. But everybody else probably doesn't have anything against it. So supporting gay marriage means you oppose traditional marriage? What the hell is that?? Look, if you're lucky enough to find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with, God bless you, and I envy you. The woman didn't win, but it was a close one, and she wasn't even expected to do as well as she did. My guess is people got sick of that crap real fast.
And I 'm glad we defeated the mourning dove ballot. You mean we DON'T have enough to kill in Michigan, we've got to shoot these fat stupid little birds???? (That I happen to like because they're fat and stupid and have that sad little cry?) I'm glad people realized that banning mourning dove hunting wasn't a slam on all of hunting, even though people tried to paint it that way. I personally do not get what is fun about killing things, but whatever. Keep your trophies out of my sight, and we're good.
I didn't quite mean to get on a soapbox. It just sort of happened that way.
Anybody watch Prison Break? When Sara sticks the iron to Kellerman? I'm in the house whooping at the TV. The neighbors have no idea what to think by now. She's gotta come save Michael from Mahone. And Kellerman's screwed. Whaddya wanna bet he starts to help the brothers now? That would be FAB.
See, there I go, all fangirl.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
I Officially Have a Future Sister-In-Law!
Yup, Lloyd did it. He proposed to Stacey. I knew he was planning on it, but he just told me he did it! This is very exciting! Stacey gets the family seal of approval, and I think they'll be very happy. If Gizmo will leave them alone!!! (He's the needy cat. Sweet, but needy.)
Anyway, I'm really excited about this and happy for them.
Anyway, I'm really excited about this and happy for them.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Double Oh Yum
What is the big deal over Daniel Craig being the new James Bond? I gotta say he's pretty smokin' and looks good in a tuxedo. I do want to see if he's got the requisite sly smile and witty banter, but that's about all that concerns me. But people are freaking out because he's blond. Well, I think they need something better to do with their time. Like write Miss Moneypenny some real lines for a change. I think in the last Bond movie ever made, he finally decides he's going to try and bed her, and she laughs and spurns him and runs off with some other hottie. Or Q.
If you watch the Mummy Returns, you get to see Mr Ecko minus his chin braids. I like him better with facial hair. I hear he was something of a stinker on set of 'Lost.' Speaking of which, is that getting freaky or what? Now we have to wait until the new year for new episodes. Well, at least I have 'Supernatural' to keep me company.
If you watch the Mummy Returns, you get to see Mr Ecko minus his chin braids. I like him better with facial hair. I hear he was something of a stinker on set of 'Lost.' Speaking of which, is that getting freaky or what? Now we have to wait until the new year for new episodes. Well, at least I have 'Supernatural' to keep me company.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
The Breeders Cup
Breeders Cup Day Blog
Running Tally – Hey, they do this on TV Guide.com all the time!
11:58
They’re starting off before noon with Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit wearing jockey silks and picking their classic winners, Corso using a bent hangar as a whip. Who made Allen Paulson silks big enough for Herbstreit??? I didn’t know College Gameday cared, but hey, I’ll take it.
12:10 - The Past BC Recap
Personal Ensign beats up on Winning Colors in the 88 Distaff. WC was my girl! And here’s my boy, “the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar!” That gives me goosebumps, hearing that call as he wins the Classic. He’s a doll; if you get down to the Kentucky Horse Park, stop by his stall. He’s a ham and he likes the attention.
Pat Day has a buzz cut. Now THAT’s weird.
12:15-12:30 – The Juvenile Fillies
Cash Included is looking out of her stall in the preview and she’s darn cute, her ears forward, head up. That’s the look Luki gets when he hears somebody turning on the water in the guest bathroom. Appealing Zophie has a good name. I’m big on the names, especially this year when I didn’t have a chance to really go through the past performances (didn’t think I should look up the Daily Racing Form at work).
Oh now Jeannine Edwards is interviewing a guy whose horse died a few years ago when she flipped over and hit her head! Do we need to hear this??? NO.
Her Majesty is resisting going into the starting gate and tries to sit down every time the butt push is applied. Why don’t they blindfold her before she hurts herself? Oh, she doesn’t like the blindfold either. Now she’s freaking out in the gate. But I think she’s okay.
AND THEY’RE OFF.
Lots of dust. Did they water the track first? Not a fast pace as Dreaming of Anna takes the lead with her tongue hanging out. Wow, Anna’s running a beautiful race. And she wins on the rail, even after that delay at the gate, without much sweating. Octave second, Cotton Blossom third. Uber-trainer Todd Pletcher gets second and third. Cash Included fifth. I’m not off to a good start.
12:50 - Juvenile
These are next year’s Derby horses, possibly. I always look for a horse who does well for the distance and pace, especially on this track, but not the one who wins. The winner of this race has never gone on to win the Derby. Finally the analysts are saying this race is for the early bloomers. Well, yeah. I figured that out a couple years ago.
Circular Quay is the second favorite, Thunder Gulch’s progeny. Pegasus Wind has a Derby-winnin’ daddy too – Fusaichi Pegasus. Most of these boys are regally bred. But I’m going to go with long shot with Skip Code, whose daddy is Skip Away, a horse I really liked (not a Derby winner but a champ nonetheless). And he’s a long shot, all right. What am I thinking at 53 to 1?
Oh right. A bunch of Derby winning/running sires. Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking.
D Wayne Lukas has ditched the Blue Blockers! He’s chosen a smaller aviator style sunglass. A much better look, there, D.
Skip Code is like seven wide at the first turn. Crap.
A calvary charge with Principle Secret in the lead. Quay is last at the half. Scat Daddy is making his charge. A few falling back.
WOW. Street Sense blew their damn doors off. Biggest margin of victory ever in this race. Quay was all over the track but he tried. He veered in but he looked good coming from behind. I can’t even figure out where Skip Code went. Did he finish? Oh, he finished 9th. Well, Skippy was better as an older horse anyway, so I’ll keep an eye out for him at late three and four.
When you watch the head on view, you can see how young these horses are – they’re veering in and out. When they get older they figure it all out.
1:31 - Ruffian
ESPN is doing a movie on Ruffian coming June 2007 and now promoting it. Watch it. Her story and her tragic ending are heartbreaking but inspiring. Get out the Kleenex.
1:32 - Filly and Mare Turf
How can you not like the name Dancing Edie? Watch Ouija Board, she’s fantastic. Film Maker will hit the board, I think; Honey Ryder’s had a good year; Wait a While has a nice pedigree and a strong record. This is a heck of a race. I’m sticking with Ouija Board because she’s so amazing, with Film Maker to place. I haven’t seen Wait a While run much myself, so I can’t say much about her, but she’s getting a lot of respect from the bettors and analysts alike. Let’s look at her PP – ooh, four straight wins in G1 and 2 races. Yikes! She’ll be tough.
This load is going pretty well. They’re older gals, they’re used to this.
European jockeys actually ‘bounce’ in the saddle. It’s kind of funny. American jocks urge with their hands and arms; European jocks use their whole upper body.
Edie holds the lead, Ouija is in sixth, Film Maker fourth, Wait a While in the first bunch but I missed her position. Ooh, she’s in a good spot ahead of Ouija, when she moves, they’ll go together.
They’re moving now together, Ouija pouring it on, Honey Ryder trying to catch up, but nobody’s going to get her!! I have a winner! I think Film Maker was second too. Honey Ryder third. Wait a While fourth. Not too bad. I had the exacta.
1:42 – Starting Gates
Jerry Bailey goes over the starting gate setup – this is an old program from earlier this year, showing lots of horses breaking through the gates prematurely, flipping over, freaking out, you name it. Even Barbaro’s Preakness breakthrough (before his breakdown) is being shown. I can live without seeing that again.
1:47 – Planes
Now they’re showing how the horses fly. That’s actually pretty interesting. They get individual metal stables that are airlifted onto the plane. Great idea. Sure, it’s a plug for Emirates, but I was always curious about how they got them on and off the plane.
2:07 – Jump
Frankie vaults out of the saddle. It’s a habit. Got to be hard on your knees but the crowd loves it. Ouija looks good going back to the barn – her ears are up and she’s walking well. She’s retiring at the end of this year. I hope she has a lot of fun being a mama.
She’s owned by Lord Derby (say it ‘Darby’) but yes, his ancestors are the reason we have a Derby. When the pronunciation changed, I will never know.
2:10 - Sprint
This used to be the first race on the card, but they changed things around. This whole day is like the Olympics of horse racing, or at least the track and field portion – all the distances, courses, genders and ages. I can’t believe you’re not here watching it with me!
Only five of 22 favorites have won this race. Bettors must love it.
Friendly Island is really checking out the camera. Lewis Michael is 51-1? Are you sure? Henny Hughes is the favorite. A Hennessey boy. Pat Valenzuela is either shaving his head or he’s gone bald. War Front has a whiskery chin. Siren Lure, now that is a cool name. If Pomeroy liked this track I’d go with him, but he’s a Saratoga boy. I’ll stick with Siren Lure but I like Henny Hughes. Let’s go with that exacta.
This is always a fun race to watch because it’s speed speed speed right from the git go. Somebody clipped somebody’s heels. Yikes. Siren Lure is last. Ugh.
Attila’s Storm and Thor’s Echo in the lead. Pomeroy holding close. Henny’s out of it after a lousy start. Thor’s Echo charges forward, and he’s going to win convincingly. Corey Nakatani has won this race four times! Guess he knows what to do.
Thor’s Echo’s silks have the Superman logo on them. That should have told us everything we needed to know. Friendly Island place, Nightmare Affair show.
Siren Lure 8, Henny 14th, dead last. Urk.
2:20 – The Maktoums
The Sheikhs of Dubai (of which there are five, I didn’t know that) have spent over 406 million dollars in bloodstock auctions in the last few years. If they pull out of the racing industry, it collapses. Hey, they have the money, and they spend it. I’m happy they’re spending it on horses. It could be cars, or real estate, or whatever (they’re probably pretty savvy on that stuff too) but they pour a lot of money into the US economy. I just wish they smiled more!
2:56 – Mile
Back to the Turf. We’re getting to the good stuff now – the four biggies. Aragorn is the horse I picked for Angie, based on his name. I hope he does well for her!
Gorella is the tough one. Oops, I didn’t start the VCR up in time, I missed part of that. Crap! I was messing with the blog. Anyway, I think she’s really tough and she’s the one to beat, but Aragorn is having a really good year, and she’s running against boys. If she’d been against girls, hands down, she’s the winner. Don’t count out Araafa either. The Europeans tend to do well on the turf. I almost overlooked him! I’m going with a Gorella/Araafa exacta. I just wish Jerry Bailey wouldn’t call the horse ‘Aragon’. It’s ARAGORN. Don’t you people read?
Some early packing in the race, then stringing out. Araafa about six off lead, Gorella at the rear, Rob Roy in the far back; Aragorn and Araafa are near each other about a half mile in; Gorella hasn’t moved yet. Silent Name is pushing them hard, still a pack with lots of bumping and shoving – Miesque’s Approval setting up a huge upset! Wow! Aragorn second, Badge of Silver third, but how they can tell in that mess I will never know, since it was a herd heading to the finish behind Miesque’s Approval.
ESPN is running the Mile’s post position draw at the bottom of the screen, after the race is over. DUH.
Gorella 7th and Araafa 9th. I really am not having a good day, but that’s typical on BC day. Guess I should have studied the past performances first. Oh well.
3:34 – Married horses?
WinStar Farms asks some kids about how baby horses are made, and one girl says the boy horse stands next to the girl horse and then they’re married. Kenny Mayne makes light of the mating process in only the way he can. Shawklit Lover seems a little concerned about Victory Gallop showing up in the hookup barn, as he called it. Oh boy! They spare us the tawdry details.
3:36 – Distaff
This is a great field – Pine Island, Healthy Addiction, Sharp Lisa, my girl Lemons Forever, Spun Sugar, Fleet Indian, Round Pond, Hollywood Story, Asi Siempre (I LOVE that name, but I don’t know what it means), Happy Ticket, Balleto and a few others. This is a hell of a race. I’m going on sentiment – Lemons Forever and Asi Siempre. This may end up being better than the Classic.
(A shot of Kenny Mayne’s empty chair and Hank putting on his mic, then one of Randy Moss laughing. Oops!)
Todd Pletcher looks focused. He’s wishing he’d done better than second all day.
They’re using the double load, very smart. I watch the little feet in the starting gate. Healthy Addiction sharp, quick pace to start, still dusty. Fleet Indian holding off leaders, Asi Siempre toward the back, Lemons Forever toward the back as I expected, Pool Land looks like she’s fighting, Sharp Lisa third at half, Round Pond fourth, what a field! Who is moving? Pool Land moving on, Fleet Indian eased, oh no, what a charge, Balletto charging, Round Pond fighting ahead, but she was challenged, Lemons is coming on late, but Round Pond gets them - Asi Siempre second.
Pine Island broke down, Javier Castellano laying on the track – now he’s up and it appears he’s going to be fine, which is a relief; Fleet Indian should be okay; but Pine Island apparently broke a leg. Edgar Prado won the race, but he’s watching what happened. He was on Barbaro when he broke down, so you know what’s on his mind. He looks really stricken. I hate it when this happens, and it does. That’s why so many tracks are going to Polytrack – it’s safer. It’s just that the horses don’t like it, or at least aren’t used to it yet. I want all tracks to use it and get the horses used to it. This is why people don’t get into horse racing. They see how dangerous it is and see it as cruel. I could go on about that for a while, but that’s not why I’m here today.
Waiting for the update on Pine Island, but it doesn’t look good. Every year I pray before the races start that they’ll all come through okay.
PI dislocated ankle, damaged skin introduces infection, need x-rays, significant injury according to vet. We’ll know more later. I wish they wouldn’t show her going head over tail again. She was struggling for a while, I don’t know why she didn’t stop sooner.
Edgar Prado looks so stricken I want to hug him. And it’s hard to win a race and be happy about it, when that’s going on.
Michael Matz won the race with Round Pond – he was also Barbaro’s trainer. So this is really hurting a lot of people, not to mention Pine Island. I hope for no pain for her whatever happens.
Asi Siempre disqualified and placed fourth because she ran over Balleto. Where did Lemons finish? Oh, fifth. Joe Pesci is in the winners circle??
PI was euthanized, that’s the update. The vet says this was a hopeless injury. At least she’s not suffering, but this makes me sick. And it seems to be the same for the hosts. I’ve heard it said that the empty stall in the barn upsets everyone. So this isn’t just ‘part of the game’. And the sport is doing what it can to change this. Just one wrong step. It’s what it is. How often do you take a funny step? I nearly took a header over the fan just today. Ugh.
This just sucks all the air out of the room.
4:26 – Turf
Now they’re talking about Polytrack. Synthetic dirt is easier on the legs, it’s softer and easier on their joints, so says Jerry Bailey.
Scorpion is tough at 5-1, but is he healthy? I gotta like Rush Bay just for the name, but Cacique is the one to beat (I always think of underwear, there used to be a store called this that sold underthings). Hurricane Run is also tough, and there’s Better Talk Now who has a MySpace page and hasn’t approved me as a friend yet! English Channel another toughie. I’m going with Cacique, and Better Talk Now in my exacta out of sentimentality alone.
Castellano should have pulled PI up sooner; it looks like the strides before she fell her head was down low and she was struggling a little, and his failure to do that not only cost the horse her life, but almost cost him his. That’s my opinion anyway. He says he didn’t notice anything wrong turning for home, it happened quickly.
English Channel doesn’t want in the gate, but there he goes. Rush Bay up toward front, Cacique close to the pile – Icy Atlantic, the rabbit out front, Better Talk toward the back, English Channel shadowed by Cacique, Hurricane Run behind them, Silverfoot dead last and dawdling, Icy now being shut down as planned, Scorpion eyeing the leaders, Better Talk still trailing, Rush Bay and English Channel take over, Cacique moving, TH Approval following, Hurricane Run no race today, English Channel big run, Red Rocks challenging, Red Rocks, Better Talk Now challenging – Red Rocks knocks them all down! BTN second and Rush Bay fourth! Wow…..that was unexpected. Where did the biggies finish??? Another Frankie flying dismount. English Channel third. Cacique tenth.
PI was a barn favorite, according to Jeanine. The stable is apparently devastated. Now Fleet Indian does not have a fracture like they thought, now the prognosis is good again.
4:56 – Classic
Here’s the biggie, kids. And here’s the one I know the best. I think it’s going to be hard to beat Bernardini, but a full field could do it. Still, I think he’s one of the best this year, and that’s where I’m going. Lava Man I hear doesn’t like to ship out of CA and that’s going to affect his run, but he’s classy. George Washington is one of Europe’s finest, but I’m not sure he’s ready for dirt and American horses. Invasor is really tough too; he should have a great race. Perfect Drift is my sentimental favorite, and I just want him to do well. He’s such a scrappy horse and he’s been around for such a long time; I hope he gets a really great retirement when his career is over.
Now we’re doing a 2003-2006 for PI. I’m out of Kleenex, for God’s sake. But it’s respectful and a little odd.
There’s my boy Perfect Drift! And his odds are 29-1, which is my birthday (reversed)! Maybe this is his year to win! Giacomo is back, back at Churchill since the 2005 Derby. I still think Afleet Alex should have won that race. Dammit!
This is an amazing field. I wish Second of June was there, but he took a bad step earlier this year and had to be euthanized. (The same injury Barbaro had.) I wish Barbaro was here too, but I’m just glad he’s still grazing, and is doing well – could have his cast off soon, actually.
Now after what happened to Pine Island I’m nervous for this race. They’re loading and I’m so nervous my palms are sweaty. Lots of talk, lots of speculation. Just get them through safely.
George Washington is fractious before the starting gate, and the asst starters have grabbed his ear. That hurts, but it works! Bernardini standing well waiting. Time to crank up the sound.
AND THEY’RE OFF!
Who swung wide? Lawyer Ron off fast, Flower Alley close – Bernardini sixth, Lawyer Ron being held tightly, Brother Derek takes early lead, Drift off the pace as always, Giacomo far back; Brother Derek sets some fast fractions, Bernardini in fifth, should be picking up, going wide, George coming through inside, Invasor trying to move up, PD still out there, Derek still leading, Ron second, Bernardini kicks into gear and he’s putting a huge run on, oh my god!!!!! What a move! Hits the front, Derek fighting back, Invasor coming up, Bernardini being faced with Invasor, nose to nose, Invasor got in front of him! Oh my god, he beat Bernardini! Premium Tap third, Giacomo fourth – better than I expected. I can’t believe Invasor won! I mean, I can, but wow! Who is Horse of the Year now? Invasor just made his case. He and Bernardini were supposed to meet in the Jockey Club Gold Cup but Invasor had a cold.
Lava Man no factor. PD of course not, but I do adore that horse. Invasor saw a camera and arched his neck. Showoff! J He’s so wound up he’s dragging his walker down the track! PD finished 8th, Lava Man 7th. I think PD’s best days are behind him, but that’s okay. He’s like 7!
Bernardini will be retired probably, and I’d say he earned it. He ran some nice races this year. Ashley Judd is in the winner’s circle with the trophy. Huh!
Whew! So many ups and downs. I’m tired. And it’s time for dinner.
Running Tally – Hey, they do this on TV Guide.com all the time!
11:58
They’re starting off before noon with Lee Corso and Kirk Herbstreit wearing jockey silks and picking their classic winners, Corso using a bent hangar as a whip. Who made Allen Paulson silks big enough for Herbstreit??? I didn’t know College Gameday cared, but hey, I’ll take it.
12:10 - The Past BC Recap
Personal Ensign beats up on Winning Colors in the 88 Distaff. WC was my girl! And here’s my boy, “the unconquerable, invincible, unbeatable Cigar!” That gives me goosebumps, hearing that call as he wins the Classic. He’s a doll; if you get down to the Kentucky Horse Park, stop by his stall. He’s a ham and he likes the attention.
Pat Day has a buzz cut. Now THAT’s weird.
12:15-12:30 – The Juvenile Fillies
Cash Included is looking out of her stall in the preview and she’s darn cute, her ears forward, head up. That’s the look Luki gets when he hears somebody turning on the water in the guest bathroom. Appealing Zophie has a good name. I’m big on the names, especially this year when I didn’t have a chance to really go through the past performances (didn’t think I should look up the Daily Racing Form at work).
Oh now Jeannine Edwards is interviewing a guy whose horse died a few years ago when she flipped over and hit her head! Do we need to hear this??? NO.
Her Majesty is resisting going into the starting gate and tries to sit down every time the butt push is applied. Why don’t they blindfold her before she hurts herself? Oh, she doesn’t like the blindfold either. Now she’s freaking out in the gate. But I think she’s okay.
AND THEY’RE OFF.
Lots of dust. Did they water the track first? Not a fast pace as Dreaming of Anna takes the lead with her tongue hanging out. Wow, Anna’s running a beautiful race. And she wins on the rail, even after that delay at the gate, without much sweating. Octave second, Cotton Blossom third. Uber-trainer Todd Pletcher gets second and third. Cash Included fifth. I’m not off to a good start.
12:50 - Juvenile
These are next year’s Derby horses, possibly. I always look for a horse who does well for the distance and pace, especially on this track, but not the one who wins. The winner of this race has never gone on to win the Derby. Finally the analysts are saying this race is for the early bloomers. Well, yeah. I figured that out a couple years ago.
Circular Quay is the second favorite, Thunder Gulch’s progeny. Pegasus Wind has a Derby-winnin’ daddy too – Fusaichi Pegasus. Most of these boys are regally bred. But I’m going to go with long shot with Skip Code, whose daddy is Skip Away, a horse I really liked (not a Derby winner but a champ nonetheless). And he’s a long shot, all right. What am I thinking at 53 to 1?
Oh right. A bunch of Derby winning/running sires. Yeah, that’s what I’m thinking.
D Wayne Lukas has ditched the Blue Blockers! He’s chosen a smaller aviator style sunglass. A much better look, there, D.
Skip Code is like seven wide at the first turn. Crap.
A calvary charge with Principle Secret in the lead. Quay is last at the half. Scat Daddy is making his charge. A few falling back.
WOW. Street Sense blew their damn doors off. Biggest margin of victory ever in this race. Quay was all over the track but he tried. He veered in but he looked good coming from behind. I can’t even figure out where Skip Code went. Did he finish? Oh, he finished 9th. Well, Skippy was better as an older horse anyway, so I’ll keep an eye out for him at late three and four.
When you watch the head on view, you can see how young these horses are – they’re veering in and out. When they get older they figure it all out.
1:31 - Ruffian
ESPN is doing a movie on Ruffian coming June 2007 and now promoting it. Watch it. Her story and her tragic ending are heartbreaking but inspiring. Get out the Kleenex.
1:32 - Filly and Mare Turf
How can you not like the name Dancing Edie? Watch Ouija Board, she’s fantastic. Film Maker will hit the board, I think; Honey Ryder’s had a good year; Wait a While has a nice pedigree and a strong record. This is a heck of a race. I’m sticking with Ouija Board because she’s so amazing, with Film Maker to place. I haven’t seen Wait a While run much myself, so I can’t say much about her, but she’s getting a lot of respect from the bettors and analysts alike. Let’s look at her PP – ooh, four straight wins in G1 and 2 races. Yikes! She’ll be tough.
This load is going pretty well. They’re older gals, they’re used to this.
European jockeys actually ‘bounce’ in the saddle. It’s kind of funny. American jocks urge with their hands and arms; European jocks use their whole upper body.
Edie holds the lead, Ouija is in sixth, Film Maker fourth, Wait a While in the first bunch but I missed her position. Ooh, she’s in a good spot ahead of Ouija, when she moves, they’ll go together.
They’re moving now together, Ouija pouring it on, Honey Ryder trying to catch up, but nobody’s going to get her!! I have a winner! I think Film Maker was second too. Honey Ryder third. Wait a While fourth. Not too bad. I had the exacta.
1:42 – Starting Gates
Jerry Bailey goes over the starting gate setup – this is an old program from earlier this year, showing lots of horses breaking through the gates prematurely, flipping over, freaking out, you name it. Even Barbaro’s Preakness breakthrough (before his breakdown) is being shown. I can live without seeing that again.
1:47 – Planes
Now they’re showing how the horses fly. That’s actually pretty interesting. They get individual metal stables that are airlifted onto the plane. Great idea. Sure, it’s a plug for Emirates, but I was always curious about how they got them on and off the plane.
2:07 – Jump
Frankie vaults out of the saddle. It’s a habit. Got to be hard on your knees but the crowd loves it. Ouija looks good going back to the barn – her ears are up and she’s walking well. She’s retiring at the end of this year. I hope she has a lot of fun being a mama.
She’s owned by Lord Derby (say it ‘Darby’) but yes, his ancestors are the reason we have a Derby. When the pronunciation changed, I will never know.
2:10 - Sprint
This used to be the first race on the card, but they changed things around. This whole day is like the Olympics of horse racing, or at least the track and field portion – all the distances, courses, genders and ages. I can’t believe you’re not here watching it with me!
Only five of 22 favorites have won this race. Bettors must love it.
Friendly Island is really checking out the camera. Lewis Michael is 51-1? Are you sure? Henny Hughes is the favorite. A Hennessey boy. Pat Valenzuela is either shaving his head or he’s gone bald. War Front has a whiskery chin. Siren Lure, now that is a cool name. If Pomeroy liked this track I’d go with him, but he’s a Saratoga boy. I’ll stick with Siren Lure but I like Henny Hughes. Let’s go with that exacta.
This is always a fun race to watch because it’s speed speed speed right from the git go. Somebody clipped somebody’s heels. Yikes. Siren Lure is last. Ugh.
Attila’s Storm and Thor’s Echo in the lead. Pomeroy holding close. Henny’s out of it after a lousy start. Thor’s Echo charges forward, and he’s going to win convincingly. Corey Nakatani has won this race four times! Guess he knows what to do.
Thor’s Echo’s silks have the Superman logo on them. That should have told us everything we needed to know. Friendly Island place, Nightmare Affair show.
Siren Lure 8, Henny 14th, dead last. Urk.
2:20 – The Maktoums
The Sheikhs of Dubai (of which there are five, I didn’t know that) have spent over 406 million dollars in bloodstock auctions in the last few years. If they pull out of the racing industry, it collapses. Hey, they have the money, and they spend it. I’m happy they’re spending it on horses. It could be cars, or real estate, or whatever (they’re probably pretty savvy on that stuff too) but they pour a lot of money into the US economy. I just wish they smiled more!
2:56 – Mile
Back to the Turf. We’re getting to the good stuff now – the four biggies. Aragorn is the horse I picked for Angie, based on his name. I hope he does well for her!
Gorella is the tough one. Oops, I didn’t start the VCR up in time, I missed part of that. Crap! I was messing with the blog. Anyway, I think she’s really tough and she’s the one to beat, but Aragorn is having a really good year, and she’s running against boys. If she’d been against girls, hands down, she’s the winner. Don’t count out Araafa either. The Europeans tend to do well on the turf. I almost overlooked him! I’m going with a Gorella/Araafa exacta. I just wish Jerry Bailey wouldn’t call the horse ‘Aragon’. It’s ARAGORN. Don’t you people read?
Some early packing in the race, then stringing out. Araafa about six off lead, Gorella at the rear, Rob Roy in the far back; Aragorn and Araafa are near each other about a half mile in; Gorella hasn’t moved yet. Silent Name is pushing them hard, still a pack with lots of bumping and shoving – Miesque’s Approval setting up a huge upset! Wow! Aragorn second, Badge of Silver third, but how they can tell in that mess I will never know, since it was a herd heading to the finish behind Miesque’s Approval.
ESPN is running the Mile’s post position draw at the bottom of the screen, after the race is over. DUH.
Gorella 7th and Araafa 9th. I really am not having a good day, but that’s typical on BC day. Guess I should have studied the past performances first. Oh well.
3:34 – Married horses?
WinStar Farms asks some kids about how baby horses are made, and one girl says the boy horse stands next to the girl horse and then they’re married. Kenny Mayne makes light of the mating process in only the way he can. Shawklit Lover seems a little concerned about Victory Gallop showing up in the hookup barn, as he called it. Oh boy! They spare us the tawdry details.
3:36 – Distaff
This is a great field – Pine Island, Healthy Addiction, Sharp Lisa, my girl Lemons Forever, Spun Sugar, Fleet Indian, Round Pond, Hollywood Story, Asi Siempre (I LOVE that name, but I don’t know what it means), Happy Ticket, Balleto and a few others. This is a hell of a race. I’m going on sentiment – Lemons Forever and Asi Siempre. This may end up being better than the Classic.
(A shot of Kenny Mayne’s empty chair and Hank putting on his mic, then one of Randy Moss laughing. Oops!)
Todd Pletcher looks focused. He’s wishing he’d done better than second all day.
They’re using the double load, very smart. I watch the little feet in the starting gate. Healthy Addiction sharp, quick pace to start, still dusty. Fleet Indian holding off leaders, Asi Siempre toward the back, Lemons Forever toward the back as I expected, Pool Land looks like she’s fighting, Sharp Lisa third at half, Round Pond fourth, what a field! Who is moving? Pool Land moving on, Fleet Indian eased, oh no, what a charge, Balletto charging, Round Pond fighting ahead, but she was challenged, Lemons is coming on late, but Round Pond gets them - Asi Siempre second.
Pine Island broke down, Javier Castellano laying on the track – now he’s up and it appears he’s going to be fine, which is a relief; Fleet Indian should be okay; but Pine Island apparently broke a leg. Edgar Prado won the race, but he’s watching what happened. He was on Barbaro when he broke down, so you know what’s on his mind. He looks really stricken. I hate it when this happens, and it does. That’s why so many tracks are going to Polytrack – it’s safer. It’s just that the horses don’t like it, or at least aren’t used to it yet. I want all tracks to use it and get the horses used to it. This is why people don’t get into horse racing. They see how dangerous it is and see it as cruel. I could go on about that for a while, but that’s not why I’m here today.
Waiting for the update on Pine Island, but it doesn’t look good. Every year I pray before the races start that they’ll all come through okay.
PI dislocated ankle, damaged skin introduces infection, need x-rays, significant injury according to vet. We’ll know more later. I wish they wouldn’t show her going head over tail again. She was struggling for a while, I don’t know why she didn’t stop sooner.
Edgar Prado looks so stricken I want to hug him. And it’s hard to win a race and be happy about it, when that’s going on.
Michael Matz won the race with Round Pond – he was also Barbaro’s trainer. So this is really hurting a lot of people, not to mention Pine Island. I hope for no pain for her whatever happens.
Asi Siempre disqualified and placed fourth because she ran over Balleto. Where did Lemons finish? Oh, fifth. Joe Pesci is in the winners circle??
PI was euthanized, that’s the update. The vet says this was a hopeless injury. At least she’s not suffering, but this makes me sick. And it seems to be the same for the hosts. I’ve heard it said that the empty stall in the barn upsets everyone. So this isn’t just ‘part of the game’. And the sport is doing what it can to change this. Just one wrong step. It’s what it is. How often do you take a funny step? I nearly took a header over the fan just today. Ugh.
This just sucks all the air out of the room.
4:26 – Turf
Now they’re talking about Polytrack. Synthetic dirt is easier on the legs, it’s softer and easier on their joints, so says Jerry Bailey.
Scorpion is tough at 5-1, but is he healthy? I gotta like Rush Bay just for the name, but Cacique is the one to beat (I always think of underwear, there used to be a store called this that sold underthings). Hurricane Run is also tough, and there’s Better Talk Now who has a MySpace page and hasn’t approved me as a friend yet! English Channel another toughie. I’m going with Cacique, and Better Talk Now in my exacta out of sentimentality alone.
Castellano should have pulled PI up sooner; it looks like the strides before she fell her head was down low and she was struggling a little, and his failure to do that not only cost the horse her life, but almost cost him his. That’s my opinion anyway. He says he didn’t notice anything wrong turning for home, it happened quickly.
English Channel doesn’t want in the gate, but there he goes. Rush Bay up toward front, Cacique close to the pile – Icy Atlantic, the rabbit out front, Better Talk toward the back, English Channel shadowed by Cacique, Hurricane Run behind them, Silverfoot dead last and dawdling, Icy now being shut down as planned, Scorpion eyeing the leaders, Better Talk still trailing, Rush Bay and English Channel take over, Cacique moving, TH Approval following, Hurricane Run no race today, English Channel big run, Red Rocks challenging, Red Rocks, Better Talk Now challenging – Red Rocks knocks them all down! BTN second and Rush Bay fourth! Wow…..that was unexpected. Where did the biggies finish??? Another Frankie flying dismount. English Channel third. Cacique tenth.
PI was a barn favorite, according to Jeanine. The stable is apparently devastated. Now Fleet Indian does not have a fracture like they thought, now the prognosis is good again.
4:56 – Classic
Here’s the biggie, kids. And here’s the one I know the best. I think it’s going to be hard to beat Bernardini, but a full field could do it. Still, I think he’s one of the best this year, and that’s where I’m going. Lava Man I hear doesn’t like to ship out of CA and that’s going to affect his run, but he’s classy. George Washington is one of Europe’s finest, but I’m not sure he’s ready for dirt and American horses. Invasor is really tough too; he should have a great race. Perfect Drift is my sentimental favorite, and I just want him to do well. He’s such a scrappy horse and he’s been around for such a long time; I hope he gets a really great retirement when his career is over.
Now we’re doing a 2003-2006 for PI. I’m out of Kleenex, for God’s sake. But it’s respectful and a little odd.
There’s my boy Perfect Drift! And his odds are 29-1, which is my birthday (reversed)! Maybe this is his year to win! Giacomo is back, back at Churchill since the 2005 Derby. I still think Afleet Alex should have won that race. Dammit!
This is an amazing field. I wish Second of June was there, but he took a bad step earlier this year and had to be euthanized. (The same injury Barbaro had.) I wish Barbaro was here too, but I’m just glad he’s still grazing, and is doing well – could have his cast off soon, actually.
Now after what happened to Pine Island I’m nervous for this race. They’re loading and I’m so nervous my palms are sweaty. Lots of talk, lots of speculation. Just get them through safely.
George Washington is fractious before the starting gate, and the asst starters have grabbed his ear. That hurts, but it works! Bernardini standing well waiting. Time to crank up the sound.
AND THEY’RE OFF!
Who swung wide? Lawyer Ron off fast, Flower Alley close – Bernardini sixth, Lawyer Ron being held tightly, Brother Derek takes early lead, Drift off the pace as always, Giacomo far back; Brother Derek sets some fast fractions, Bernardini in fifth, should be picking up, going wide, George coming through inside, Invasor trying to move up, PD still out there, Derek still leading, Ron second, Bernardini kicks into gear and he’s putting a huge run on, oh my god!!!!! What a move! Hits the front, Derek fighting back, Invasor coming up, Bernardini being faced with Invasor, nose to nose, Invasor got in front of him! Oh my god, he beat Bernardini! Premium Tap third, Giacomo fourth – better than I expected. I can’t believe Invasor won! I mean, I can, but wow! Who is Horse of the Year now? Invasor just made his case. He and Bernardini were supposed to meet in the Jockey Club Gold Cup but Invasor had a cold.
Lava Man no factor. PD of course not, but I do adore that horse. Invasor saw a camera and arched his neck. Showoff! J He’s so wound up he’s dragging his walker down the track! PD finished 8th, Lava Man 7th. I think PD’s best days are behind him, but that’s okay. He’s like 7!
Bernardini will be retired probably, and I’d say he earned it. He ran some nice races this year. Ashley Judd is in the winner’s circle with the trophy. Huh!
Whew! So many ups and downs. I’m tired. And it’s time for dinner.
Friday, November 03, 2006
Get Your Freak-Out On
One of my TV addictions (and I have so many!) is Sci-Fi's Ghosthunters show. It doesn't run often, but when it does, it's usually pretty good, so I'm recommending this show to anybody who likes the supernatural (even if it doesn't come with Jensen Ackles) or wants to debunk it.
It's run by two guys, Jason and Grant, who work for Roto-Rooter in Rhode Island somewhere (I think that's where they are). They have a fluctuating staff, and they drive around the country investigating sightings. They use electronic equipment to look into reported hauntings, and sometimes they find something and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they figure out that the reason the person feels uneasy in his house is because (like in one case) his electrical box is 'leaking' and that apparently can cause headaches. This same guy had his basement set up so that the shelf containing all his chemicals and paints was unfortunately right below the air vent, and it was blowing toxins all throughout the house. So they debunked that haunting right there, but I think the guy was pretty relieved.
But sometimes they come up with the freakiest sh*t. The episode called "haunted lighthouse" features the team 'chasing' someone up and down the stairs of the lighthouse - someone who doesn't set off the motion detector lights at the top. Last week's episode featured some amazing EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon, which is sound captured on audio tape but not heard at the time) of a little girl asking "Who is Jason?" and singing to herself. Another episode featured a guy who lived in the house his grandparents used to live in, and the team captured some EVPs that led them to think the grandparents were still hanging around but not in any malicious sense. That guy seemed happy to have them still there.
Yeah, this stuff can be faked. OF COURSE it can. But I like to think that since these guys make a point of debunking stuff, that the stuff they can't debunk can possibly be the real thing. Or we just don't know how to debunk it yet. Anyway, it's just entertainment, and sometimes when they take a freaky picture or capture something odd on the thermal camera (that's my favorite), it just makes the hair on my neck stand on end. (See the Civil War soldier episode. If that doesn't freak you out, not much will.)
PS - Another good show, by the way, is Mythbusters on Discovery. A show where sh*t blows up. (You should have seen them decimate a concrete truck with explosives. There was nothing left.) More maniacal laughter please!
It's run by two guys, Jason and Grant, who work for Roto-Rooter in Rhode Island somewhere (I think that's where they are). They have a fluctuating staff, and they drive around the country investigating sightings. They use electronic equipment to look into reported hauntings, and sometimes they find something and sometimes they don't. Sometimes they figure out that the reason the person feels uneasy in his house is because (like in one case) his electrical box is 'leaking' and that apparently can cause headaches. This same guy had his basement set up so that the shelf containing all his chemicals and paints was unfortunately right below the air vent, and it was blowing toxins all throughout the house. So they debunked that haunting right there, but I think the guy was pretty relieved.
But sometimes they come up with the freakiest sh*t. The episode called "haunted lighthouse" features the team 'chasing' someone up and down the stairs of the lighthouse - someone who doesn't set off the motion detector lights at the top. Last week's episode featured some amazing EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon, which is sound captured on audio tape but not heard at the time) of a little girl asking "Who is Jason?" and singing to herself. Another episode featured a guy who lived in the house his grandparents used to live in, and the team captured some EVPs that led them to think the grandparents were still hanging around but not in any malicious sense. That guy seemed happy to have them still there.
Yeah, this stuff can be faked. OF COURSE it can. But I like to think that since these guys make a point of debunking stuff, that the stuff they can't debunk can possibly be the real thing. Or we just don't know how to debunk it yet. Anyway, it's just entertainment, and sometimes when they take a freaky picture or capture something odd on the thermal camera (that's my favorite), it just makes the hair on my neck stand on end. (See the Civil War soldier episode. If that doesn't freak you out, not much will.)
PS - Another good show, by the way, is Mythbusters on Discovery. A show where sh*t blows up. (You should have seen them decimate a concrete truck with explosives. There was nothing left.) More maniacal laughter please!
Thursday, November 02, 2006
The Big Fat Move (or) Why Chris Wants Me to be Illiterate
So I haven't been here in a while because I've been trying to move and start my new job and unpack. Safe to say, I loathe moving, the job is going well, and yes, I have too much stuff (something all my movers felt so compelled to point out that I made them recite it all at once so we could get it out of our systems). That did not, however, stop my mother from making comments behind my back or from looking into all my boxes so she could remind my friends (while rolling her eyes) that I have SO MUCH STUFF. Next time the Snotty Comment Princess stays home.
I'm still unpacking, but I'm making progress, and Luki has finally forgiven me for the drastic change. Now he's obsessed with the guest bathroom sink. The water in Lansing is MUCH better than the Kalamazoo water - one person already told me my hair looks blonde again after years of tending toward the slightly orange, despite my best efforts - and Luki seems to appreciate it. I found him sitting in the sink yesterday and wondered what he would do if I just turned on the water full blast.
But anyway, during the move people kept reminding me that moving is the best time to purge one's stuff, and the thing is, I did. I went through bookcases and boxes and closets. And I gave a lot of stuff to the library, to friends, to Goodwill. (You should have seen all the books that went out the door.) But I've also found that another good time to purge (or re-purge, so to speak) is when UNpacking. I've been going through some of the boxes and rubbermaid tubs that were already sealed up and ready to move, and I'm finding a few more things I don't really need anymore. I guess the move helped bring about the 'purge urge', since I only really get rid of stuff when I'm in the right mood to do it. So a few more boxes will probably go out the door of the new place.
Oh, and why does Chris want me to be illiterate? I still have a freakin' ton of books. A TON. That's really not an exaggeration if you had to lift them all. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. (NO, I am not getting rid of them!!!)
Horse-racing tip of the day: Saturday is the Breeders' Cup, which means I will spend approximately 7 hours in front of my television set, twitching with glee. Bernardini is the class of the Classic, but there are a few other gems in the eight races that day. Perfect Drift, my boy, runs in the Classic, and the one name I can't get out of my head is a filly named Asi Siempre. I'm not sure if she's any good but that is just the coolest name ever.
I'm still unpacking, but I'm making progress, and Luki has finally forgiven me for the drastic change. Now he's obsessed with the guest bathroom sink. The water in Lansing is MUCH better than the Kalamazoo water - one person already told me my hair looks blonde again after years of tending toward the slightly orange, despite my best efforts - and Luki seems to appreciate it. I found him sitting in the sink yesterday and wondered what he would do if I just turned on the water full blast.
But anyway, during the move people kept reminding me that moving is the best time to purge one's stuff, and the thing is, I did. I went through bookcases and boxes and closets. And I gave a lot of stuff to the library, to friends, to Goodwill. (You should have seen all the books that went out the door.) But I've also found that another good time to purge (or re-purge, so to speak) is when UNpacking. I've been going through some of the boxes and rubbermaid tubs that were already sealed up and ready to move, and I'm finding a few more things I don't really need anymore. I guess the move helped bring about the 'purge urge', since I only really get rid of stuff when I'm in the right mood to do it. So a few more boxes will probably go out the door of the new place.
Oh, and why does Chris want me to be illiterate? I still have a freakin' ton of books. A TON. That's really not an exaggeration if you had to lift them all. Now I have to figure out what to do with them. (NO, I am not getting rid of them!!!)
Horse-racing tip of the day: Saturday is the Breeders' Cup, which means I will spend approximately 7 hours in front of my television set, twitching with glee. Bernardini is the class of the Classic, but there are a few other gems in the eight races that day. Perfect Drift, my boy, runs in the Classic, and the one name I can't get out of my head is a filly named Asi Siempre. I'm not sure if she's any good but that is just the coolest name ever.
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