Tuesday, June 29, 2010

In Honor of the Hot Tub Time Machine's release...

I'll tell you...I don't like how there are still people who insinuate that the vitiligo was made up or something that Michael Jackson brought on himself, but I've been in love with the idea of time travel for a long time...(Stephen Hawking's show can do nothing to wreck it, nor can Through the Wormhole...) If I could pic any appearances/concerts of Michael Jackson's that I'd love to have attended, I guess they'd have to be...September 21, 1984@ RFF stadium with a real ticket.
: D ...The Victory Tour...Mark Bego painted such a vivid description, but nothing would beat being there in person... and November 2001 Times Square Virgin Megastore...[ Honorable Mention goes to the Munich part of the History Tour...I think I've got the right place/date...whichever YANA girl that Michael picked up and carried, I wish I'd had a chance to have the same done by him for me.]. ...If there's anything I've learned from my mother's passing, and then Michael's, it's that it's a little too easy to take chances, time, people for granted.

True Blood...It Hurts Me Too (Spoilers!!!)

Lafayette...I can't say enough, how happy I am that they let the character live on the show...He makes the series for me.

Sam...His family is a mess...lol...I sort of understand the kid brother's resentment though...It'll be interesting to see how or when he gets over it...I'd love to know what the mother's deal is...She seems very passive aggressive...I don't like how she made excuses for hubby getting drunk either.

Tara...I would love just once for her to have a healthy relationship. S1...she's crushing on Jason and pushing Sam away...S2...there was Eggs and Maryann's role in that whole thing. S3...I forgot vamp dude's name, but he just rolled her both literally and figuratively...I understand that she was vulnerable, but Sheesh! I'd love it if she'd catch a break...if only because of what her mother put her through.

Arlene...I wish she'd have told Terry the truth while the getting was good...she could have gotten a word in edgewise if she'd wanted to. I don't think he'd have left her...Now, he very well might.

Pam...is a trip. She is another character that makes the show that much more entertaining.

Jessica...I knew not getting rid of that body was going to bite her in the a#!. I just wasn't sure how...

Sheriff Dearborne...quitting...I laughed aloud at that speech...(Not as hard as I did at that Snoop Dogg video for Sookie, but that's another post altogether.)

Eric...he didn't really grab my attention this week...

Alcide...Oh yeah! and bouncer dude [wish I'd caught a name. *sighs*] he was getting info from...Lets hear it for the werewolves! Mmmm Mmmm Mmmm.

Bill...I didn't know whether to feel bad for him or creeped out or both and what he did to Lorena or what she let him do to her...I thought he was going to kill her at first...then she kept talking and seemed to enjoy it...What woman would get off on that? To be that deeply in love (or to be that determined not to let go) is just crazy scary to me . Then you had that imagery...That's going to stick with me for a long time and not in a good way. I know Sookie would probably be sickened if she knew...As sneaky/manipulative as Eric can be, I'm not sure she'll go running into his arms either...I know how the books go though, so this paves the way nicely...

Monday, June 28, 2010

@PurpleSkyyys -Thank you and you're welcome...I appreciate your compliments too...I'd hoped I wasn't babbling too much...As far as the pics, layouts, what I have to say [about Michael and other things...] and the eloquence with which I say it, hopefully that'll get better too.

I'm not feeling that great today (Heat and some minor medical issues), so I'll keep this post short.

Friday, June 25, 2010

A Year Later...What I've noticed...
















I wanted to post a poem, that didn't work out...words never flow out of me as easily as pictures seem too, and even they take time...



Lately, I've been noticing the question what is your favorite MJ era a lot. Or people will favor pics from a certain time. I've got a co-worker that likes nothing beyond Thriller. A lot of people are like that...I'm not arguing what defines a true fan...that would be silly, because it's all subjective. What I can blog about is why I can't seem to pick a favorite look or era...I like something from each...Some fans would be upset with me for picking a "beauty pageant" answer, but I honestly don't have a favorite look or era, because I like a little something from each.


That's what's going to make selecting a picture for this blog post difficult as well.


I'll break it down like this...


The J5 era I associate with my mother. She first got me into Michael Jackson. She had the J5 Christmas album and 1 one the singles (Get It Together/Touch), she had another single, but it got lost. :(


The OTW era...I associate with holiday parties and having fun with relatives, which I miss greatly.


The Thriller era...Who doesn't have a story to put here? My mother bought the album...Our dad and mother got us T-shirts, badges, the dolls...I loved the album it reminds me of better times as well...Or maybe it's just me waxing nostalgic...music helps with that doesn't it? Music soothes, music heals.


Bad...I'll confess, I didn't like this as much as Thriller as a whole, but I did love Liberian Girl. If it wasn't for Moonwalker, I don't think I'd like Speed Demon at all. Smooth Criminal grew on me after I saw the short film (The Gangster era, the lean...I just loved it...My parents got me into loving watching films, both old and new...so I just ate Michael's use of the short film up. It's one of the things that I'll sorely miss now that he's gone...There are people who try to come close, but no one is the same...He was one of a kind.). I also loved I Just Can't Stop Loving You...and then I found out Michael did a Spanish version...Oh Man! What I'm after now (when I can afford it again of course), is the ever elusive French version...To hear him speaking different languages...even watching TII. That does something to a woman...I'm telling you. :D


Dangerous...This is an album I wound up revisting...I love the title cut. If I had to pick a second favorite album, this would be it...And again, the short films helped enhance what was already there in the music...I loved Give In to Me, In the Closet, Remember the Time, Who Is It? [Check out the version of Who Is It? on the Dangerous DVD...I don't know why MTV used the compiled footage one...the David Fincher short film...it just left me wanting more...I love compiled footage, but it didn't fit the song.]


History ...Sadly I never bought, because I thought it was just a greatest hits album, and because of my budget I couldn't afford to keep rehashing certain things...Sometimes that hurts to do as a fan...but everybody isn't rich...I'm not saying it to whine, just stating fact. :) I intend to revisit it first chance I get. I do remember I loved most all the singles off History though (Scream, Earth Song, They Don't Really Care About Us, You Are Not Alone.) . I didn't hear Stranger in Moscow until last year though and when I saw the short film, which I'd also never seen, I wanted to cry.

Blood on the Dance Floor... I love Morphine and the Ghosts soundtrack...I didn't listen to the remixes...as I tend to be something of purist where that's concerned...It has to be a kickass mix to convince me...There are some mixologists/DJ's that can do it...I don't think it's something just anyone can do though and there's too many bad or lame remixes floating around out there for me.

Invincible...My favorite album...I love Butterflies, Break of Dawn, 2000 Watts, Whatever Happens, Don't Walk Away...This, Off the Wall, Thriller, and the This Is It Soundtrack are basically the only CD's I can listen to all the way through and not skip a single song...I can't say that about a lot of artists.

I've got my eye on The Collection and Ultimate Collection now...if someone other than Sony releases some other songs...I'm all for it...I'm trying to be a good girl about that kind of thing...plus, Michael Jackson was such a perfectionist...I know he wouldn't want stuff floating around that wasn't finished...I think the thing that's so tempting, is even with something half-finished, you can see the promise of what could have been and that alone is something to hold on to, especially when you know Michael won't be around to release more...As a lover of music, I can definitely say again that the loss of Michael Jackson is a hard thing to bear.

His looks over the years...as I said when you truly love someone, you love them with all their flaws...Do I think he should've stopped a few surgeries ago with his nose? Yes, but it was Michael's face, you know?
I love you, Michael and I miss you.

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

The casting of Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra debate




I got an update from Black American web on the uproar over casting Angelina Jolie as Cleopatra...I'm the first one to get behind a worthy cause especially when it has to do with minority casting in Hollywood cinema, but this time, I'm sitting this one out. Here's why.




1. Ancient Egypt was something of a melting pot.




2. Different queens from different eras, have different ethnic backgrounds. Just because they are in Africa means nothing...There were wars, people travelled by boat, etc.


Look at how Queen Tiye ( I hear she was of Asiatic descent as well. Again I say, Ancient Egypt was a great big melting pot.) is depicted vs. how Cleopatra is depicted and these are stylized/idealized portraits mind you. I remember some of my college classes on this.


Furthermore Cleopatra was of Macedonian or Greek decent, she wasn't from Kush. Therefore casting Ms. Jolie makes sense. Ignore all the more tabloidy stuff you've heard or read about her personal life. She's got a look that is multi-ethnic (and ever seen her in A Mighty Heart or Changeling? And you know she can turn on the sizzle.). I would "buy" her as Cleopatra so much easier than I could some more Anglo looking actress. As for casting an actual unknown Greek actress, that might make everyone happy. but as always Hollywood is looking for that Box Office Gold and I don't think Nia Vardalos is going to cut it.
I'll be curious to see how this plays out... Man! How many times have I typed that sentence this year? lol

@ Glen S. Mielke

我同意。

Monday, June 21, 2010

Wondering...




I was sitting up watching TII over the weekend...and I was drawing and noticing stuff...One of the shirts Michael wears...It was red, and I believe it may have been Ed Hardy...had a winged lion with a crown on it...The image just sort of stuck with me...At first I thought maybe it was Michael's love of crests that drew him to it. Then while I was on the train this morning, thinking about how I wanted my lion drawing to turn out, another thought struck me...In the Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Christmas special, the King of the Island of Misfit Toys also has wings and a crown...(No I'm not on anything, I promise...My brain just goes in unusual directions and for the life of me, I can't shut it off. My mother used to say that I wouldn't want to shut my brain off, but some days, I'm not so sure.) I wonder if Michael was aware of the King of the Island of Misfit Toys connection or it was just coincidence. I'm having a bit of trouble with layout here, but hopefully you get the picture. [No pun intended.]




To say I have a really bad feeling about this is an understatement...

MJ 777 has brought some facts to my attention that have really shaken me...I also saw something in a publication put out on newsstands called "Remembering Michael" that shook me too...I wish they hadn't photographed it...I don't know whether they included the photo of the bloody shirt to shock or to open people's eyes or both...I also think that if the whole thing with the propofol hadn't gotten Michael, those 50 shows sure might've. I don't care how well he was keeping up with the 25 year olds (Yes, he did a fantastic good job!). He was still a 50 year old human being with chronic health problems...Sometimes people treated him like he was a little windup doll or something... I loved to see him perform, but I didn't want to see him drop dead. :( I'm not sure the extent of his money problems and it's none of my business, but that type of thing...is just unconscionable to me, and that these people can still look at themselves in the mirror? I don't get it.

Friday, June 18, 2010

Garry Shider's gone...

The one thing I do remember is the first P-Funk show I went to I got some good shots of him and George...I'll have to scan them in at some point...The light isn't the best [I was at the 9:30 club.], but you can definitely tell what's going on. Mr. Shider will definitely be missed.

In case y'all were wondering...


I was hesitant to put this up, because I don't know what type of crowd it might draw...I'm kind of shy...I'm trying to break out of my shell, but sometimes when I do it draws the wrong crowd, but that's open to interpretation I guess... This is another photo from my shoot with Renny Vasquez...


Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Re: True Blood comment

这是我得到的消息也。

To juliancu

沉思对我来说是一个进步...因为我的性格的工作这是我必须努力实现的成功,就像在瑜珈。

A big thank you

I want to give a big thanks to my friend Renny Vasquez, professional makeup artist and photographer. Go here http://rennyvasquezmakeup.com/#/?g=1 Without him my new profile pic would definitely not look as stellar as it does.

I couldn't believe the finished product was even me...It makes me want to try harder with my daily look too...At some point I figure that means I've got to get back into wearing contacts again. It's harder for me to do in the summer, particularly with my allergies and all, but I think in the long run, it just may be worth it.

There may be another session in the works [I definitely want to make magic again.], but we'll see what happens. I mainly did this, because I wanted to see myself glammed up before it got too late and I wanted headshots to get back into the extras business...I'm not sure you need headshots to do voiceovers, but it can't hurt.

I want to thank you again, Renny...(You will probably get sick of me saying it.) For taking time out of your busy schedule to make time for me. I know you will go on to do even more amazing things.

ETA: My cousin got so excited she thinks that I can be a catalog model...I like to eat a little too much for that. Not too mention the fact that my insomnia's pretty bad...I keep hoping the yoga will help. One of my aunt's also suggested acupuncture...If at first you don't succeed try, try again, right?

Another set of kids on the balcony...

I was on my way home yesterday, and this little girl was trying to get my attention. It sounded like she kept trying to say "Excuse me..." Her little toy football had fallen on the ground. It took me 4 tries to get it up to her. I had to set down my books, take off my bags. Teenagers were laughing at me miss. I wonder it's not on YouTube somewhere...She asked me to throw a dented aluminum can up to her, there I refused. She had to have been what 5 maybe? Her brother (younger) was sitting there watching the whole thing too. Last time this happened Daddy was in the background looking sheepish...This time there appeared to be no adults...That worried me...Maybe, I'm overthinking it, but I'm pretty sure I'm not...In the wrong place, with the wrong people, that's just dangerous.

Monday, June 14, 2010

True Blood 3rd Season Premiere Commentary--Spoilers!

I watched this and I was dismayed that Tara would decide to try and take her own life after Eggs was killed...somehow, I thought the character was stronger than that, but everyone handles grief differently...so I chalked it up to that.

Arlene...Insensitive much??!!! [Tara overreacted to both Tara and Sookier, but still...]

Kenya...I think she was salty at Sookie partially because of Eggs too.

Bill and Sam...Wow! That Sam was dreaming that...

Jessica...Poor baby...was it shock and paralyzing fear that kept her from figuring out that she needed to dispose of the body away from the house. I thought it was sweet that Hoyt wants to stick with her too...

Lafayette...He handled his biz last night...

Pam...I like how direct she was with Eric...

Sophie-Ann and Eric...Can't wait to see how they get themselves out of this...Hopefully it won't cost either Bill or Lafayette...

Jason and Det. Andy Bellefleur...That's going to blow up in their faces big time...and when Tara finds out, I doubt she'll look at Jason the same way again...They should have fessed up, hiding stuff just makes them look as if they have something to hide...Dude was wilding out and he had a knife...I don't care if he was purple with green polka dots, white or whatever. Self-defense isn't wrong...Only two people, both of whom were white, saw this, so of course any POC is going to be skeptical (Malice Green anyone?). And before someone sends me a barrage of e-mails or floods my comments field, I'm a woman of color. I try to be objective, but True Blood has a tendency to bring up some very heavy race issues at times...It doesn't make me want to stop watching at all, if anything it makes me curious to see the twists and turns the show will take...It also provokes thought...Not a lot of shows out there do this for me.

Lettie Mae...Why does she think that overparenting now, makes up for underparenting for X amount of years? You can't undo what's been done...you can only be patient, do the best you can do to prove you're going to do better and go from there...I think she's afraid of having no one(which I can understand)...especially after how Lafayette feels about her.

Can't wait to see the werewolves. }:D

Was very pleased to see Don Swayze.

Need to order another case of TruBlood before the season's over.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as the Riddler in Batman 3?




Just saw this blurb from Total Film on my Google newspage...If this is true...and he accepts the role...I know he's going to be good, but that would truly be some Twilight Zone ish to me, here's why. I think casting JGL was brought up almost immediately after TDK was released, I think the only question in people's minds was who would he be cast as?
There's definitely a resemblance...and both share an intensity in their movie performances... I'll be curious to see how this turns out... I particularly want to see how they'll update The Riddler...I haven't seen a version of him yet, that I particularly enjoyed...Guess there's nothing to do but wait and see...

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Being Human Response

生活本身是一个旅程...为什么我需要一个指南针?我有目标,我很享受我的爱好...这就是我的博客主要是关于...

VILF's, WILF's, What's up with Twitter Today? etc...

Can't get blending with my Stabilo pencils to work...Would be better of just buying light green and dark green (at least for now). I'm drawing a little tree...by sight...not from a photograph or anything for once...

Fangtastic Books had a True Blood Poster I like...VILF...Alcide may very well turn into my WILF...

Twitter has been overcapacity at least a gazillion times today...I've tried reloading the page...usually that works but not today...What's up?

Facebook won't let me respond to my messages, so I'm ticked about that as well...

It's rainy, windy, and cool here today...I've got to say I like that a hell of a lot better than I like rainy, hot, and muggy. I was talking to this dude in Utah yesterday about how summer weather is basically a coin toss, so you cherish those nice days when they come.

ETA: Didn't see Lady Gaga's Alejandro video yet, but I'm looking forward to it...She does come up with some amazing visuals...I think that's why I'm so captivated by her...The music alone doesn't do it for me.

Just found out about Douglas Kirkland's Thriller book coming out in October...It's got a holographic cover...I'm so jazzed. xD I wonder how many never before seen photos there will be...Accounts we didn't get to hear...I love stuff like that. I was also amazed to find this guy photographed Marilyn Monroe too...I'm something of a film buff, so I wouldn't be surprised to find that's why this dude's name sounded familiar to me. (Photography was one of those pursuits I had to set aside because of cost...maybe at some point I'll pick it back up again...It's something I never lost interest in...)

Monday, June 7, 2010

Being Human Season 1 Finally available @ BBC America Shop!

I love this show...I won't know how I'll feel about the American version until I see it ( I at least want to give it a chance.). I don't think it was necessary though. For those of you that don't know, the show is about a werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost that are roommates and the problems they have and how they get through them. If you are a fan of BtVS and AtS you should enjoy this show as well.

70's Nostalgia coming on strong (Part 1?)

I was watching a Marvin Gaye concert from the 70's on Centric...There was a woman singing the duets he and Tammi Terrell made famous. The woman had a feathered comb in her hair. This made me remember my mother's combs. On the rare occassions she and my father went out, back in the 70's, I used to love to watch her get ready...Every now and then she would pick these unique and exotic pieces...and they didn't cost a fortune either...She helped teach me it's knowing where to look...I remember she had a comb with a feather that was brown with white spots and a burnt orange color was in the mix too...She also had a yellow comb with artificial yellow flowers on it (dry rot may have gotten to this particular comb, I can't remember.). I wish I had a photograph of her wearing this stuff...Maybe I'll come across some and I can post them here...

Slowly, but surely...

Not too much to report...
I did some housecleaning this weekend. I recycled a great deal and reclaimed some of my bedroom space. I will tackle the closets hopefully next weekend...I have similar work to do at my dad's apartment...He wants me to do this 4th of July weekend...I would like to negotiate...Plus, I actually do some of my best work when he's not standing over me or giving me negative running commentary...There are times when he can be absolutely wonderful...but then there are others when I just dread coming over...(but I imagine this is the case with a lot of people and their parents...although it seems to vary across cultures...generation gaps, etc.) It's something I always think about, because I don't want to do him wrong and have it come back on me...No matter how hard he is to get along with at times, he's still my father...I have no earthly idea what to get him for Father's Day either...

I had library books I was raising to get finished, so I didn't get to draw like I wanted to. I attempted one drawing with charcoal, but it didn't turn out right...I'm going to try something a little different and see if that does it...I didn't want to get stuck in one MJJ era though...

Fried and baked some swai over the weekend...It didn't taste that different to me from some of the blander fish I've tried, like tilapia and whiting. I want to see if swordfish is more flavorful...There was another type of fish I wanted to try too, but the name escapes me. I love catfish, but I'd hate to get sick of it, I know there have to be more flavorful types of fish out there...I'm also going to try and see if I can't get some thyme and rosemary and learn to cut up some onions. I baked some chicken over the weekend too and it was terribly bland, if I do say so myself. Even the gravy (Heinz and canned and [way too salty probably] didn't help.) At least I'm learning...

Maybe I'll work some more on my tree drawing this evening after I run to the library...It's beautiful outside...It might even help me get to sleep.


L8er

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Gary Coleman

Please forgive me for the lateness of this post, but I didn't have in my head exactly what I wanted to say about Mr. Coleman and then today a strange thing happened...
I was doing an image search for Jackson Five cartoons, when I came across a misplaced image of Gary Coleman's cartoon(Google where are your African-American researchers? Do you need me? Because if the price is right...This is like the second time I've caught a misplaced image of an African American in Google Images. What do we all still look alike to you? I'd rant about this further, but that's a whole other post and then some. )...I used to watch his cartoon show on Saturday mornings in the 80's...I can't remember if it came on before or around the time of Mr. T's cartoon or not...I forgot all about Gary Coleman's cartoon. :( Which all things considered makes me feel bad. If I remember right, he played an angel and he had senior angel supervising him or something like that...It's been so long...I didn't want to wiki or Google to fill in the bits I'm foggy on, this time, I'm going from sheer memory.
I do remember him from Diff'rnt Strokes but that's a little obvious. So, I chose not to highlight that. I do have a favorite episode though. The one where Arnold and Willis find the tape with their mother's voice on it. Beyond that I'd have to think...
I remember Gary Coleman's appearance in Simpsons Episode "Grift of the Magi". That line "Whatcha talkin 'bout everyone." had me and my sister in stitches. I smile just now thinking about it. I know it was a long time before he was even comfortable revisiting his catchphrase, because he wanted so badly to move beyond it.
I'm saddened by his passing...One more person who I grew up watching gone...It's an odd feeling...


Wednesday, June 2, 2010

谢谢

谢谢夸奖,我发表的好文章你。我非常欣赏的赞美。

Dawn...

I woke up at 5 today and realized that it'd be futile to try and go back to sleep (I've overslept enough times to know.).

So I got up and wound up getting to work at 6:57. There was no way I was going in that early...I've learned my lesson about that. So, I decided to sit in the park and read. I also decided to draw some...I never felt so peaceful... I fed a bird...Then a squirrel jumped down out of nowhere (I think he wanted in on the grub. Unfortunately, I had only so much bread to go around.) and I was able to take most of the bs that came my way with a reasonable amount of grace. I kind of wish I'd had my camera.

I signed up for a yoga class next month, so I'm also excited about that.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Rolling Thunder

Hadn't planned on it, but for the first time I got to see Rolling Thunder this weekend. I was surprised to see quite a few Black motorcyclists participating. Don't think I didn't wave. :D Why are we so underrepresented though? There have to be more than what I saw...Are they discouraged somehow? And what about the Native Americans and the Asian and Pacific Islanders? I did see women, but a lot of them were riding on the same bike as the men. I didn't see too many by there lonesome, which also made me sad and contemplative...Like I said, I can't shut my brain off. I'm kicking myself now for not taking pics...Why I was downtown at all during that time is a story for a different post.