A Bunch of stuff that happened

R.I.P. Don Cornelius...

2012-02-01T08:40:00.000-08:00

I just found out about Don Cornelius...That messed my head up. I don't know all the circumstances, but that just makes me feel so badly.
I grew up watching Soul Train. It was something at times the whole family would sit down and watch. They had a documentary about Soul Train on not too long ago. I got all excited watching the commentary and rewatching some of the performances.

Stuff straight out of the Twilight Zone # 1

2012-01-25T06:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I'm reading Darkly Dreaming Dexter...I stopped into Pret A Manger for breakfast and as I'm leaving I notice a car mirror on the ground by a tree outside. I'm not kidding. I'm going to muck about and see if I can upload a picture from my phone...That was an odd coincidence that was just a little too creepy.

ETA: I didn't have my cell phone on me when I went to get breakfast. By the time I did manage to get back to where I'd seen the side mirror from the car on the ground, it was gone. I know about that "Pictures or it didn't happen" unspoken rule, but if I were going to hallucinate something, it'd be sooooo much better than the side mirror to a car. Trust!

Cool quote from Dr. Seuss...

2012-01-20T11:39:00.000-08:00

I just saw a quote from Dr. Seuss on Good Reads that I really love. I wish I'd seen this on New Year's Eve of the past year, because it would've been so fitting. Here it is:

"Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened."--Dr. Seuss

Etta James (Jan. 25, 1938 - Jan. 20, 2012)

2012-01-20T10:11:00.000-08:00

I kind of expected this, as I kept hearing off and on that Ms. James was ill.
She's another singer I regret not having had the opportunity to experience live. I'm embarrassed to admit that I only read Rage to Survive: The Etta James Story by David Ritz and Etta James after having seen Cadillac Records. That's usually what happens with me though...a biopic or something makes me investigate further...
Kind of like how I first got exposed to Etta James' music...
I do remember hearing "At Last" first...I think I heard a portion of it in a commercial...to this day, I couldn't tell you what was being advertised whether it was a fragrance or even what the fragrance or makeup was, but I made it my business to find out who was singing the song. lol
Then sometime later, there was a movie I was watching on cable...Eve's Bayou...and I heard "Sunday Kind of Love"...That was what made me break down and buy The Essential Etta James. So, by the time Cadillac Records came out, I was familiar with her music, but not really any of her personal struggles...I guess that's what made me check to see if she'd written an autobiography...I just really enjoy hearing people tell about themselves in their own words. It's even better, if it's done in such a way where their voice doesn't get lost in the telling. R.I.P Etta James.

Please chill out...

2012-01-18T08:57:00.000-08:00

The dudes on imesh are starting to scare me worse than the dudes on facebook. I'm not even looking for a hookup. :( All I wanted was to get KM Player. imesh came with it...little did I know. I made the mistake of putting that I knew Spanish in my profile and one dude came on like gangbusters in the chat window. My Spanish is rusty though, which I told him [I really do know basic Spanish. It's not like I just know a few words, but like I said, it's been years. I looked up the price to Rosetta Stone and almost cried. Even the sale prices are pretty steep. Hopefully people are getting what they pay for. ] and I didn't want to say something that would be misinterpreted...His English wasn't very good and well, all I have to say is thank God for Google Translate. I type really slow in Spanish or English, so I just wound up taking Spanish out of my profile...Also don't different Spanish speaking countries have different words for the same thing depending on the locale? I felt bad after the fact. Here dude is wanting to chat and I'm trying to multitask and chat in another language...The only problem is my brain could only take so much and I had work the next day.

So far...

2012-01-15T16:32:00.000-08:00

I managed to burn myself cooking Friday...It's not a bad burn, but I'll consider it a lesson learned just the same.

I'm going to try not to blog about what I've already tweeted about, that's kind of redundant and I hate unnecessary redundancy. It's a time waster. There's a story behind this, but I don't know if it's safe to tell here.

Got my taxes done...My sister was right about Turbo Tax. I'm glad I finally decided to give it a shot. I think I've only owned a computer for two years, but that it took me so long to do that...I'm embarrassed as well I should be I guess. I do still worry about identity theft, but I shouldn't let it paralyze me.

I've had a mostly productive weekend, the only thing I can't quite bring myself to do yet [The Procrastination Queen at her finest.] is to buy myself a new suit and a couple more pairs of slacks.
I caught a glimpse of myself in the bathroom mirror at work the other day and didn't realize just how bad I looked. [You know how when you've lost a little more weight than you realize and stuff doesn't quite fit right? And my blazer didn't completely camouflage it. I went downstairs to the employee store, but for some bizarre reason they only sell men's belts. ] If I can't find something at the stores I usually go to, I'll probably fall back on mail order. Mail order and eBay get me through when nothing else does.

Supernatural ... I keep hearing discussions about how some people want it to end like The End [S5 Ep 4]...That would break my heart...I know they're only fictional characters, but I want more for Sam and Dean than that. It's like everything they've gone through, would have been for nothing and they've been through so very much. I don't want to believe Bobby died for nothing either. [I like that the show sends the message There will always be something negative out there coming at you, but you can't give up. You've got to keep fighting. I'd like for there to be something uplifting in the ending of the show. I'm not expecting sunshine and lollis, but something...] I'll definitely be curious to see how the writers do decide to wrap things up.

I apologize for the lousy punctuation...I was an English major, but I was more concentrated on the literature side of things...That's yet another thing I'm trying to work on though.

New Year's Resolutions...

2012-01-04T07:21:00.000-08:00

I stopped with these a long time ago...I do have goals I want to achieve before the end of the year though...I guess it's one of those tomato tomahto things.

The voiceovers...I'm taking another class next weekend. :)
I need to get the snowball mike and some other supplies before I attempt the audition ringer class. I've already cleared space for a home studio though. That was one of the first things I did on New Year's Day. So if I'm not tweeting much, it's because I want to be more hands on.

As far as my laptop problems go...I've just bought Windows 2010 for Home and Office. I'm going to see if that doesn't fix some of my problems. Once I get Photoshop and a 4 in 1 printer. Then I think things will really start to pick up.

SOPA, Transit subsidy

2011-12-16T08:52:00.000-08:00

I'm really concerned about this...I signed a/the petition. I did call my congressperson...All I got was voicemail...That might've been due to the hour though...I work full time, so it's kind of difficult to stay on people like I used to when I was in college or when I was a temp. I not only want for this to turn out alright, I need for it to/too.

I also found out we're losing our transit subsidy, if Congress doesn't extend it. ...For me purchasing a car would be just as expensive, if not more so than taking public transportation. Again, I hope they don't do what I fear they might.

I do think about serious stuff like this more often than people probably think, what I don't like to do is get bogged down in it...It just angers and depresses me and then I'm of little or no use to myself or anyone else.

Star Wars Christmas Special?

2011-12-16T06:24:00.000-08:00

I know this post is a few days late...
I was watching Glee...I watch it off an on...
Anyway, I noticed Chewie...and someone said something about a Star Wars Christmas special. I was like..."Why don't I remember this?"...I was a Star Wars fanatic when I was 5. I figured that was something I'd remember...So I Google Star Wars Christmas Special and I catch a bit on You Tube!..Then I find out/remember Chewie has a family...Lumpy it turns out is short for Lumpawarrump. [They couldn't have come up with anything better than that name? Really?] I'm beginning to wonder if this isn't part of the reason I couldn't remember this special. I'm going to [re?] watch the entire thing this weekend, just to see if I can jog my memory and for nostalgia's sake, but rediscovering this stuff has been a trip. For the record, I like different things about both Star Wars and Star Trek.

Some thoughts on the Bag of Bones miniseries...(contains a few spoilers)

2011-12-13T06:03:00.000-08:00

I'm not going to do a full out summary because of spoilers and time.
I'm covering for an employee who's out at work and Christmas is always a hectic time for me. Those of you that can juggle these things like it's nothing...I salute you. :)

Maybe it was just me, but I feel like Pierce Brosnan overacted just a touch in places. I haven't seen a lot of his work, so I really have nothing to compare this performance to.

I tweeted about this but I also don't understand why they changed how Jo died. The death in the book made a little more "sense" than her just not being careful about crossing the street. [How do you get so distracted you don't see a bus...The thought alone is terrifying... I never want to be that distracted. Ever.]

I don't see a credit for the little girl that played Keisha Tidwell, but that little girl was awesome. I think Anika Noni Rose said it was the girl's first job too.

Something that amused me...and I think Mike Noonan was a bit slow in the book too...How could he not feel the differences between the two presences in the cabin? Sara's spirit always carried this undercurrent of anger to her. Unless we as viewers/readers never saw it, I don't think Jo had that about her.

I love that Anika Noni Rose tweeted both nights! : D I didn't even know she had facebook and twitter. I'm following her now...[What can I say? I'm slow. lol]

I never want to hear Matt Frewer say "booty call" again. [Just sayin'.]

Julian Richings...If it hadn't been for someone on either Twitter or the SPN list I'm on saying something, I'd have had that nagging "where the hell do I know him?" from feeling all night. [I told you I'm slow sometimes.]

The Sara Tidwell ep on iTunes...I stumbled across that and I was ecstatic...I've always enjoyed hearing Anika Noni Rose sing, but hearing her sing these songs [I love bluesy songs/artists. I love Billie Holiday, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Janis Joplin and so many others it made no sense to me not to have these songs.] ...I was just like does Bag of Bones have a soundtrack or did she release tracks on her own, I'd like to have these...and there the Sara Tidwell ep was. I wrote on ANR's facebook wall about finding the Ep.

The scene where we find out what happened to Sara Tidwell...if that was as difficult to film as it was for me to watch, I'm even more in awe of Ms. Rose. I started to tweet something to this effect, but she seemed to be trying to keep it light and I didn't want to harsh anyone's mellow.

Another thing that puzzled me and I don't remember enough of the book to answer my own question...What happened to Sara's bandmates while she was being attacked? [I've got to do a reread I guess, but I'm up to my eyeballs in books right now, including 11/22/63.]

The tree thing...I know they didn't have the budget to pull off what happened in the book and CGI can be either a blessing or a curse...but what should have been scary wound up being funny. I think they could've gone about that differently.

I was happy to see Mick Garris working on another Stephen King project, but I feel as though certain aspects of this could have been done differently, within budget to better effect.

I'm definitely not sorry I watched it though. I guess if I had to rate it, I'd give it something like 3 out of 5 stars.

I saw something this morning that messed my head right up...

2011-11-30T06:06:00.000-08:00

I was on my way to the bus stop and I was running late...There are lots of feral cats in the neighborhood. I recognize quite a few of them...Well anyway, I see this one and he or she is about to cross the street. Not a big thing...They dart across the street all the time. I turned my head for a split second. I don't even remember seeing or hearing a car go by, but they zip through all the time too. So anyway, I turn back around and the cat is laying on its side thrashing...I couldn't understand what was happening and then all of a sudden it stopped thrashing... I got closer to see if maybe I could do something for it... I was thinking maybe it was just hurt or stunned, but as I got closer, I saw neither of those things was the case and there was nothing I could do... To have that happen when I was so close by...I haven't told anyone about this...Usually I write stuff like this down in my print journal I keep, but I'm even worse about remembering to write in that, than I am about posting stuff on here. I wish I were tougher/stronger than this. I feel silly for still thinking about the cat when there was nothing more I could do. [I've been hit by a car twice myself. The first I can't remember if the fault was mine. They told me I lost consciousness, I don't remember that... The second time, was definitely not my fault and my right foot and left leg wound up broken...]

11/22/63

2011-11-23T06:05:00.000-08:00

I'm really, really enjoying this book. I'm about maybe a fifth of the way in...I do have a Kindle app on my iphone, and I'm trying to get a tablet..., it doesn't really bother me to lug a book of this size around though because I don't do it that often. [That's a subject for another post though. lol] I don't want to give away spoilers. I was pleasantly surprised by something no one hinted at in the reviews. I'll be very curious to see what Stephen King does with his Shining sequel. If what I've read so far is anything to judge by, I won't be disappointed at all. It's funny how people cringe [myself included] when they hear the word sequel, if they're written the right way though, they don't have to be a bad thing. [But again, that's a subject for another post...I wish there were either more hours in a day or I had more energy or both.]

Supernatural ChiCon 2011

2011-11-12T13:43:00.000-08:00

Fri 10/21/2011 -

I almost missed my flight. I'm a firm believer that I'll be late to my own fucking funeral when the time comes...I didn't used to be that way...I'm working on it though...
Metro yellow line was a joke. They were single tracking because of some problem. First they had us get on one platform, then they had us running to the opposite platform at the last minute. That could have been disastrous. }:( The signage to find the counter for United was confusing, I must have looked a mess, because this lady asked me if I wanted a wheelchair, I told her no and just proceeded to walk it off. [I was shaking and soaked, but I made my flight.]
The hotel check in went really smoothly. The Westin also has smoothest internet hookup for hotel rooms I've seen yet. I loved that they had the CW and TNT. I missed having my HBO and AMC though. I saw everybody's Q & A. Everybody's. Next time, I'd love to get a photo op with Chad. I really enjoyed his Q & A, it was my first time catching one of his in person. I was kind of disappointed that Creation held the Yes and No contest while people were at photo ops, but I realize they had to keep the people who didn't sign up for photo ops occupied. I think next time if I'm able, I want to try my hand at that too.

I'm sorry Alona Tal couldn't make it, I wanted to finally meet her as well...Maybe another SPN con?

A lot of the SPN cast have a way of making photo ops really entertaining. Rick Worthy is definitely one of them. ETA: I'm floored that he's actually following me back on Twitter now. He's the first SPN cast member to do that. <3

I loved watching the Shut Up Dr. Phil ep with everyone that was awesome. I also got to sign a card for Jared and Genevieve Padalecki who are expecting a son in March.
I went to the BBB concert. [BBB is short for Brian Buckley Band btw.] I had an amazing time. I'm so glad I went. It was my first time going to see them live. We got to hear some new songs too. I'd love to see them perform live again. Creation has been cracking down a lot and I had an aisle seat, I've also been something of a clutz lately.
Next time I think I'll try to bring my camera anyway. I also think having a tote or a mid-size purse might be another smart thing for me to consider. I came alone, so I didn't have someone to really watch my stuff consistently. I'm getting off track though. Brian and Mike signed the CD I bought. I also finally got a BBB T-shirt, I can't tell you how ecstatic I am about that. I wish I could get one of those wristbands too. That would be awesome!
I also got a surprise I didn't expect at all... Jared Padalecki was at the show and he was running back and forth so much at one point, I thought he'd left. Anyway, Mike was signing my CD and Jared asked me if I was at the show. I said, "Yeah. I loved it. It's my first time seeing them live." He said something else I don't remember. [I'm sorry, but I'm lucky I could put a sentence together. I was just that nervous.] Then, he held up his hand for me to high five him. [I'm saying this with love and a bit of awe...His hands are huge.] I hesitated I guess for a split second, because I was in disbelief. [He gave me puppy dog eyes for a minute...and I was thinking to myself...I'm not going to leave you hanging, I'm just in disbelief at you is all...] I don't know what the expression on my face was, but I was in a happy state of disbelief, if that makes any sense. I smiled and did high five him. [His hand was warm and kind of moist. I remember this distinctly.] The crowd was crazy, so it was easy for me to disappear after that. [My knees had turned to gelatin and I wanted to sit down without looking like I was swooning.]
Karaoke...That was crazy. There are pics all over.
Again, carrying stuff with no bag is a pain in the ass, if you come alone to a con. Do not do this.
I wanted to sing, but I wasn't sure how to sign up...I think maybe I'll get up the nerve to try next time. The crowd surfing tripped me out. I didn't actually get to help pass anybody until Mark Pellegrino jumped off the stage though.

Highlights: I don't know the woman's name but she sang a Roxy Music song that Grace Jones covered. She is my shero.

Mark Pellegrino singing AC/DC's Big Balls.

Brian Buckley singing

Guy Bee singing AC/DC Dirty Deeds

I also did the photo op with the Karoke Kings. I ran down at the last minute, because I forgot my ticket. Then I had to take off my jacket and unclip my phone and lanyard. Richard being Richard said, "That's a lot of disrobing for something that's only going to take a couple of minutes." I laughed and I think I apologized too.

Sat 10/22/2011 -

I don't know how I woke up in time for the first Q & A, I honestly don't. The first SPN con I went to, I missed the first day. If I can avoid it all, I try not to repeat that same mistake. I missed catching Corin last year and I grew up watching him, so I was determined to catch him this year.
I'm not going to break down all the Q & A's here, as most likely they are all available online if you know where to look. If you don't know, send me an e-mail and I'll let you know where to try.
I loved the advice Amy Gumenick had to give on acting. I also loved the fact that no matter how many times someone was on the show, there were always questions for them. Questions ranging from future projects, or return appearances, to even hypothetical questions. I loved how Matt Cohen and Richard Speight Jr. would go up and down the aisles. I also loved the story Richard told about how the first Karaoke party went and how after that, he made sure they were a lot more lively. This is what I love about participating in all three nights of a convention.
When Richard was signing for me, he asked if I was having a good time. I emphatically said "Yeah." and nodded. I don't know if he thought I was just being polite or what. I really did have a good time though. What he probably saw, was my contacts having been in too long [my eyes were prob. so red it was embarassing] and me looking a bit tired and overwhelmed, which means I probably need to get out way more than I do.
I loved the music vids. Some of them prompted me to go looking for new songs and bands to put on my iphone.
Sebastian Roche and Mark Pellegrino's Q &A...smdh lol Poor Taylor may as well have just put her hands over her ears when she saw them coming and not taking them down 'til she saw them leave.
I was bummed I missed the film pitches. Some people came up with some pretty cool ideas.
Misha's panel...He ran a bit late because he was stuck in traffic. As far as him being rude...I think that depends on one's perception. I didn't think he was, but that's just my opinion. It was my first time actually meeting and talking to Misha and I'm glad I finally got the chance to. I do sometimes find it hard to tell when he's joking or not though, like when he said he liked my earrings, as I was leaving his autograph signing. I did say Thank you though.

My fave costumes of the costume contest: Veritas and the suicidal teddy bear.

SUN (10/23/2011)

I was silver again at this con, just like I was in NJ..., so I wasn't at the breakfast. Next year barring the unforeseen, I'm going gold...Not sure about Vancouver 2012 yet...Anyway, back on track.
I didn't tape this time, because I was seated right on the aisle, and I was terrified of getting kicked out. It was just way too stressful to contemplate. I'm always amazed at how people still find ways to get clips up and online. I know it's against the rules, but I love how the clips make those that can't attend for whatever reason feel like they're there. For the longest time, I wasn't able to attend and the clips were all I had. I can see both sides of the debate though, needless to say I'm more than a bit conflicted.
Getting off track yet again...Sorry.

The Jensen photo ops were first...I didn't mean to open my eyes that wide, but I was trying so hard not to blink and I already knew their schedules were tight. What's amusing is Jensen can't even see my face and he kind of looks like he's trying not to laugh. As for why I didn't move in a little closer,...I was afraid of seeming to touchy feely and it was my first time meeting him, so I wasn't sure what to expect. As it turns out, I had nothing to be nervous about.

My photo with Jared and Jensen...let me explain the expression on my face...
My favorite Queens of the Stone Age song was playing. [It was all I could do to keep from dancing and singing...] When I finally got up to them, I exchanged "Hellos and How are Yous" and everything. I was feeling absolutely no pain and all I could think was please don't let me blink or accidentally pull a Lilith. I wish I'd gotten the chance to talk more to everyone there, but we already know how that goes.
A fandom where one or both of the leads actually come to the conventions...How rare is that? I never thought I'd actually see it.

My photo ops with Jared...[Yeah, I ordered two...] Ok the reason I ordered two is because I couldn't make up my mind to just do the standard pose or make a silly face with him. I absolutely love it when he does that and I wanted something to make me smile at work when I'm all stressed or bummed out.
Funny story behind me trying to tell the women who were taking the tickets and Jared what I wanted without freaking everyone out [I don't think I saw anyone else do that. smdh]...I was babbling a mile a minute to the girl who shows you where to stand. I only caught her name once and I can't remember it to save my life...[Stress does that to me. :( ] Jared heard me babbling and asked if ? was giving me any trouble...He looked serious, but I knew he was playing...The people that were looking on were probably wondering what was wrong with me or knew exactly what was wrong with me. I was all nervous and my heart was jack hammering in my chest so hard I thought it was going to break through. So, I'm shaking my head at him...[I think it was as much to clear my head as for anything else. I wanted so badly to say...I love the interaction I honestly do. I love you more than my luggage, but they will not be pissed at you for holding things up, they will be pissed at me. So, really quickly I explained that I had bought two photo ops with him and what I wanted. I think somewhere I threw in a please and a lot of head nodding, because I think we were told we had two minutes or something to take the shot. I don't know how Jared understood what I said, because I'm pretty sure everything I said came out one long sentence. What he did in the silly face shot is exactly what I saw in my mind's eye and I didn't get all detailed with what kind of silly face [2 minutes], so that kind of freaked me out a bit. The second shot,...I had it in my head not to squeeze, so what did he do? He surprised me with the hug in the shot [I'm not sorry....I'm just not.], so again, I'm not standing quite as close as I probably should have been.

Jared always floors me. Always. [I'm sorry this second photo looks so washed out...Still working on getting a scanner and Photoshop and stuff, but I keep getting thrown curveballs....Anyway, back to Chicon 2011.

Jensen's autograph signing...He said "Hi" and asked me how I was and I did the same in return...I figure at that point all the faces kind of run together, unless it's someone who has been to like every con...so I wasn't offended. I wanted to say and/or ask so much more, but I knew the drill, so I kept it moving.
Jared's autograph signing. I said "Hi" to Jared and told him my name...I tried...really I did, but I just can't with "Babe" not even from him. I'm sorry. He said something while he was signing, but I just couldn't catch all of it...[For being able to complete a sentence, I guess there had to be some consequence, right? lol ]
I think the jist of it went like this
Jared: Ternell?
Me: Uh huh...
Jared: I'm sorry I don't have more time to talk to you.
And then he winked...
Me: That's ok. Thank you a gazillion times... [I can't believe I said that aloud, but I did. Dollars to donuts I bet everybody at the autograph table was cracking up. I can't contain my dorkiness for shit.] And then I hurried up, got out of sight and sat down before my knees gave and I faceplanted or something horrific like that.

Guy Norman Bee...I want to bring something to have him sign at the next convention I hit. His are among some of the cast members tweets I enjoy.

I'd also like at some point to work up the nerve to say hi to Clif, but I'm still not sure...They had stills of him at the con, but obviously he doesn't sign while he's working...I follow him on Twitter too though.

Come to think of it, I think I follow pretty much all the SPN cast and crew that tweets. lol It's one of the shows that I enjoy just that much. Sorry I took so long to post about this. It was definitely a blast and one of those experiences I'll never forget.

Still can't quite seem to get it together...

2011-11-07T05:53:00.000-08:00

My apologies...I was supposed to have completed my ChiCon SPN 2011 report, but Saturday was bananas and then Sunday...I was just kind of off...I don't know whether it was the time change or what. You'd think it would've lit more of a fire under me, but no...lol

Most of what ate up my time on Saturday was getting that blasted IKEA table put together (Thank you, Papa!) and Verizon installation. The IKEA table...I was doing everything right, but I didn't have the tools to cut the screws to the appropriate length...To go through all the stuff you have to go through at IKEA to get your furniture you'd think the screws would already be the right length. I've purchased two other items from them and never had this problem before. Never. I see now why most people either love or hate that store.

Verizon installation...that was a unique experience too...but it was worth it, especially to finally be able to use my laptop anywhere in the apartment without trailing cords everywhere.

By the end of the week, unless something else crazy comes out of left field, I should have my con report up...Although by this time, I don't think anyone's really tripping over it but me...You probably got a little taste of what I'm going to say anyway if you already follow me on tumblr or Twitter. I am on facebook, but not as much...

Later

I finally managed to track down that game I was looking for and a new one to boot.

2011-11-02T06:12:00.000-07:00

Limbo was the name of the game I was trying to think of and that is available on Playstation 3 amongst other platforms, but not the iphone...I guess all that stuff I see on G4's X-Play tends to run together past a certain point. lol

I did find a game called Oscura though that is available on the iphone...so I downloaded that. I love Words with Friends, but this'll be a nice change of pace. :)

Updates across the board

2011-11-02T05:36:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's taking me so long to post my convention update [SPN ChiCon 2011] here. With work, errands and a bunch of other stuff I've been juggling, it's been hard for me to find the time to finish typing and making sure the photos will load, etc. Plus, I'm going to explain [or attempt to explain...lol] stuff here, that I haven't gotten the opportunity to explain anyplace else.

I keep putting off getting a scanner, because my priorities keep shifting. I'd like to take care of Christmas shopping for my nieces, but can't seem to get a hold of my sis. To say it's bumming me out big time is an understatement. Not sure what to get my dad, but I want to surprise him with something for Christmas too...He keeps saying not to get him anything, but I refuse to take no for an answer...

I'm also astounded I actually got a couple of new followers. Thank you! :)

Decisions, decisions

2011-10-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

I've decided not to continue posting my thoughts on eps of the shows I watch. I can't rightly call them recaps and it's not fair to expect you all to wait while I catch up to technology [as far as making gifs, etc.]
It's not that I haven't enjoyed doing it, but I don't enjoy it enough to keep doing it without seeing any type of response on the blog itself. I even tried it on tumblr. I got I think maybe one note and that disappeared. Also since I'm taking more voiceover training, I don't think my schedule would allow for too much more leeway anyway.
Thank you to all who glanced at some of my posts and told me what you thought on Twitter, etc. I didn't forget or overlook you.
Just trying to eliminate stress for myself wherever/however I can.

My thoughts on Supernatural Seas. 7, Ep 3 Girl Next Door (Contains Spoilers!)

2011-10-08T13:21:00.000-07:00

First off, I want to say that Jensen Ackles did a wonderful job directing. I think what I'd like to do sometime today is look at both eps he directed back to back and see if I can pick up any signature stuff. I love doing stuff like that. I enjoyed how we got to see stuff from Dean's point of view for a little bit when he was on the morphine for his leg.

Bobby - I knew he wasn't dead, mainly because of spoilers. There has been some speculation that perhaps he was Leviathan!Bobby. I really hope not. :( Time will tell.

Dean - The scene where Dean was trying to get out of the hospital bed on his own cracked me up. Where he thought he was going, esp. without crutches, I don't even know. I was worried for a while that he would get left behind at the hospital. I was relieved when he made it to the ambulance Bobby comandeered [How Bobby managed that, I'll never know, but that was Badass.] The part where he was watching the telenovelas cracked me up too. [I'd really love to know what started him watching that kind of thing. ] His sawing the cast off after three weeks also cracked me up. [I wish I had Winchester healing power. Really.] I do not hate Dean. I kind of feel like some stuff he did last night was like taking two steps forward and then two back though. Dean socking Sam when he came back from confronting Amy...Ok, Dean couldn't have known that she knocked Sam down too, and I get that he wasn't thrilled with Sam taking off with the Impala and just leaving a note, but if Sam's still hallucinating and he had a concussion 3 weeks ago, is knocking the sh*t out of him smart? I know they've hit each other before, but still... I just wasn't happy about that. I also thought Dean calling Amy a freak was unnecessary, especially when he knows how words like freak and monster make Sam feel. Maybe he felt like it was Ruby 2.0 revisited...I know once trust is lost...it's depending on what's happened, it can be very difficult to find again, but still...
As far as Dean killing Amy goes...It reminded me of the part in Kill Bill Vol. 1 where Vernita Green's little girl walks in and sees what Beatrix [Beatrice?] has done. I don't know how to feel about this...I do believe Amy or the boy would possibly have killed again. But if he would have killed the boy too...I'd be even more conflicted...And then who was the boy saying he could go to? They better hope it's not one of the Leviathan or else this is going to totally turn around and bite The Winchesters and possibly Bobby too. [ No pun intended.]

Sam - The scars on Sam's hand and the fact that he's still having the hallucinations, make me wonder why Dean thought it was ok to send him to the store, but not ok for Sam to work a case on his own.
The cake and pie thing... I don't think Sam meant to be insensitive when it came to that. Maybe the store didn't have pie. Maybe the pie in the store looked nasty. Maybe Sam's one of those people that thinks all sweets are the same. Or maybe he doesn't like sweets at all and so would probably never get that cake is not pie. We'll probably never know, but I don't think he deliberately brought cake back to mess with Dean.
Sam thinking of himself as a "freak" ... That messes with me so bad. I won't bore you with all the reasons why here, but I just...it's painful to watch and I mean that in a good way, if it's even possible to say such a thing.
Colin Ford did an amazing job as always playing Young Sam. That scene where Amy shoots Sam down at first when he's trying to talk to her...I was just like Wow! I loved seeing him back. Also, that line about 8 years...Was there some significance to that particular number? [I know way to read too much into sh*t, right?]

Easter eggs - When Dean dozes off in front of the TV they give a nod to My Bloody Valentine in 3D.

Amy Pond the alias Amy uses is from Doctor Who. She is a friend to the 11th doctor.

The rock aliases: Lemmy Kilmister [Motorhead] and Lars Ulrich [Metallica of course]

Unpopular opinion: Ok, so far as I know Kitsune are Japanese in origin. Casting a Japanese actress or Japanese American actress would have made more sense to me here. I'm all for open casting and all, but this was a bit of a stretch, even for me. When a particular figure from folklore is unique to a region...I feel like it's important to retain some aspect of the culture. The actresses playing Amy did excellent jobs, I still stand by my opinion though.

My thoughts on "End of the affair" Vampire Diaries Seas. 3, Ep. 3

2011-10-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

Damon - Has no shame. lol I loved when Gloria essentially told him using his charm on her wouldn't work.

Gloria - Made it to the end of the ep. I feel like that is a huge victory in and of itself. I still want Lucy to come back.

Stefan - I have nothing to go on here, because there is no Rebecca in the book. Just because Klaus made him remember doesn't wipe away all his experiences and feelings for Elena though. I feel like if anything, this will only just further complicate things.

Klaus - The running from someone premise...Didn't we see this before with Katherine? I'm starting to get bored with Big Bads running from Even Bigger Bads. I guess that whole idea just doesn't make sense to me, because sooner or later you have to hit the top of the food chain, don't you? (I'm sorry, but it has to end somewhere.)

Rebecca - I just felt nothing...I'll give it a few episodes. Also, if she threw that much of a tantrum over her missing necklace...I don't even want to see the one she's going to throw if/when she finds out where it is.

Tyler - I can't profess my love for him enough.

Sheriff Forwood - I think she might finally be over seeing Caroline as a monster. Caroline needs at least one of her parents to have their head on straight. Thursday night was just heart wrenching.

Caroline - Candice Accola...There are a lot of talented people that make up this cast, and she is one of the ones that can put on performances that leave me truly speechless.

Elena - I can't figure out whether she's ready to give up on Stefan or not. I don't want to see that, but if Klaus finds out she's alive...I really do see what I predicted in one of my previous posts happening.

Katherine - Couldn't figure out for the life of me where she was last night. Also, I wish they'd not waste that character. She just seemed like so much filler to me.

Bonnie - We finally get to see her again next week. Not that I'm not over the moon about the introduction of Gloria.

No Jeremy, Vicki, or Anna :(

The 1920's flashbacks - They were alright...Maybe Boardwalk Empire has spoiled me here. To be fair though, the CW is not HBO, and the flashbacks were not the whole of the story. I'm also not an expert on the period, so I don't know how accurate they were or weren't, what anachronisms there were, etc.

My thoughts on Supernatural Seas. 7, Ep 2 Hello Cruel World (Contains Spoilers)

2011-10-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

Bobby - Bobby called Cas a friend. I loved this. I'm not certain where he is, but I know Bobby's not gone. Devastated about his house though. No more panic room either. :(
Also that line about Sam not being curled up beneath the sink...I'm going to hope he was just being facetious and Sam was never literally curled up beneath the sink. [He's in such bad shape it definitely wouldn't be that far fetched, except for he's going out of his way to prove to everyone he can function.]

Sheriff Rhodes - I was worried for her when she passed out. I love that she kept Bobby in mind. She thought quickly and she had one of the best lines in the ep.

Castiel - The zombie shamble thing that Leviathan caused just made me sad. I refuse to believe he's gone. We just saw the coat. No body, no wings... On the other hand, the vessel (Jimmy Novak) has been through so much. I don't know. For once, I want to think positively though.

Dean - I love the way he hung on to Cas's coat, I didn't expect that. It took something happening at Bobby's and possibly to Bobby to get Dean to admit that he wasn't ok. That broke my heart.
Dean might possibly be on his own and with a broken leg...I have to know how they get out of this...[You have to carry me...I didn't know whether to laugh or cry about that line. I think I did both. These poor dudes...]

Sam - Where do I even begin? The way he started, when Dean woke him...[This poor guy...Can this be fixed? ] That line that Sam and Lucifer say at the same time..."You can't torture someone who has nothing left for you to take away." That was creepy, sad, and very effective. And then, that look that Sam has on his face when Dean asks him, if he can see Lucifer as they're talking.
The part in the warehouse...it's funny a tear fell before I even realized I was crying...And then, when Sam was repeatedly digging into that cut...I just felt so very badly for him...
Dean's speech to Sam kind of reminded me of Pt. 2 of Bargaining in Seas. 6 of BtVS, the part where Buffy asks Dawn if she's in Hell and then Dawn has to convince her not to jump from the tower again, because she's all messed up.
That nervous, self-concious little laugh he gives the real Dean when he assures him he's not seeing any white rabbits.
The blow to the head...won't that make things even worse? And Sam was seizing???!!!!
I was positively incoherent at/about the cliffhanger. [If I said I wanted Jared Padalecki to stop blowing me away, I'd be lying.]

Lucifer - Mark Pellegrino has that menacing, funny, and sarcastic thing down.

The allusions from The Bell Jar, to Alice in Wonderland to A Beautiful Mind...I loved them all.

And the use of The Doobie Brothers "Black Water"...I was absolutely giddy.

Edlund and Bee did a fantastic job. IMO Edge of your seat viewing.

My thoughts on Meet the New Boss (Season 7, Ep. 1) Spoilers!

2011-09-24T04:31:00.000-07:00

Slow Ride by Foghat to open the season ...I was a bit surprised and I don't quite get it. But I love the song though.

The Title card sequence...I don't love it, but I don't hate it either.

Crowley - I love the humour he injects. We also got a new nickname for Sam. I kind of like Giraffe better than I do Moose, but...meh. [Why can't we just stick with Puppy? Why? Ahem...sorry getting off topic.]

Bobby - He saw what Dean couldn't. That really struck a chord with me. Even in the scene where Bobby's coming down the basement stairs and Sam is freaking out...and Bobby paused for a minute probably having flashbacks to what Soulless Sam tried to do in the Appointment in Samarra ep, he didn't let on.
This is one of those episodes that showcases how much Bobby is like a father to Sam and Dean.

Death - I want to see him pop up again, but then again I don't, because he was po'd at Dean big time.

Dean - I get why for a while last night Dean was just like we can't fix this...I know he's not the only one who's tired, but everyone's got their own coping strategies...Some good, some not so good. I feel like the important thing was he pulled himself together and that he tried to help Cas. As for trying to help Sam, I think they'll delve into that more next week. It's only like a 40 min ep and they can only really solve one crisis at a time. I think sometimes that has a tendency to be forgotten.

Sam - I already had an inkling of what we were in for, because of the previews. When the nosebleed started I knew my heart was going to get ripped out...Those hallucinations were brutal and it makes me wonder what the frequency of them was...Will they be coming more frequently or lasting longer and is there a way to stop them? I'm guessing some of those questions will be addressed next week, but I just felt so badly for Sam. And then, the scenes where he was flinching...I think when Cas threatened to put him back into the cage or the pit or wherever Sam flinched. And I definitely remember seeing him do it when Lucifer was messing with him. Despite all this, he still reached out to Cas...This episode is one more example of why I love this character. [ I didn't want to spam tweet, I didn't want to gush and I didn't want to fangirl, but I mean every word of this post. Note: There is no way I could miss that black V-neck shirt, but if I blog in detail about it, I will need a bib. I am so very sorry. I just can't. Thank you.]
That being said, can't wait to see what happens next week.

Cas/Godstiel/Leviathan - Misha Collins was beyond amazing last night. Godstiel didn't seem like a villain to me, I think Leviathan warped his intentions though, as we saw at the campaign office. I'm terrified of Leviathan. I'm also amazed that Godstiel's power to heal still worked with Leviathan in there. I love that Cas apologized. I kind of wish both Sam and Dean had gotten to hear it though. I also believe that Dean does care about Cas, he just has a lot of trouble demonstrating that to anyone but Sam, and even then, he still seems to have a little trouble. [It's the whole "No Chick Flick Moments" thing.]

My thoughts on The Hybrid (contains spoilers)

2011-09-23T11:52:00.000-07:00

Stefan - He just kept killing me last night. I know we are only two eps into the season, but Paul Wesley's performances have been part of the highlights. No question.

Klaus - Kudos to Joseph Morgan also. I say this, because for two seconds last night I actually felt bad that he only had one other comrade. It's easy to make people hate a villain, but to make people sympathize and/or give the villain complexity, ...To me, that's something that takes an extraordinary amount of skill.

Elena - I was going through a mental pros and cons list in my head as far as Damon and Stefan go and I think I have something of an idea of why she's conflicted. I have a sneaking suspicion we may also get vampire Elena at the end of this season and she will remember what Damon said.

Damon - I didn't like the way he pressed Elena out to admit that she was worried about him, especially knowing how strong her feelings for Stefan are. In this way, I kind of like the way books handle the triangle better.

Alaric - I was so happy to see him get back into the swing of things and take that freaking ring back I don't know what to do.

Ray Sutton - I just felt badly for that whole pack. [They were wandering around like zombies after a bit. Gave me the heebie jeebies it did.] I also didn't recognize David Gallagher at all until someone said something...but I can probably count the number of times I've ever watched 7th Heaven on one hand.

Tyler - I was so happy when Matt clued him in on the vervain I didn't know what to do. [ I think I even applauded.]

Carol Lockwood - It's scary to me that she didn't know about the werewolf thing, but she knew about the vampires.

Matt - I enjoyed seeing more of him last night. I don't know how to feel about the offer he made to Tyler...I can't figure out whether or not he was genuinely trying to make amends or trying to knock out the competition.

Vicki - Did she say she could come back? I'm beyond creeped out and I don't have a good feeling about what's about to go down at all.

Anna - I love seeing her again...I have another question about this ghost thing. If they both don't want the same thing, why did they come back together or at the same time? This whole thing is just weird, but I'm curious to see where it leads. I'm also enjoying trying to figure out what's going on...

Jeremy - I think he's in over his head, especially with Anna saying not to trust Vicki. I also think he needs to stop looking up spells on the internet before he screws up stuff even worse.

Bonnie - Is she going to be in next week's ep? I'm seriously starting to miss her. I would also like some confirmation that she has an actual life.

Caroline - Vampire Killer dude is her daddy? I just wanted to cry...And then to end the episode like that.
I hope she doesn't die [again]. She's one of my favorite characters on the show.

Vampire Diaries Season 3, Ep. 1 -The Birthday - Spoilers!

2011-09-16T05:40:00.000-07:00

Damon - It's my own fault, but the bathtub scene just had me going "Meh" *shrugs*.
Andie's death, I like that he didn't just zip out and have a meltdown. He still had a tantrum, but still he seems to be maturing...I guess with Stefan gone, he kind of has to. It seemed like he wanted to apologize to Elena for what happened to Stefan, but he stopped himself.

Elena - I'll be curious to see what leads up to what the promo posters were hinting at. She seems very like Katherine in them. What changes her? Again, I'll be very curious to see.

Klaus - He was kind of in the background last night, but he was still no less frightening to me.

Stefan - Paul Wesley thoroughly creeped me out in a way I had absolutely no idea he was capable of. Kudos! And that scene where he called Elena...The way he telegraphed the emotions on his face...you could just see all the things he wanted to say but couldn't.

Alaric - Why is he leaving?????!!!!! We're just now getting to really know/see him and he's leaving? You know what this reminds me of? And I feel like it was a mistake here too. It reminds me of when Giles decides that Buffy doesn't need him anymore and he splits [and later winds up coming back.]. With all the stuff he knows about vampire hunting, etc? What sense does it make for him to leave? I was just so sad to see him go. He needs to come back. Maybe he will after he's had time to grieve/heal?

Andie - I was amazed she came back, especially after how she was sent off last season. And then, to be toyed with the way she was last night. Even though I found the character annoying, I didn't want that for her. And the way she kept calling out Hello...I was like "Run! if you sense something off for pity's sake." Sheesh!

Bonnie - I wish she'd physically been in the actual ep. :( I'd also like to see more of her family members, rather than just hearing them talked about, and I know I'm not alone here.

Matt - It's worrying me that he spoke to Caroline at the party like that. He's a wild card for now, I'm hoping he sides with her rather than against her. I have a feeling Vampire Barbie is going to need all the help she can get this season.

Jeremy - I feel badly for him, but I don't think getting annihilated is going to solve his problems any...

Tyler and Caroline - His lack of tact last night cracked me up. I'm also glad he and Caroline finally hooked up. I don't understand why she left though. I feel like Tyler is the better choice for her, because he understands/can relate to things that Matt wouldn't be able to. But clearly Caroline still has feelings for Matt and she's conflicted. I hope this isn't going to turn into one of the more tedious TV love triangles, because at this point I can't deal...

Carol Lockwood - I thought she was just doing the pissed off/disrespected Mom thing and then she shoots Caroline with wooden bullets and tranq darts. :( What's that all about? It can't be good. And does this mean that Liz's days as Sheriff are numbered? To lose an ally on the police force would seriously damage one of the major advantages the Salvatores have had. I suppose they could create more, but with the same type of clout and from one of the founding families? I think not.

Ray Sutton - I want to see a few more eps before I comment on him. Beyond the fact that I felt bad for him, I have nothing.

True Blood Season 4 Finale When I Die - My Thoughts- Spoilers people!

2011-09-12T11:26:00.000-07:00

Seems like this season just flew by. :(

Still unhappy about the Mavis thing.

Jesus - When they first introduced this character, I wasn't sure of him. But as the episodes went on, I grew to enjoy him and his relationship with Lafayette. I truly hated to see him go last night. It felt so convenient and cliched. I also liked having a season where for once there are quite a few characters of different ethnic backgrounds. (Native American, Hispanic, and African American...I loved that. I really did.)    I would have liked to have gotten to know a little more about Beulah before they offed her too, but that's another post.

Marnie - All the trouble she caused and people she hurt and she gets to go skipping off to the afterlife? Really? I'm sorry, but the no one ever listens to me riff just doesn't cut it. I could relate to her and her anger before, but not once she'd started taking lives.

Andy - I find it ironic that Holly was dressed like a fairy, when she and Andy met up. I think that fairy woman is coming back to collect, it's just a matter of time.

Terry, Rene, Arlene, and baby Mikey - What is Alan Ball even doing with this storyline?   I don't even think he knows.

Pam - Again, I sympathized.

Ginger - I love her.   She wasn't glamoured into hugging Pam, which makes me wonder...
Maybe she and Pam have a thing like Jessica and Jason? I don't know, but I think the hug was sweet.

Sookie and the triangle or is it a quadrangle now? -   Is it bad that the main focus of the story is not only annoying me, but boring me to tears? [I'm thinking of Pam's rant now and smiling.] This is similar to the problem I'm having sticking with The Vampire Diaries [Stefan/Elena/Damon forever and always...]. When stuff picks up with the secondary characters, if the triangle thing is getting redundant, I can just kind of tune it out. I think the only reason the triangle thing never drove me bananas on BtVS, was because eventually Angel left town and other male and female characters were brought in to keep things interesting. I think TB needs another female to be added to the mix to keep things interesting. [Not another Lorena or Queen Sophie Anne...someone entirely different.]

Nan - Can't believe Eric killed her. BAMF Eric is definitely back.

Alcide - I just felt so sorry for him.

Debbie - She had it coming.

Jason and Jessica - I didn't expect Hoyt to be down with them being together. :( I'm not sure how I feel about the casual arrangement though. That blood bond is going to complicate things.

Sam - Shapeshifters are kind of a ragtag bunch in Bon Temps. Who's going to help him out with the fallout from killing Marcus? Alcide won't wuss out, but that's still like to dudes against an army. :(   Maybe Luna knows some folks ?

Lafayette - Doesn't he deserve a break? At the end of Seas. Eric snatched him up for dealing V.   Season 2 was the mess with Maryann and the Eric hallucinations. Season 3 he caught something of a break once he met Jesus, but now he finds out he's a medium...And Jesus never did get to show him how to keep from being possessed again. I suppose he could channel him or something, but it's not the same. :(

Tara - Again, basically the same the same question I'm asking about Lafayette only with a substitution of pronouns applies for Tara as well. I'm not saying other characters haven't had a rough time of things, but she was dealing with her Mom in the first Season, then there was the whole thing with Maryann, then she loses Eggs, then she is preyed upon by Franklin...She escaped Bon Temps for a little while, but since the relationship she established was built on a lie, I don't think it would have been a truly healthy one unless she came clean.  As much as she doesn't understand Sookie's decisions sometimes, in the end she still sticks by her, which is what we saw last night. I just hope she doesn't wind up paying the ultimate price. I also think that if she is dead, even if it's just temporary and she's resuscitated, Laffy will know before anyone else. It would be a devastating blow for him to lose both his man and his cousin.

My Thoughts on Soul of Fire (contains spoilers)

2011-09-06T10:16:00.000-07:00

Jason - I love how he let Bill, Eric, Pam, and Jessica know about Sookie. I wish the Jessica/Jason pairing was doomed to angst, because I actually like it. I wish Hoyt would find someone, just not Muffin Girl. I'll tolerate almost anyone but Muffin Girl.

Pam - I felt badly for her. She and Eric need to be on the same sheet of music again...They work best that way...

Debbie - I'm sorry, but she brought Alcide casting her away on herself.

Alcide - Killing Marcus opens up the wolf politics thing doesn't it? I'll be curious to see if they choose to diverge from the book on that or not.

Andy and ? - Doesn't Andy have enough problems without this too? And now poor Terry's probably going to feel like it's his fault.

Jesus - I love how he took charge, but I'm just dumbfounded at how it never occurred to him that Marnie would try to come back. It seems like people underestimating her is her biggest asset.

Marnie - I was right in that she wasn't what she appeared, just wrong in how the story would unfold. That amuses me.

Ok, now here's where I'm about to sound off again...5,4,3,2,1,

Lafayette - Ok, WTAF??????!!!! Now the first time a ghost flew into his mouth was Tio ? in Mexico. The second time was Mavis...Shouldn't Laffy have figured out to clap his hands over his mouth or something if he's going to scream? Sheesh!!! Somebody in my timeline...I think her Twitter name is Sneeka suggested Lafayette get a talisman or something. He really should have something like that. I have no idea how they're going to get out of this. Whatever they decide to do, I hope they can do it without killing off Lafayette. Or if he's got to "die" to get Marnie to release her hold...let it just be for a few minutes.

My thoughts on Spellbound True Blood Ep. 8, Season 4 (contains spoilers)

2011-08-24T12:22:00.000-07:00

Jessica - I'm so happy she's alright, it's not even funny. She's one of my favorite characters. Her complexity, the way Deborah Ann Woll portrays her, just everything.

Eric - As much as I hate to say it, I'm more than ready for the old Eric to return. This one is too much of a liability, at least when there's a necromancer about.

Marnie/Antonia - I have no idea how they're going to stop her.

Jason - I love that he's determined to do right by Hoyt even though he's got feelings for Jessica.
This whole triangle is just so messy and one I never would have seen coming. I still don't think we've seen the last of Crystal either, so it just might turn into a quadrangle (is that even a word? Much less a possibility a love quadrangle? )

Tara - I still don't understand how she can blame all vampires for the actions of a few. She's more like book Tara now and for once I'm not happy about faithfulness to the book.

Marcus - Is the father of Luna's child [Can't remember the little girl's name :( Emma? ] I never saw that coming.
And what's with some of the weres looking down on shifters? Is that jealousy or what?

Lafayette - That whole thing with Mavis was just crazy and where was Jesus?

True Blood Season 4, Episode 5 (Contains Spoilers) - Me and the Devil

2011-08-09T11:13:00.000-07:00

Eric -- I love this Eric...I never thought I'd hear myself say that, but I really do.

Alcide -- Although I think his display of power was admirable, I think he needs to watch his back.

Tara--I was upset with her...I don't feel like she gave Sookie a chance to explain herself. I understand that she was traumatized, but I feel like if anything that should help her understand how complex stuff can sometimes be, not hinder her ability to understand that. Then again, different people cope with trauma in different ways.

Sam and Tommy -- I'm glad to see them bonding again. Didn't expect the Mickens's to go so early in the season...

Pam-- They better hurry up and figure out a way to break the spell Marnie/Antonia cast or else there will be nothing left of her. Also...Pam's betrayal of Eric...was that OOC or is it just me? If she didn't crack when the magister [?] was torturing her, so why would she crack now? I can understand her fear, but I this just didn't ring "true" for me.

Arlene, Terry, and Mikey - Does this woman ever think before she opens her mouth? I love how
Terry took charge, but in a gentle way...

Reverend and Mrs. Daniels (Lettie Mae) - If I hadn't seen and experienced some of the stuff I had in the past year or so, I'd be screaming stereotype. I don't think what they did worked...I don't know if it's lack of true faith or not enough mojo, but I just don't think it worked.

Jesus's abuelo - I don't have a good feeling about him...

Holly - It's been almost two seasons, and I'm still not sure what to make of her.

Sookie - I was so happy Sookie could hear Gran too, I didn't know what to do.

Jason, Jessica, and Hoyt - That's going to get messy. :( I enjoy Jason's and Hoyt's friendship and would hate to see something wreck it, but I think this will... I think Hoyt showed up in Jason's dream because Jessica exchanged blood with Hoyt for a year or longer rather than just feeding on him [this is why no one could tag along on Eric and Sookie's ride...He fed, but he didn't exchange blood with another human.]...I'm kind of hazy on how the whole bonding thing works...

Portia -- Bill must have really put it on her...For her to be that bent on being with him [I'm sorry, but I'm with Bill on this one. Some stuff is just Wrong.]...I was amazed that he actually had to glamour her to get her to leave him alone...

Andy Bellefleur - He needs help...That's all there is to it, and the sooner he gets it the better. His character is no fun to watch this way.

Oh Toure and Tichina Arnold brought up something on Twitter that bugged me too. We finally saw a Black vampire and he wound up getting choked out. :( Which led to a brief exchange on why we can't get a powerful Black vampire on this show. [I'm keeping my fingers crossed for this. I was sorry they killed off the Alpha vampire on Supernatural so quickly too. He was absolutely amazing *Gave me chills he did. ;)* and played by Rick Worthy.] There was also an amusing exchange asking why it's possible to choke a vampire, when they can't breathe...This came up on Buffy and Angel so many times, that after a bit I just ignore it, no one ever gets it right and besides if you want to get technical since it takes air to talk, etc. There'd probably be a whole lot that vampires really shouldn't be able to do. I guess it's just up to us as viewers how far we want to suspend our disbelief in able to enjoy the show.

True Blood Seas. 4, Episode ? (Contains Spoilers)

2011-08-09T10:56:00.000-07:00

Jason - I'm both relived and disappointed that he's not a werepanther. I think I understand why Alan Ball did it though.

Tommy - Just when I feel sorry for him, he winds up doing something messed up. :(

Luna - I know she didn't know Sam well. But I'm going to hope that when Sam explains what happened, Luna is able to be of some help to Tommy. I also wonder if Tommy even can be saved at this point.

Maxine - I don't get her at all. I just don't. If Tommy had any remorse about taking her money from her before, he won't now.

The Ghost lady/Mavis - I want to know who she is. I wonder if it's a Bag of Bones type deal? I want to know what's up with the dolls and how is it that Mikey [?] can see her? Does seeing spirits run in Arlene's family? Or Rene's? So many questions! I also wonder if it wouldn't have been better to give her a season all her own if she's that powerful of an entity.

Eric - His answers turned out to be just the right ones...As much as I love this version of Eric. Once he gets his memory back, I'd like him to be some kind of combination of the two. I don't think it'd be at all realistic to have him, just go right back to being exactly the way he was.

Andy and Holly - That could work, but only if he kicks the V...It's a pairing that I didn't see coming, and I actually kind of like it.

Alcide and Debbie - I think I like this version of what happens between them a bit better than what happens in the book. As far as Alcide and Sookie hooking up...Not from the way this ep ended, but I'll admit part of me would like to see her with a "supe" other than a vampire.

Marnie/ Antonia - I hope whatever/whoever Jesus and Lafayette brought back from Jesus's abuelo is strong enough to take her down, otherwise they're in trouble.

True Blood Season 4, Episode 7 "Cold Grey Light of Dawn" Contains spoilers

2011-08-09T10:51:00.000-07:00

Jason - What's Crystal going to say/do when she finds out Jason isn't a werepanther? She is so not playing with a full deck.

Jesus - I was glad to see him stand up to his abuelo. He needed to do it.

Lafayette - So he's a medium too, huh? For some reason, all I kept thinking about when he was in the diner was Whoopi Goldberg in Ghost . How is everyone going to respond to this. I know Sookie won't treat Laffy like a freak, but Arlene...smdh.

Tara - I don't think she should have sent Naomi off. I know she was trying to protect her...but I just don't feel like that was a good/smart choice...

Bill - I had a bad feeling about him not using more silver to chain up Jessica, and I was right. He's made some pretty crappy decisions as King so far...I would like to see this change.

Alcide - Who knew?

Debbie - She's going to drive Alcide away herself and then blame Sookie. I'm almost sure of it.

Marnie/ Antonia - She's going to be tough to beat...Extremely tough. I have a feeling Lafayette and Jesus are only part of the equation.

Ghost Lady/Mavis -

Tommy - He's going to come back, just like a boomerang or a bad penny. Watch.

Sam - Why would you let someone out of your sight that can shapeshift into you????!!!! I thought he was smarter than this. He was angry I know, but he definitely didn't think that through.

Luna - I'm glad she's not dense and it didn't take more than one episode to convince her it wasn't really Sam that she was with.

Holly and Andy - I wanted that date to work so badly. :(

Beulah - It would have been nice to get to know her before she became a crispy critter. }: (

Pam - She's going through a lot...hope it works.

Ginger - She is a laugh riot. I don't know that the chainmail is going to hold Pam, unless she had silver chains in addition to the chainmail. The way Pam was making that coffin bounce, I think Ginger better call for reinforcements.

Eric and Sookie - They are killing me softly, but I love every minute of it.

True Blood Seas 4, Ep. 4 I'm Alive and I'm on Fire...Contains Spoilers!

2011-07-20T06:22:00.000-07:00

I didn't realize that what I tweeted about spontaneously combusting last night kind of fit in with the title of the episode last night. Funny when you think about it. :)

Jason - I felt so badly for him... I'm glad ? cut him loose.

Crystal - I just don't even know where to begin...At first, I thought she was scared, impulsive, and indecisive, now I know she's just crazy.

Marnie- I was wrong about her...She's getting jerked around almost as badly as everyone else. I'd love to know more about Antonia.

Luna- She's got a kid...Didn't see that coming at all.

Bill- Portia's related to him...I think I remembered some of this stuff from the books [It's been a while since I read them], but I didn't think things had gone that far between them. [Eww! Beyond awkward!]

Pam - I've never seen her shaken up like she was last night. Antonia/Marnie is going to be a formidable Big Bad for this season, no question about it.

Jessica - I loved her for noticing Jason last night, because Sookie seemed oblivious.

Sookie - Ok, now granted she's got her hands full with Eric, but it would've been nice for Sookie to wonder where Jason was or something. I don't know exactly how long he'd been gone, but...that just bothers me... It also bothers me that she didn't freak out more over Eric draining Claudia.

Eric - I want to gush, babble, and squee here, which is something I never do with Eric, so kudos to Alexander Skarsgard. Once he gets his memory back, it'll be interesting to see how he'll change, if he changes at all, etc.

Alcide - One of the best things that happened to this show...Starting back up with Debbie, when he's still clearly got feelings for Sookie is going to cost him. [This is a no brainer, whether you've read the books or not.]

Debbie - is a ticking time bomb.

Joe Lee - I'm not liking what he and the mother did to Tommy at all. If he just had half a chance to get his stuff together before it's too late...As far as Sam goes, I can't figure out whether he's just oblivious or underestimated just how rotten Joe Lee is. I see this turning out tragically and I hope I'm wrong.

My clip from NJ Con 2011

2011-07-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

A little bit about what's in store for Sam in Season 7...Sorry it's so short. I'm new at this.

The Games We Play, a supernatural fanfic - FanFiction.Net

2011-07-13T17:22:00.000-07:00

The Games We Play, a supernatural fanfic - FanFiction.Net

Recommending this not only because this author's fics are absolutely stellar [I wish they were actual eps and parts of eps, that's how much I love them.], but visualizing Sam and Dean playing basketball...what's not to love.

True Blood, Season 4, Epidsode 3 If You Love Me, Why Am I Dyin' recap (contains spoilers!)

2011-07-13T17:11:00.000-07:00

Marnie - is a manipulator, but she may also be a puppet too...[So many layers...I love that in a show!]
Who was the woman in the mirror and who Eric saw? I'm very curious to find out...

Crystal - I get that she's trying to help her folks and all, but to put Jason through all that and she's supposed to love him...That to me is one of the truly scary things about this ep.

Alcide -   I'm so happy to see him... Mmmph :) I hear Joe Manganiello has signed on for some more seasons too...I think those of us that have read the books can basically just throw everything you know out the window, you'll see why later in this post.   I'm surprised that Alcide is back with Debbie, I think it may be in part out of guilt, but we'll see.

Debbie - Was the blonde hair her idea or Alcide's? Either way I was a bit freaked out by it. She seemed to be trying so hard. I feel like she's a tad bit easier to feel sympathy for on the TV show.

Jessica -   I think it was a huge, huge mistake to glamour Hoyt. :( I understand and can relate to why she did it, but that still doesn't make it right. She totally pulled a Damon from TVD [It's not cool when he does it either.].

Hoyt - I feel like if he had been a tad bit more flexible/sympathetic, Jessica wouldn't have been desperate enough to glamour him. I'm not blaming him. Two wrongs don't make a right. I feel like they both did/said things that weren't called for.

Tara - Why do I feel like she and Sam still have some chemistry? Also the longer she stays in Bon Temps, isn't her girl going to come looking for her and won't that put her in danger?

Andy Bellefleur - How did he get that strung out?   Maybe I'm naive, but what the hell happened over the past year to do that to him? I know he was under a lot of pressure, but I just didn't see this in his character.
I feel like we need a flashback ep to explain this, because I'm still somewhat in disbelief.

Maxine and Tommy - She tripped me out collecting the little dolls. [Speaking of dolls, what's up with the little decapitated dolls? This has been going on since last season, so I'm prettty sure it's not something Arlene's baby is doing. Or if it is, it's not something he's physically doing. Perhaps he's telekinetic or whatever you call it? Anyway, let me get back on track here...] Call me a softie, but I don't want to see Maxine get ripped off by Tommy and his folks, however nasty she can be.   I don't think he just wants a little of her money, I think he means to wipe her out. :(

Claudia - I hope that wasn't really her, otherwise I'm going to be more than a bit upset. And the sad thing is it's Bill's fault. :( She was one of my favorite characters in the books.

Pam -

Supernatural Parsippany 2011

2011-07-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

I left on Saturday morning. I had to practically move Heaven and Earth to do it, but it was my first SPN con and I was determined. I got a cab to the train station quickly and I made fairly good time on the first leg of my train trip, but the second leg there was track maintenance, so I wound up catching a cab to the airport. (Thank you again to the gentleman on the segueway.) My flight to NJ was on time, as a matter of fact we got here early, but I had to check my bag, because the jet was so small, so I lost time waiting for it. By the time I got my luggage, I found out that the hotel was like 40 minutes away from the airport and there was no shuttle, which kind of bummed me out, but I handled it. In retrospect, I'm never flying out on a Saturday again if I can help it, because in certain parts of downtown D.C. there were absolutely no cabs. If it hadn't been for segueway dude, I don't think I'd have made it to the convention. [He went and found a cab and told the cab driver where I was.]

I got to the hotel and got settled in. The first person I actually caught was Jason Gowin.

I did hit the Vendor's Room, but there weren't as many vendors as I expected. :( The ones that were there had some cool items though. I wound up buying a poster that I still don't know how I'm going to get home fairly undamaged. [I let Sam Winchester get me into more trouble than a little bit.] I also bought some photos for my photo ops, I usually like to bring my own, but for some reason this time I didn't.

I was at Matt Cohen's Q&A...He and Richard Speight, Jr. are part of the reason I was so bummed at missing karaoke.

I loved the Costume Competition... There was a girl dressed as Ruby [2.0?], who actually had the blackout contact lenses in. I was really impressed and creeped out at the same time. I loved how this convention was paced. There had interactive activities for the audience in between the Q&A panels. I loved seeing fanvids I hadn't seen before and some I had.
I wish I'd had more money for the auctions. Adam had some awesome packages put together for the most amazing prices. I was just floored.

The Movie Pitch Idea Session I've never seen anyone do anyplace else. I really enjoyed that. I heard a lot of ideas that I would so pay to see. One woman that I clearly remember had an idea about a movie with Sam and Dean set in New Orleans...I think it'd be cool, because I love New Orleans. I've always been fascinated with it and wanted to visit. That being said, I don't want to see Marie Laveau portrayed as a villain. I feel that there should be good Vodoun practitioners and maybe deluded ones that want to use Sam...[I'm as serious about Vodoun being thought of wrong as some Wiccans are about witches...]

I was afraid I'd missed my chance to get a photo op with Steven Williams, but somehow I lucked out and got a makeup photo op with him. He asked me my name. I told him. He tickled me, because he said my name taste's good in one's mouth. I didn't know how to take that. : D [This is like one of the friendliest casts ever.] I love Steven's work and just couldn't imagine not getting a chance to meet him. I think I've tweeted about how I grew up watching 21 Jump Street and The X-Files, not to mention the fact that he was in Cooley High and The Blues Brothers. This man is a living legend period. <3

Complimentary autographs...I didn't even know I got these with the package I bought. As a result, I didn't buy as many photos as I should've. At the next con I attend, which if all goes well will be ChiCon 2011, I will make this up to them if it kills me. Just hope they don't ice me, because that won't end well. I can't chug those things...I will puke. [It happened to me in VA on the Anger Management Tour 2002] I don't drink a lot or often. I'm a lightweight.

I met so many wonderful people waiting for this or that. I met Aaliyah, Eric, Mary, and JLowe. I feel like I may be missing some people and for that I'm truly sorry. I'm way better with faces than I am names.

Sunday

I got up early, because I didn't want to have to wait too long for my photo op with Jared. I was shaking something terrible. I remember The Doors "Roadhouse Blues" was playing shortly before he came in...That's one of my favorite Doors songs...I was also the only one wearing a Moosekateer shirt, which I couldn't understand for the life of me. Somebody said something about Jared's hair smelling nice, I wish I'd gotten to smell it, but I can't jump that high and I didn't really want him to bend down. Something about the size thing just...I like the the way the photo turned out. I got a faceful of pec, but I don't/didn't care. He held me close, (so solidly built...mmmm mmmm mmmm. I'd never act a fool, but that was over way too fast. ) Jared is one of only a handful of men on this planet that can get away with calling me "Babe".

After that, we saw this guy's sweet Impala and that's where these pics came from [I think my words as I raced to the car, were "I can't not do this."]

So, after that, was Jared's Q&A... I've got a snippet that's up on YouTube [Look under TheKali1973], it's some of what to expect in Season 7 regarding Sam and Hell. I wish I had it transcribed...You're probably better off going to YouTube to get a better recap of that. I could go for days off that washing the car scenario... : D Jared tripped me out referring to himself in the third person, when he was talking about pranking in the panic room...[I don't remember hearing him do that before...I found myself tempted to ask, well if you're not Sam or Jared, who are you? But why encourage him further? ;) Normally, I don't like it when people refer to themselves in the third person, but like I said, sometimes there are things Jared gets to do, that no one else does. ] I also enjoy Man Vs. Food...Twilight Zone ep mention...I'm going to have to look that Shadow Man ep up on Netflix, because I don't remember that particular one.

I can't believe Misha was really serious about the Tibetan throat singing. I loved that. He is so unique. I'm digging playing Words and Friends too. I don't think I could beat him though. I haven't won a game yet. I don't quit easily though. :)

Autographs...Jared's a trip... [I love him. I love Gen and I'm looking forward to meeting her at ChiCon 2011. ] He winked at me and it threw me. At some point I must have went on autopilot, because I responded to what he was saying... He said hi and asked me how I was. I said hi back and said fine and asked him how he was.

Then Jared tells me he likes my shirt [Undone. Done for. Undone.] Then, he says something to the effect of he's sorry, because he's got candy [If I remember right, I think he had Sour Patch Kids] in his mouth [I could still understand what he was saying, so I didn't mind.]. Then he said something about the taste of the candy ...I don't remember what, all the circuits in my brain were frying at that point. [Jared may have told me all this innocently, but he just looked so mischievous the whole time...Yup, just go on ahead and push all my buttons. S'okay. ] I don't know what I was looking at him like, but I managed to respond to what he told me about the candy. I told him I've got TicTacs in [Powermint, 'cause I don't play with fresh breath ever.], i.e., the candy being in his mouth isn't a thing. He looks down for a second, and his hair is hiding his face, but I can see his shoulders shaking and I think I've made him laugh. I don't know if it was what I said, or how I said it or what. Jared thanked me, I thanked him and then I hurried up and left, so I could get some air.

Richard Speight did another Q&A, which I enjoyed. Once I arrived, I caught everyone's Q&A to me everyone brings something special to the table. I loved some of the suggestions people were giving for other shows The Trickster would put Sam and Dean in. I heard The Simpsons, I heard Glee, I heard a bunch of amusing ideas. I also enjoyed Richard Speight's question about what happened to the real Loki/Trickster that Gabriel was impersonating...I definitely want him back on too. I really hope this happens!

Before Brock's Q&A spnmom from PhotoBucket gave me some photos. I was in such disbelief I asked her at least 3 times if she was sure about giving the photos to me. She gave me 5 glorious shots. Two of J2, One of Jensen and 2 of Jared. I thanked her. I also got to meet Grandma. So many really sweet and cool people here. Can't wait to enjoy all three days of ChiCon.

Thought it was wild how Richard Speight pranked Brock with the Ice twice and then sent 3 or 4 people in with some Purple Nurples. XD A fan asked Brock what he'd like to see from his character for an SPN ep. He said he'd like to see Sam and Dean on their first hunt. I would absolutely love this. Furthermore, it gave me an idea...I'm not sure how he and Colin feel about TV versus movies or about being locked down long term, but I'd love to see a spinoff series with them. Sort of a prequel thing. I've heard an idea about a Samuel Colt show being bandied about, but I could see a show with a younger Sam and Dean too. The fandom loves them, why not?

I truly had a blast at this event, I feel a little guilty saying I was sad when it was over. It was truly worth every penny. There were snags here and there, but nothing like TVD EyeCon. (At least not that I saw or heard.)

*I posted two shots of the Jared pic so y'all could halfass see which Moosekateer T-shirt design I was wearing. I also still don't have a scanner. I'll try to get one before the end of the year, but life keeps throwing curveballs...

My thoughts on True Blood Seas 4, Ep2 "You Smell Like Dinner" (contains spoilers!)

2011-07-06T08:35:00.000-07:00

Jason - The licking...I know they're shifters, but that squicks me right on out.

Queen Sophie Anne - Bye Bye. I didn't dislike her as much as Lorena [and even her I wound up feeling somewhat sorry for.], but she still had to go.

Bill and Sookie - Sookie went to Bill to escape Eric? Really? : / This has got to be one of the most annoying love triangles I have ever witnessed. Bill being in London in 1982...Tell me why Spike from BtVS popped into my head, I kept half hoping he'd show up. I know somebody is working on this fic, if it isn't already up. Bummed that now what happens with Eric will be partially Bill's fault, which it wasn't in the books.

Eric - Arrogant and manipulative as always. It'll be interesting to see what he's like after the witch's spell. The thing with the cubby...that came about differently in the book too...If I were Sookie, I'd almost believe it was an act at first.

Nan Flanagan - She's way more powerful than I imagined.

Crystal - Who's side is she on? I'd hate to see how she'd treat Jason if she didn't love him. *shudders* This is why I find it really hard to like her. I don't know which scares me more Book Hotshot or TV Hotshot.

Tara - I was scared it'd take her longer to come back to Bon Temps.

Arlene's Baby - Her saying messed up things to him, can't be helping his state of mind. Also I've got to wonder how this ties into Luna's storyline. That bad seed thing is a kind of connection between the two of them.

Pam - Best Line of the ep: "He pulls good string". XD [In response to Sookie saying she didn't want to be Eric's puppet.]

Jessica - I never thought of Jessica or Hoyt as stupid or naive. Are we really supposed to believe that they didn't anticipate at least some of these vamp/human relationship pitfalls? I guess I should've seen this coming, but I didn't.

Marnie - I definitely don't by that she's in a trance or unconscious of what she's doing when she does it. She might need power to draw on from others in the circle or whatever, but I think she's fully aware of what she's doing and what she needs to do it. It also doesn't take a genius to figure out that she came to town with an agenda.

True Blood Season 4 Premiere Notes - She's Not There - Contains Spoilers!

2011-06-27T06:16:00.000-07:00

Lafayette - I love him with Jesus, but I'm still hoping that whatever Jesus's motives are, he genuinely loves Lafayette.

Sookie - That thing with the fairies was just weird. Mostly from literature and folklore I already knew the deal about eating or drinking anything, and time moving differently. (I was bummed about Sookie's grandad. Gary Cole's an amazing actor too, the wasted him here. It was like Hello and Goodbye. That to me just added to the pain.) Seemed like she was struggling to keep Bill at arm's length

Claude - looks nothing like I pictured him...I'll give it a few episodes before I make any snap judgements though.

Bill - Curious as to how he got to be King and not Eric. They seem not only to be diverging from the books a bit, but mixing some of the storylines from different books together.

Jason - I feel really sorry for him, because ultimately he seems like he's just trying to do the right thing, especially by the people in Hotshot...I've read the books, so I know what's coming. It still makes me sad.
Where is Crystal anyway?

Eric - He tripped me out with how he did the commercial, as opposed to how Pam did the commercial. I'm amazed that he thought that Sookie would just melt when he said "I was the only one that never gave up on you." He's persistent and he's got gall, which is part of what tickles me about him.

Nan Flanagan - She pulls no punches, I enjoy her everytime she's on.

Arlene, Terry, and the little baby whose name escapes me - I'm not crazy about this storyline...I guess because it feels so cliched/forced. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for Terry and Arlene to have a storyline, just not this one.

Sam, Luna, and the Shapeshifter meetup group - Please don't let Luna be another Daphne.

Tommy hanging with Hoyt's mom - Absolutely no good can come of that.

Marnie - When she was channeling Eddie (Eddy?), she creeped me right on out and again with the bird.

Tara or Toni - I just don't even know what blew my mind more...I was aware of some of the spoilers for this season, but not all. I was thinking about Sam's dream about Bill last season and guessed all wrong. I also feel like this sort of came out of left field. We got hints with Willow on BtVS in "The Wish" episode. It's been too long since I've watched Xena to fully elaborate, but there was subtext and obvious stuff with Xena and Gabrielle too. I couldn't figure out what Alan Ball was doing with this decision for Tara/Toni...Is it to get the viewer thinking about how being gay comes about? Ie. Is it heriditary? A choice one makes? Getting fed up with the opposite sex? Different cases for different folks I'm thinking, but I digress... I liked how the guy who wanted to play voyeur was dealt with. I think wailing on him would have been to easy and possibly sent the wrong message. One thing's for sure, I don't think Naomi will be too happy when she finds out she's been lied to.

No Alcide - Boo! There was a lot going on, but still...I missed Alcide.

The "She's Not There" Nick Cave cover - I loved that playing over the end credits. I love when music is used to reinforce or tell a story. I love it!

Just mucking about

2011-06-24T16:47:00.000-07:00

The title of this blog is a Simpsons reference. I've talked about that before. Anyway, I got the bright idea to Simpsonize a photo of myself and maybe the idea behind the name of my blog would click better for people. Most people probably think it's me being really lazy regarding thinking of a title I guess, but no. :)
So anyway, I find that the Simpsonize Me website hasn't worked for some time. The Simpsons Movie website had a little thing where you could make an avatar of yourself, so I gave that a shot instead. Here my Simpsons avatar is:

I don't have eyebrows in Springfield, which kind of annoys me. The longer hair is because my hair has grown. Thought about a smile with teeth too, but it just wound up looking weird. Well, what do y'all think?

And Now for the Cosmic Egg's Next Trick Chapter 1, a Gilmore Girls and Supernatural crossover fanfic - FanFiction.Net

2011-06-22T07:03:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago someone on my tumblr dash mentioned that they'd like to see a fic where Sam Winchester meets Dean Forester. I was mucking about on FF.net and actually found one that's pretty good. :)

Here it is:

And Now for the Cosmic Egg's Next Trick Chapter 1, a Gilmore Girls and Supernatural crossover fanfic - FanFiction.Net

Can't believe...

2011-06-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Can't believe I only posted one entry for May 2011. I've got to do better. The more I take on, the more difficult it is to find time for everything. I've also been drawing again...Somebody on tumblr suggested Corel Paint 11 or 12 to me, but I saw the price for 12 and I was like...Whoa! [or Woe]. :( I can't do that, put aside money for savings, and go to Conventions [Right now it's SPN]. I don't know what type of advancement, if any I may get this year, but that only goes so far, even with cost cutting. I may just go ahead and stick with 11. Before anything though, I have to get to the bottom of my Windows 7 problems first. It's like it's installed halfway or something, if that's even possible. I'm somewhat good with technology, but nowhere near as good as I'd like to be yet.

Under Your Spell, a supernatural fanfic - FanFiction.Net

2011-06-13T08:43:00.000-07:00

Under Your Spell, a supernatural fanfic - FanFiction.Net

I love K. Hanna Korossy's SPN fics. I read a lot of different writers on FF.net and LJ, but most of the SPN fics I've read are hers.
Definitely check this fic out, it's well worth the time.

Playing catch up yet again

2011-06-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

This is something I'm working on daily...trying not to get overwhelmed by doing too much.

Can't complain too much about work at all...It's allowing me to do what I love on my downtime...whenever I have an off day, I try to keep that in mind.

This heat...and it's only June...I don't know what I'm going to do... :( It was close to 100 yesterday, I don't remember ever experiencing anything like that before...Global Weirding I'm telling y'all. Mr. Friedman is right.

Going to my first SPN con next month. I'm excited...I think I get more excited with each new con that gets covered on YouTube...I think SPN Season 7 also starts shooting again next month.

During the Hellatus, I was going to do a Season 1-6 rewatch, but what I may do is a top 10 or 20 of favorite Dean focused eps, Sam focused eps, and the ones that seem to be equally about both regardless of first appearances or title...For example, I feel that the Skin ep is just as much about Sam as it is Dean. The same thing goes for Sam, Interrupted.

I'm drawing again...for right now, I'm using some tutorials I found online. Unless something else moves me. I know one WIP I'm working on right now...I'm sort of having to use references from a lot of different photos...

The Death of Osama Bin Laden...

2011-05-02T06:08:00.000-07:00

Ok here goes...It's not like I won't take a small victory where we can get one, but we'd be foolish to believe someone else won't pop up in his place. I thought I'd get a little more wordy, but that's basically how I feel about this whole thing in a nutshell.

Yet another BRTMMGAN

2011-04-22T17:55:00.000-07:00

Jason Momoa

Just...Oh My Damn! I remember him from Stargate: Atlantis...

Oh yeah, the acronym...It stands for Big Rascal That Makes Me Go All Non-Verbal. Dwayne Johnson is the BRTMMGAN that first got my attention.

I'm still looking for a pic of Idris Elba to include that I like that everyone hasn't seen fifty times...Can't wait to see him in Thor and the Ghost Rider sequel.

My last one kind of snuck up on me, I'll elaborate more in another post though [as something tells me I'll be doing a bit more blogging on Supernatural as well before all is said and done.] Jared Padalecki...

Ideas for Supernatural's Seventh season...

2011-04-19T13:25:00.000-07:00

Just heard they may be planning a musical episode or an animated episode...Can't imagine how they'd pull off a musical episode unless it's similar to BtVS's OMWF only with a hard rock feel to it.
As far as a cartoon...I read a tweet from one fan that said she'd like to see a Chibi Dean. I love Chibi SPN art. [Hey Kyelinn!] I also saw another Supernatural cartoon piece on Deviant Art where Sam and Dean are drawn like characters from a Saturday morning cartoon show [Sam looks a combination of Fred and Shaggy from Scooby Doo...It's odd...and then there's a dog...A lot of the Saturday morning cartoons that were based off of TV shows would have some anthropomorphic sidekick...I don't remember Star Trek having one, but the Happy Days cartoon did. I think the dog's name was Mr. Cool or something like that.] Maybe have them animated close to the way they are in the comic and/or like Supernatural: The Animation. [Can you tell I'm just getting warmed up? I'd run if I were you...]
Or and here's what I'd like to see them do...combine all our ideas and do something kind of like the Batman the Animated Series episode "Legends of the Dark Knight". I think that'd be fantastic...the only troubles I could see them running into here, might be costs and time...I think they're cool ideas though.

Have I mentioned how much I love this fandom?

Mystic Falls Tour (2nd of two sets of pic posts)

2011-04-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

Drawing a blank as to the swans name, there was more than one, but this is the one that was out when we were there. I had on Skecher Mary Janes that were made like sneakers, but I didn't expect the ground to be quite so marshy...I'm kicking myself that I didn't get a closer shot of those dog statues on the grounds...When/If you got to Covington and take the Mystic Falls Tour definitely wear sneakers.

Mystic Falls Tour (1st of two sets of pic posts)

2011-04-03T05:10:00.000-07:00

Met and talked in greater depth with Larry Steinberg and Ana from Portugal who is going to uni in London. She came to icon to get Ian's help with starting an environmental organization in Portugal...or perhaps a branch of the ISF there [I do so much better remembering stuff when I take notes, my memory is not what it used to be at all...]...She had a proposal written up and everything...

We had breakfast at Square Perk. We took pictures out front of the Mystic Grill too. I thought about it, but I had no makeup on and it was drizzly and cold. I took pictures of the location itself and was more than happy to assist people in getting their pics... I felt sort of like a spot of pepper in a salt shaker, but the tour didn't go quite as horrificly for me as I imagined it might.

I loved Jessica's anecdotes...? [Can't remember the gentleman's name, but he was an extra in The Walking Dead.] told us she never tells the same story twice...I wish I could've made it down when they were actually filming something particularly at night, that would've been the icing on the cake. Still, it was an amazing experience, as it was the first tour of it's kind I've ever been on.

I did enjoy what we were shown though, regardless of not getting to see any actual filming. I had the worst time getting what little baggage I had on the plane, because it was so crowded. If it hadn't have been, I definitely would have bought more books, etc. I've always been into pop culture, history, and architecture, so not once did this tour drag for me. It was excellent. There was a little walking, but we were driven to different spots as well.

TVD Eyecon...

2011-03-29T17:51:00.000-07:00

I probably should have blogged about this as it happened, but it was just too much to absorb...lol
That and there was much chaos, but I'll get to that later...Also, don't think for one moment that I wasn't grateful to have the opportunity to attend...I truly am grateful and the memories are definitely ones that I will cherish. I was sad I didn't have as much time to socialize with certain Tweeps   EyemJusMe66 and romancialove [I was stuck for a minute...It's always a bit surreal to be right in front of someone you're only used to watching on TV or an the computer.] among them.    I'm a bit introverted, so if this coverage is kind of blah, I apologize in advance. Mine is just one of the many different perspectives...

First Day...

My flight was late...I'm guessing that's not unusual depending on where you're going and the weather, but I haven't flown in something like 5 years. I had problems stowing my baggage and I didn't even pack that much. I had one suitcase and my "purse".   Finding the shuttle to the hotel was kind of difficult...Altanta's airport is like a maze to me...Check in at the hotel wasn't bad at all. It was pricey, but the hotel staff was attentive, so that made up for it to me. The internet service, was kind of slow, but I was ecstatic just to be able to connect.  I gave blood almost immediately after I picked up my schedule and tickets...I was ecstatic, because for months I'd been having problems with my hematocrit levels... The carnival...I didn't go...but I heard wonderful things about Robert Pralgo the entire weekend. He was funny during his Q&A and seemed very personable. I didn't go to the pool party either, I felt a little too self-concious...and most of the black one-piece bathing suits I've seen so far this season are just kind of blah...I never like looking blah if I can help it. I was told later everyone wasn't in a swimsuit, but still...

Second Day...

I have nothing to compare it too, because this is my first time doing it, but I wish the wi-fi/wireless service had been a little more consistent. Too much logging on and off for me and going in and out of the control panel for me. The hotel didn't overcharge me though, which was good...

Photos...Ok, granted we all knew we were dealing with actors with shooting schedules, but communication skills at this convention left much to be desired. There'd be one thing on the monitors and something else on the schedule fliers. Then at one point there were two versions of the flier floating around...It was bananas! Don't think I wasn't angry or annoyed, I was...but I had enough distractions that I was able to kind of shrug it off...I'd either hop on Twitter or hit the Vendors up, or go draw.

Anyway, back on track,...First, Michael Trevino was late, I don't know the whole story, I didn't ask, and I don't want to guess...Then I think Paul Wesley had a problem with scheduling, this messed me all up, because I needed to hit the shops for some eye shadow and some other odds and ends that they didn't have at the hotel. I also didn't want to miss too many of the Q&A's...if I pay that much money...I'm getting as much as I can out of it, end of story...The shoot with Paul was very rushed you did hear right...What was wild, was he did conversate a little, but it's not like we had time to respond...For example, he said, "Hi" and he asked me how I was...I said, "Hi" and I must've gotten something equivalent to brainfreeze, because it took me a couple of seconds to ask me how he was, and by then, Heaven help me, the flash went off.   Paul laughed when I finally got the question out.    They laid are photos out on this table on the second floor for us to get when they were ready [That was just uncomfortable to me.]. All I could think was, what if I blinked or my lips were a blur or something horrific like that. Thankfully, that didn't happen, but still I was just kind of put off balance by the whole thing.
I don't remember Michael Trevino saying much, but I love the way the photo turned out...

Waiting for my pics I bumped into a lot of the TVD crowd I follow on Twitter or hear on I HeartTVD. I got the chance to meet Tasha from [ IHeartTVD]. I got the chance to meet Jason [Snowballx] and [darling_nikki_2] Google is trying to turn the Twitter ID's into e-mail addresses, so that's why no @ signs.

I didn't go to the banquet or the concert, but I heard that the only actor that really mingled at the banquet was Robert Pralgo...[Btw, will definitely have to make a note to check out Altered.] I also heard that some of the cast didn't even know about Eyecon until after the fact, that was painful to hear, because I would've loved to have met more of the cast...And to hear that Candice Accola would've shown for free...I also feel like for the guys that attended, they should've at least come up with another Vampire Diaries actress or two, since Lauren Cohan couldn't attend. So did the gentleman that was kind enough to run me out to the Mystic Falls Tours/Vampire Stalkers Tour and then back to the airport...but again, I'm getting off track. I went to the bar and had chicken quesadillas and a Mai Tai...

Where was I? Oh yeah, The Masquerade Ball...So I got dressed, but I came downstairs a tad too early, I was told to come at least a little early though, because the TVD guests would be mingling with us for about an hour...[My mask got on my nerves after about 5 seconds, because the ribbon wouldn't hold like elastic would...I figured my arm would get tired if I'd gone for a stick type deal...If I ever go to a Masquerade Ball again, I'm sticking with elastic. ] So, I get down there, they lead us into the room after a wait of I don't know how many minutes, and it's cramped and dark...I'm like WTH????!!!! I spent x amount of dollars on this dress... [ If you see me in the vids anywhere, I've got a black dress on with a brooch type detail on it, and it's got chiffon coming off the straps and trailing down...] If I'd somehow been able to get this guy I'm a client of to do my makeup, you wouldn't even have been able to see it...Again WTF????!!!!! All that damn money we shelled out and they come up with that????????!!!!!!! Really??????!!!!!   [In the back of my mind, I kept thinking a fire marshall would lock all our a*&^#% up. ] I had a couple of drinks [daquiri and a margarita...I think one of the funniest parts of the whole evening had to have been when practically the whole room started singing along when Journey's Don't Stop Believing came on...I wanted to laugh 'til I cried. There's nothing wrong with the song...I loved it, even before it was featured on Glee, but it was still funny. I wouldn't have believed it, if I hadn't been there...] and danced a little bit, I gave it an hour and a half...The really frustrating thing was the room was so crowded I couldn't even make it to the line for the meet and greet with the cast...

Sunday

Got up early...
I think a couple of things made me wear the red dress...I didn't go to the banquet...but I packed it, I spent the money on it, and I was going to wear it...Plus, I just wanted to stand out from all that black...
I put my hair up, because the day before, I'd get it the way I wanted it and then we'd have to wait and it get screwed up somehow [see my pics with Paul and Michael].
Waiting for Ian [was reading Water for Elephants...it has got to be one of the best books I've ever read...but I'm getting of track again]...I was fine, 'til it came time for my picture...
He said "Hi" to me, I said, "Hi" back, but couldn't get his name out [I was shaking like a leaf too, I know Ian could feel it...smdh After the pics came out and I posted mine, I got teased I was going after his neck...Consciously, no.] Plus, they kept stressing speed, so I just didn't have time to be stuck on stupid. He pulled me close, the way Michael did, I liked that...I can honestly say, I wasn't expecting that from all of them, so I was pleased and a bit surprised at this...As I was leaving, I think I said "Thank you" or something like that and Ian called me "lady in red"...It's not my name, it's not "I love you", but you best believe somehow, despite what I told myself and possibly others...I got all gooey anyway...I turned around and smiled at him when he said that, then I turned back to the door and walked right on out. I don't see how my legs held me, especially in the heels I had on, but they did.
Headed to the Q&A's...[Was looking at some of the other accounts of Eyecon and EyemJusMe66/Shenna jogged my memory. I guess I must have blocked out the seating thing...I was conflicted about it. I kept asking if I should just go sit in the back. If the seating was first come, first serve for that one thing, so be it...On the other hand, if you pay that much money for a good seat, and a good bit of the quality you expected is so far below your expectations, you feel like fighting for at least a little of what you were promised.]. After the Q&A's, I hung out for a bit with [TVDnSPNGoddess] and another young lady [I'm sorry my brain is like a sieve, and I've got a deposition next week. :( ]. It was so nice, to be able to sit and actually conversate, instead of getting jostled by crowds of people, or having to shout over music to make yourself heard, or not get rushed away from somebody...it was just really nice. Thank you so much for that!

I heard some autographs were personalized some weren't...I'm ok with it. :) I made my choices according to my budget and what was right for me...The pageant, I didn't go, but I kept seeing tweets that it was a hot mess [and not the good kind]...at this point, I'm kind of afraid to look at any YouTube clips...[All I keep thinking about is that fiasco of a Masquerade Ball...]

I keep seeing complaints about rude convention staff, but there were rude attendees too [not that two wrongs ever make a right, but how hard is it to say excuse me? Huh? ].

Also, I don't know her name, but I'd like to send a shoutout to the girl from Quebec[?] , with she either had a spotted dog purse or a cow purse, but she was just so upbeat. Her native language is French, she didn't think her English was great... but, it's just fine and you are awesome! I was feeling down and kind of discombobulated and she just perked me right up without even trying.

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles...if/when I ever get back to L.A., I've definitely got to try that place out...I just keep hearing about it over and over...lol

I will post on my Mystic Falls Tour over the next few days...I've got to get up for work in the morning, so I'm pushing it...I truly feel like I'm sleepwalking...I just haven't had a chance to decompress at all...

Thoughts on the Supernatural episode The French Mistake - Contains spoilers

2011-02-26T16:00:00.000-08:00

I didn't expect to laugh 'til I cried last night, but I did...[Couldn't concentrate well enough to tweet, watch the show and play its accompanying version of Bingo either. Go figure...]

I think the question about whether they needed to kill someone or start running set me off first.

Fave Dean moments: Dean had me cracking up with what he said about being a painted whore...

Wigging about the Impala (or the Metallicar if you prefer)

Dean saying how the 'verse was like bad touching.

Cracking about Blue Steel...[I'm sorry but even in jest, both Ackles and Padalecki can serve up some serious Blue Steel]

Jay -Z XD

Trying to speak in a lower/more gravelly low voice when they were "acting".

The speech about being the Winchesters...it bordered on overly sentimental to me, but I got it. Someone on Twitter [My apologies for forgetting the name, but as I'm sure those of you out there on Tweetdeck know, those streams were going crazy last night. My dad was talking to me on the phone shortly before the show, and he said "It sounds like you're on a submarine."] said that this would have been a nice cliffhanger episode for the end of the season. I can only hope whatever they have planned will top this or at least come close to it.

Fave Sam moments:

Although it kind of had me going Huh? When Sam called Jared Padalecki a "something" that cracked me up [And Ladies and Gentleman I'm still fantasizing about that fight over the jeans. It's something that popped into my head during something Jared Padalecki actually said at one of the Supernatural Cons...something about beating up Sam and taking his jeans. It was in response to a fan asking them about taking props/wardrobe from the set I think...it was SanFran...Gotta love YouTube, but I digress...]

The George Hamilton Dracula thing...[Reminds me of another Con clip... In this one, a fan asks if Jared could be a demon or a vampire or some other type of monster on the show what would he be? He said vampire ...I don't particularly like the shark teeth on the Supernatural 'verse vampires. Not that I want them to sparkle either...Wish I could see him in a Vampires/Near Dark kind of thing...As far as viewing the Con clips, I'm gearing up to hit one too...Jul or Oct...It's gonna be awesome...again I digress.]

The Warhols had me dying...And they were his and hers...

Then there was the Ginormous Cowboy photo in the man cave or library or study or whatever it was.

An alpaca????!!!!!

Sam checking out Genevieve/Fake Ruby's rear view. Sometimes Sam reminds me of a dog in more ways than one.

WTF Sam moment: I must be the star of this thing? Sam's a mess in both 'verses.

Fave Sam and Dean moments: They both wanted to go back to their 'verse. There was teamwork there. They stuck together. It's been missed esp. with Soulless Sam at the beginning of this Season.

I'm guessing they were "Jared" and "Jensen" here or maybe the footage was real [My brain may start leaking out of my ears at any moment. ] But if you look very closely, in the scene where they've just shown "Jensen's" Days of Our Lives clip, if you pay attention to the giant flat screen on the wall, first Jensen winks at the camera and then Jared does. This ep was just...Crazy.

The beating up the extra bit was funny.

When neither Sam nor Dean were hitting their marks and didn't know what to do in front of the cameras that was hilarious.

The failed attempt to get to their own universe. I think I caught a Wizard of Oz reference too, shortly before they jump through the window...

Balthazar - The angels seem almost as bad as the demons when it comes to jerking people around. But this is not exactly news...

Castiel/Misha Collins - That was just crazy with the tweeting and everything...I'm thinking of blogging about my favorite Castiel moments too. Didn't anticipate what happened at all. The reappearance of Castiel's wings...I loved it! I missed seeing them too...

Raphael - I love this new incarnation [is that the right word?]. Lanette Ware is the actress in this role. Can't wait to see more from her.

The Angel Hitman/Virgil - reminded me of a Terminator, esp. with that pose he struck after crashing through the window in the "Bizarroverse"

"Kripke" - I couldn't figure out if they were doing a Tarantino homage or a Rodriguez homage or someone else entirely, his "death" tripped me out.

Questions: I noticed a bunch of tweets and forum posts wondering what "Jared" and "Jensen" were not speaking over. [Dollars to donuts it was something really amusing, really crazy or both. I noticed poker chips on a table at "Jared's" and wonder if that might not have something to do with it.]

Curious to see what the rest of this season holds...And I'm not going to lie, I really would love another season of Supernatural...Somebody [EricIGN?] posted a tweet today that asked whether or not everyone wanted to see a flip side ep, ie. what happened to "Jared" and "Jensen" in Sam and Dean's world...I'd love to see/know that...whether it ever makes it to the small screen or turns out to be only in the world of fanfic.

ps. The Ladies from Winchester Radio just reminded me about The House of Wax reference and Sam's response in the episode Fallen Idols [when they were talking about Jensen Ackles on YouTube, it came up].
I was nervous, but it was fun to call in. Thanks again, Ladies!

pps. I'm on my second viewing of this ep, and I'm finding Easter Egss that I missed the first time around. This is definitely an ep that call for multiple viewings for multiple reasons. Wonder if the Season 6 DVD will include more...

Some thoughts before The Supernatural Ep The French Mistake

2011-02-25T17:55:00.000-08:00

Normally, I don't blog about Supernatural eps, but that may change...[I usually blog about True Blood and The Vampire Diaries]

I bet some crazy fanfics are going to come from this...I was messing around on YouTube and I found a clip from either the LA or SanFran Con for Supernatural. I think it was from this year...And Jared Padalecki said something about beating up Sam and taking his pants...I got all glassy-eyed just thinking about it...(Tall, fantastic body, now multiply that by two...) I don't want a Slash fic where Jared and Sam fight (I have trouble deciding who should win too. Yes, I'm a mess) ...I want something more like a Crack!Fic, but not too silly and not too angsty. I'd love to write it, but I have trouble with writer's block something terrible....I'd love to post a request to someone's list, but I'm still finding my way around on LiveJournal...

In the meantime, here's one of my favorite Jared Padalecki pics:

Dinner Guest -My Two Cents - Contains spoilers

2011-02-25T10:31:00.000-08:00

Elena - It made me laugh that she and Stefan being late for/going to school was [finally] addressed. [And I thought the Glee kids were in rare form this week.] Also, Stefan and Elena messing around in the bedroom...Where was Jenna? Moping about Alaric? At work? Half-assed parenting/guardianship at it's best. Considering the age bracket of some of the viewers, I think they ought to be careful with this. [And yes, I know about Skins. ]

Stefan - I was having a conversation with a tweep or two about this...I think it's funny Stefan couldn't tell when Katherine was pretending to be Elena. In the first part of the season he could, but Damon couldn't. I really don't know what to make of that...With Klaus coming, they can't afford to be anything but sharp.

Damon - He got hurt by Katherine again last night, but he didn't respond quite the way I expected, which is a good thing. I'm wondering about his reaction to what Katherine told him about Emily...I remember Damon saying something about it taking Emily a while to learn a certain spell...Did Katherine get their rings made before she set Emily up? Or was she cold-blooded enough to have another witch waiting in the wings, I have so many questions about this witch burning.

Katherine - She was super slick last night, but at least she stopped Luka from removing the dagger from Elijah. [I actually had mixed feelings about that.]

Caroline - I didn't even know Candice Accola sang. It breaks my heart what happened when Caroline came clean with Matt. I wish he'd have given her time to explain that she wasn't a vamp at the time of Vicki's attack. Matt's and Caroline's kiss I would have enjoyed it more, if it hadn't seemed like the writers were trying so hard for an "Aww!" moment.

Matt - I expected him to wig, but I didn't think he would make the connection back to Vicki. If he comes around, it's definitely going to take time.

Alaric - In his case telling half the truth was just as bad as keeping Jenna completely in the dark. More soap opera stuff, but it facilitates the action, so I get it. :)

Bonnie - She got a lucky break last night getting her powers back.  Wish The Grill hadn't gotten annihilated, I would've enjoyed seeing Bonnie get a turn singing too.

Luka - His death was painful [looking] and it was gruesome...I understand the why of it and TVD is just a TV show, but that still didn't make the death scene any easier to watch.   I didn't think you could harm the astral body the way you could a physical body, but writers tweak mythology how they see fit [BtVS, Charmed, AtS, Supernatural].

Jonas - His death made me sad too, but again, I kind of understood it. I don't think he would've let Katherine get the jump on him like that, if he hadn't been so angry and grief-stricken though...So much loss/waste. But, it it's one thing Williamson does well, it's angst.

John - not shown.

Have I mentioned how much I miss Tyler ?

IHeartTVD on Twitter has a show on Blog Talk Radio...I may add what I've said here on that platform...I'm not sure.   I believe they come on at 11:00pmEST on Saturday nights. The show is 2hrs long. The second hour they take calls. It's a good fun time.

My thoughts on The Dinner Party (Contains Spoilers!)

2011-02-18T10:01:00.000-08:00

Bonnie - Had she handled the whole Luka interrogation scenario differently, somehow I don't think her powers would have been stripped. :(

Luka - What'd he do go running home to Daddy? Or did Daddy just know? Either way, it still doesn't make him look all that great. Also, do male witches and female witches have different strengths and weaknesses? I feel like he should have been better able to defend himself or at least smell or taste that he'd been slipped something. After all, he tricked Bonnie into thinking he'd destroyed the moonstone. Bizarre...I also feel like what Elijah was saying about people from Massachusetts having settled where Mystic Falls was first ties into this witch thing somehow.

Jonas - Can witches that aren't related just waltz up and bind up the power of another witch just like that? He's either got a scary amount of power or They're related somehow too [I hope that's not the case, because I feel like my disbelief has been suspended all it can be as far as this is concerned. One positive thing I can say about this part of the storyline, it's certainly unique.]

Elijah - That was just crazy last night. I'd elaborate more, but I don't think I can say anything that hasn't already been said elsewhere. I don't think he's "permanently dead" though, so hijinks will ensue. Until I see ashes or a decapitation, I remain hopeful.

Elena - She surprised me again last night [in a good way]. We also saw her drink some of Stefan's blood last night, so I'm thinking that the groundwork has been laid for her to become a vampire. Still not sure if it'll be next season. Elena has an immense capacity for forgiveness.

Stefan - It was odd seeing him as the bad one...[Not that I didn't enjoy it. I don't believe for one moment that he was worse than Damon though. I just don't. lol] This also reminded me of Stefan's journals, particularly Vol. 2. [Again even though this series of books is newer, the show doesn't seem to be sticking with the books.]

Jeremy - I'm not sure how I feel about Jeremy being so smitten with Bonnie he practically can't see. He even tried to intervene when Jonas showed up ticked off, which wasn't smart. He was just as impulsive with Anna, but still I'd hate to see him wind up hurt [again].

Jenna - I know why she's upset with Alaric, something tells me if she knew the whole story she'd be even angrier, because her life was put in jeopardy because of what she didn't know. Still I love Alaric and Jenna together.

Alaric - I've got a really bad feeling about him giving up that ring and I just can't shake it. I also like how he told Damon off too. Happy he's finally getting some action again, but I just worry that it'll be at a cost.

John - This dude has to aspire to be pond scum, he is just that low. I'm really curious to see what he's getting out of the deal he made with whoever. And I bet if he thought he could make better profit switching sides, he would. He is one of the villains that truly make this show worth watching. Excellent job David Anders!

Andie - I just kept hearing Kanye West's Runaway the whole time she was in a scene with Damon, only with The Televixen's lyrics [Let's throw toast at the douchebags...Thank you for that! Can I say again how much I love Twitter?]. Does this Andie go to work anymore? Hello deadlines? Breaking News? Good grief! smh This part of the plot is just so hard to watch, not that it was any easier with Caroline... I never thought I'd hear/see myself say this, but I actually miss Rose [Don't miss the water 'til...].

Damon - He's either going to get it or he won't. Also will we ever see an ep where they bridge the gap between how he got from being who he was when he was human to the Damon he is now? [Does the period hair get worse with each flashback or what?]

Katherine - I don't know if Andie was home when she appeared. I hope not, because I get the feeling Katherine would have only too much fun compelling her or worse. Can't believe it was so easy for her to manipulate Damon, then again considering who we're dealing with here...Yeah, I can.

Tyler - I miss him. :(

No Matt or Caroline

Decoded...my two cents

2011-02-15T07:53:00.000-08:00

I'm finally got around to reading Decoded. Was pleased to see the story behind some of my favorite Jay-Z songs, Renegade, Hard Knock Life (self-explanatory, but still good to see), Empire State of Mind. Would have liked to have seen Song Cry, but he couldn't do all his lyrics, I know. Still I love that song... I had a little difference of opinion with Jay-Z on something that stuck in my mind though. To compare Disco and the Blues? Disco felt/feels like more of a manufactured thing. The Blues...that to me is something organic, that got co-opted. We wouldn't have a lot of still existing forms of music without Blues (R&B obviously, Rock music in all it's various forms..., Pop [think of that single Standing Outside a Broken Telephone Booth with Change... One hit wonder song, I know, but go with me on this...Now what's the sample in it? B.B. King's How Blue Can You Get? ]. I'm not saying Disco doesn't influence anything, it does, particularly Dance/Club music, but Blues to me is everywhere. Everyone can relate to it from time to time, perhaps some more than others. The Blues getting pushed into the background of the music industry...that to me is a race/class/marketability issue, moreso than something being written off as a fad or becoming outdated.
Anyway, just my two cents...

Crying Wolf --Contains spoilers

2011-02-11T07:23:00.000-08:00

"Kathy" or Katherine - Not in this ep.

Bonnie -- It kind of unnerved me how easily she was able to do what she did to Luka, but I guess when push comes to shove...I actually felt badly for him last night...He's a character kind of like Rose was to me, I don't love him, but I don't hate him either. I don't know how I feel about Bonnie and Jeremy hooking up...I was also happy to see Caroline and Bonnie bonding at the beginning of the season, I never would've seen this coming.

John - I didn't think he'd changed...stirring Jenna up with the talk of bad parenting and all.

Jenna - she seemed ticked at Alaric...I hope she gives him a chance to have his say and that he doesn't screw his chance up.

Alaric -- I was worried about him last night, because I temporarily forgot about the ring. John's asking for it back...Is it just because he's a jerk, or does he know something the others don't? I'm guessing it's a little from column A and B. The "scary dude with nice hair" line cracked me up. That and the look on Damon's face when Alaric says it. Priceless.

Matt --I love that we're seeing more of him lately. Can't say it enough.

Tyler--Kudos to him, for allowing Matt to think he was an ordinary human, instead of going off.
Still bummed about him leaving with Jules...Something tells me she might seduce him or brainwash him some kind of way, if he's just like going to grab on to anything. I know he doesn't want to be a wolf ...maybe that will be the thing that saves him, but it might also prompt him to do something else desparate and stupid [I'm also remembering Williamson or Plec alluding to something tragic happening regarding Tyler and Caroline...I just don't have a good feeling about how his story is going to turn out. I love Michael Trevino's work here too.] I'm going to miss him. I'm so bummed. At least they've left the possibility open to him coming back...

Stevie -- Was he referring to the Saw films or something else? [I can't watch those...I. Just. Can't.] He freaked me out too...Where do they find these guys? And being a vampire amplifies your natural personality traits? Sheesh!

Elena -- I love how she handled Brady attacking her. I thought I was going to end up annoyed, instead I was pleasantly surprised. Until they got a tad bit creepy [You look hot in my great-great grandad's what?????!!!!!] I was enjoying Stefan and Elena finally having time to themselves. The death and martyr thing...I'm so over it. I don't know when or if they will make Elena a vampire at the end of this season, but I'm thinking her "death" doesn't have to be permanent...I may have said this before in one of my earlier posts, and if so, I apologize...She may die and be resuscitated.

Stefan -- I love the way he confronted Elena on the martyr thing. Didn't realize he was the one who ended Brady (Thank You!). I'm so doing a rewatch of this ep. Erin at My Entertainment OCD had me laughing at The Hardy Boys reference in her recap on her blog. I loved that show. I've got to wonder it's not partially responsible for my Supernatural thing, but let me get back on track here...

Elijah --He owned it last night! And Klaus is badder than this guy? Mystic Falls is in some serious trouble.

Andie -- This whole plotline is just creeping me out. Some analogies were thrown about on Twitter and I found them all disturbing. A flesh colored bandage...and a scarf thrown over it. And then Andie's response to Damon at the Tea...Jenna looked like it was all she could do not to heave...and she's probably thinking why on earth did I set them up...Once she finds out the truth about Damon and Stefan, not to mention what Alaric knows...she's going to freak.

Damon--I had a feeling payback was coming from Elijah, but I don't think this will be the extent of it. As far as the wolves, ...this is what I wanted to happen last week, instead of poor Caroline being put in a cage.

The Vampire Diaries -Daddy Issues recap. (contains spoilers)

2011-02-04T08:41:00.000-08:00

Caroline - Candice Accola just gets better and better with each ep. If anyone had told me Caroline would become a character I came to care about in Season 2, I'd have laughed. I think this is truly a testament to what a fantastic actress Candice is. I love that no matter what Brady did to Caroline, she still didn't break, and she's a newbie vampire. I was just floored. As far as lying to Matt,...They text each other when they're taking on Katherine or whoever, so how hard would it have been to check on Bonnie's whereabouts?  With everything that she'd been through it's understandable why this didn't occur to her, but still ...Now, it's going to be even harder for Caroline to reconcile with Matt, if she ever does.

Bonnie- It was nice to see her with Jeremy last night. I think it would have been too much for her to take down all those werewolves at once. [Imagine what she, Lucy, Luka, and Jonas could do combining their powers. Almost makes me giddy thinking about it.]

Jeremy - Why does it seem like he and Matt take turns with the whole odd man out thing? Can't everyone get some action at the same time? But, I guess it wouldn't be a soap/angsty enough without someone being left out in the cold.

Tyler - He just got caught in the middle of all this insanity. I feel badly for him. His character kind of reminds me of Damon's in the sense that they don't think stuff through/slow down and think about how what they do could hurt people until after the damage is done.

Stefan - I loved seeing him all hands on last night. More please!

John - I hope he's telling the truth about how to kill an Original. I just don't trust him further than I can throw him and keep in mind this was before I even saw his scene with Katherine.

Jenna - This woman is bordering on comic relief. Please someone [Alaric? Elena? Jeremy?] clue this woman in before it's too late [if it isn't already].

Alaric - Another I blinked and missed him ep. How do they waste a character with this much potential? How? I know it's an ensemble cast, but Sheesh!

Luka -

Brady - This character and Jules are definitely a well-matched pair, which is just frightening (understatement I know.).   He really gave me chills [and not in a good way]. Very well played by Stephen Amell.
Andie Star (played by Dawn Olivieri)- The jury is out on her, because and this isn't her fault, but this reminds me too much of what was done to Caroline in Season 1. Damon is being a little more "humane" with this one, but it's out of selfish reasons. To paraphrase one comment on Twitter that I thought hit the nail on the head last night, he's looking for a therapist [and speaking of therapy, what was with that "hero hair" remark from Damon...I was laughing, but he's a mess right now.], like he was with Jessica.

Damon -  Before I get to the inevitable, I also want to say I'm glad that Damon and Stefan picked up Katherine's trick with the vervain [Wonder if Caroline can get in on that too? Or is she too new? Hope not.]. As distracting as the shower scene and bubble bath scene were...(A psychopath is still a psychopath no matter how pleasing to the eye...) It's almost like Damon took one step forward and two back. Most of what he was telling Andie he'd said before. And when he was talking about or to John, for a while there last night, I thought he was going to go off again [Crazy. Eyes. Doesn't do anything to allay my misgivings either.]. I'm thinking if he doesn't find something in himself to get him out of this rut/pattern, maybe the fate of Book Damon would be what's called for here too...[much as I hate to say it, because if nothing else, the character and the way Ian Somerhalder portrays the character definitely keep me entertained.]

The fight --That really got my adrenaline up, I've missed scenes like this. I don't think we've had one in a while.

The casualties --Was it my imagination or did I see a Black man with a blowtorch last night? And was he a werewolf? If so, I'm still annoyed, because he wound up cannon fodder. If not, I'm no less annoyed. I'd like to see more diversity among the werewolves and the vampires, because [and I've said this before] most cultures have some variation on vampire and/or werewolf myths. Even if Mystic Falls isn't that diverse, all the supernatural creatures drawn to it, shouldn't be bound by the same conventions, especially coming from different locations, cultures, and time periods. I found this annoying on Buffy too, they were only slightly better with it on Angel, but since one took place in LA and the other didn't, it gets some [and notice I say some] leeway.

The Descent (contains spoilers)

2011-01-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

Overall yesterday's episode kind of had that uneven feel for me again, but there were definitely moments and performances that I loved.

Bonnie--wasn't shown, but someone (can't remember who) wisecracked that had she been present, she'd have been able to save the janitor from Rose. smh

Jules - This woman is scary...Imagine the damage she, Bonnie, Lucy, and Katherine could do if they teamed up. lol I knew she was going to be trouble, I just had no idea how much. She actually reminds me of a less skanky version of Veruca on BtVS...She looks on regular humans as food and sees no reason to feel guilty about or to hide what she is...[Someone brought up the question in one of the chats or during a call in, that we don't know how she came to be a werewolf. ie. She doesn't seem to be a Lockwood, so what's the deal?] Also, I have to wonder if the werewolves aren't divided into two factions like the vampires [Is there a faction of werewolves that doesn't like to prey on humans either? ]. Did Mason come back to Mystic Falls because of Katherine? Or was it something else? Mason locked himself up during the full moon, clearly Jules believes in doing no such thing...Interesting stuff indeed.

Matt- He may have actually got equal time with the fireplace last night, but it's still an improvement from not seeing him at all. I'd love to know what would've happened if Caroline and Matt hadn't been interrupted...Although Caroline might've confessed to being a vampire, she might've just wound up compelling Matt the same way she did her mom.

Tyler and Caroline - I love them together. I don't usually go for that doomed love thing either, but I love Candice Accola's and Michael Trevino's chemistry [Not saying that she and Zach Roerig don't have chemistry, but it's not the same.]. Must admit, I'm a bit nervous for Caroline come next week though.

Also...since more werewolves are coming to town, the vampires and werewolves will be so busy facing off against each other, that I figure it will make them easy pickings for Klaus. I'm also not sure where Elijah's allegiance [Try saying that one five times fast won't you?] lies.

Stefan - The building up a tolerance to vervain....is Damon in on this too? I think it could serve both of them well. I also missed the fact that Damon was looking for Stefan at one point and couldn't find him...I'm on the fence as to how to interpret his absence. And yes, I do know Paul Wesley was injured thus his scenes were limited. I'm not sure if this was an episode that was effected by that, but it would make sense.

Alaric - I truly miss when they gave him more of the action.

Oh yeah, that phone number last night...I knew something was up when they didn't do the 555 thing, but I still didn't call it. [I'll partake in the whole breaking of the fourth wall thing some other time. But I love the idea.]

I don't recall seeing Jenna...

Elena - I may have said this before, but I still can't figure out whether she's really brave, really compassionate, really stupid or some combination of all three.

Rose --Lauren Cohan did an excellent job with what she was given. A less capable actress might have made Rose's deterioration comical or melodramatic. That didn't happen last night. I actually felt down last night about losing a character, that I was at best ambivalent toward. I loved the scene where they're in the field...I didn't cry though. Not sure why not...A lot of people said they did cry...[I sleep, therefore my soul is not missing. Yes, I'll stick a Supernatural reference in here if I want to. I love both shows. ]

Janitor dude--I started to get upset and then I remembered the couple in the car...Seems like nothing makes you cannon fodder faster in Mystic Falls then stopping to inquire after someone's well-being (Vicki, Jessica).
Lesson One: Keep it Moving and holler back "I'll call 911!" It may not save you completely, but it might by you a few precious seconds.

Damon--Damon's bedroom...It wasn't what I expected at all. I kind of see why he wouldn't want to spend a lot of time in it. [The picture Tasha painted, on last Saturday's I HeartTVD [online] radio broadcast made me smile. I've been thinking about it off and on since last night's ep.] The paintings, particularly the one of the man in the hat, really creeped me out.

Gone With the Wind...Oddly, my parents introduced me to this film...I never read the book though...I'm interested to see how the two differ, but it's something I have to be in the frame of mind to do...Obviously, it's going to be very heavy/painful stuff to get into...

He was very tender with Rose and it was just like I thought...guilt was mixed in, but I think he felt for her too, because she risked her life/unlife for him. She also missed being human like he did...I think they gravitated to each other for more than just a hookup, whatever they were telling themselves. Granted what he felt for her wasn't the same as what he feels for Elena, but he still felt for Rose. [Damon can enter and manipulate dreams too, huh? Who knew?]

The meltdown...I kind of figured it was imminent when that kaleidoscope of emotions started to flicker over Damon's face when Elena was hugging him. I just didn't know the extent of it...I feel like I've seen something similar from him, and I can't think where...when he was torturing Mason in Plan B maybe. You also see hints of it once he and Stefan are in that room with Katherine in Masquerade [alcohol just seems to make it worse.], like he's just barely keeping a lid on it. From the books, it makes me think of the part in I think it's Shadow Souls that refers to the little boy guarding something in Damon's subconcious...I also think that Williamson, Plec, and co. like to tease us with little nods from the book, but not really committing to it [I've said this once, and I'll say it again, I think all bets are off.].

The "lost" references...I don't know whether that was intentional or what, but I found that jarring. Inside jokes are cute and all, but not when you're being hit over the head with them. Then again, it could've been purely coincidental, I still would've done a rewrite though. Overall, I don't feel like the last scene was ridiculously hammy...I felt badly for Damon and yet at the same time, I felt this odd mixture of sorrow, wanting to laugh, scream, and yet being oddly titillated at the same time. [and then per Tasha, I pictured him eventually going back to the house, passing out and Stefan throwing a blanket over him. lol]

Have heard that there will be tragedy regarding Tyler and Caroline and another character death or two ahead....I'd anticipated more character deaths, but at the same time, I'm dreading it. [Excellent writing when a show can get you so emotionally invested in the characters.]

Man! Have I missed typing these up.

Yet another blog post on biopics

2011-01-21T06:33:00.000-08:00

This post was prompted by the recent headlines about Halle Berry playing (and then not playing) Aretha Franklin. I couldn't see that, so I'm glad they didn't do it. I love Halle, but some roles, she's just not the right one for period. A lot of names have been tossed around on Twitter for playing Aretha...I've seen everyone from Jennifer Hudson to Taraji P. Henson mentioned. I loved Toure's suggestion of Queen Latifah. He also brought up the fact that the actress doesn't necessarily have to be able to sing to be able to play Aretha Franklin...This is true...although I'd prefer an actress that could sing to one that couldn't. As far as the weight thing...Aretha Franklin has been different sizes at different ages...Beyonce wasn't/isn't the spitting image of Etta James either, but somehow they made that work in Cadillac Records. I wouldn't even mind if they chose an unknown to play Aretha Franklin, but I'm not the majority and in the end, and I've said this time and time again, it all boils down to $$$$.

Toure' also mentioned wanting to see a Marvin Gaye biopic...They wait too long, anyone who was even remotely feasible will be too old to play the part (I wanted Jesse L. Martin for this so badly...I think this will go down the same road that the Hendrix picture Laurence Fishburne was supposed to be in did, and that's a shame.)

I'm curious to see what happens with the Tupac film bio too. I remember Anthony Mackie playing him in Notorious. He did a fantastic job...People either seem to really love Notorious or really hate it from what I've seen...Again, this is another project I'm definitely going following. I do have Tupac's book of poetry...My favorite film of his is Gridlock'd.

This subject seems to come up every few months, maybe I could make it part of a regular update or something.

Feeling more than a little bit sheepish

2011-01-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

Just looked and realized I've started drafts to ideas since the New Year, but not an actual post. Sorry about that. I've just started up on tumblr too. I want to learn how to create my own theme, but that may be a ways off yet. At the very least, at least a fire has been lit under my a#*!

Came from a visit to the optometrist this week and found out on top of being nearsighted (since I was 7 or 8)...I now have astigmatism. It would definitely explain some of the trouble with figure drawing I had while I was sitting in on that figure drawing class though. :( I'd like to give it another shot and get some new glasses whichever my vision is best in, I'll just use that when I'm in class.

May have another photo shoot next month, which if all goes well will be the gateway to more shoots.

Gearing up for EyeCon...I'm more than a bit frustrated, because I still can't find a dress for the Masquerade Ball I'm in love with yet. I'm also on the fence about whether I should wear something short or long.

Teena Marie

2010-12-27T06:15:00.000-08:00

Just found out Teena Marie passed away yesterday. I'm kind of in disbelief. I think she takes the crown for WTF death this year. Seems like every year there's one. She wasn't even that old...She was 54. I just read her tweets last week (Tues?). She was tweeting the lyrics to The Dells The Love We Had...I was tempted to tweet back to her. [I wanted to know what prompted her to do it. I was enjoying it, but it just struck me as kind of odd.]

I want to do a tribute to her, but I couldn't think what to play that everyone else hasn't played umpteen times already. I've loved her music since I was a kid. [I keep thinking of playing Deja Vu in particular. I just want to blast it.]

The Council of Conservative Christians and the uproar over Idris Elba being cast as Heimdall in Thor

2010-12-17T12:58:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing stuff about this off and on all week. It's funny, Denzel Washington was cast as Don Pedro in Much Ado About Nothing, and I don't recall people acting a fool, but a character in Shakespeare is not a deity. Non traditional casting seems to be more accepted in theatre, than it is in film, Hollywood in particular...I'm thinking maybe it's because no one has really knocked it out of the park yet [at least as far as having both the performance and box office to back it up]. I'd like to see someone succeed at it in my lifetime. I know a few weeks or maybe even months ago, Toure' was having a discussion on Twitter about what Black actor would make a good James Bond. Idris Elba's name came up [I'd be flabbergasted and really angry if it didn't.]. I would love to see that. But again, James Bond is another fictional character, not a deity. And I know we're not talking Jesus, Buddha, or Muhammed here, but still... debates that have anything at all to do with religion, culture, race, and/or politics have a tendency to get very heated, very fast. Whether it's so called intellectuals getting together [Watch a talking heads show like Face the Nation and see what I'm talking about if you don't believe me.] or it's common folk talking wherever.

I'm glad to see debates being sparked...I wonder if this will help or hurt the box office for Thor. I'll definitely be watching to see what happens. I love comic books/graphic novels and have since I was a kid. To me [and probably countless others], to have Idris Elba involved with this film is a bonus.

Racialicious also has a blog post up about the whole Council of Conservative Citizens thing. I'm imagining this will be debated about all the way up until it's release in May 6, 2011.

By The Light of the Moon -Vampire Diaries Ep. 2.

2010-12-11T13:20:00.000-08:00

Luka and Jonas Martin -- So they are in cahoots. Luka seems like an unwilling accomplice, but we don't know to what extent. Bonnie will be hurt and angry. But, Luka did point out [although he said he was j/k] hiding things isn't a great way to start any type of solid relationship off. Whether he and Bonnie become friends or something more remains to be seen.

Bonnie--It bothers me that she didn't somehow sense that switcheroo Luka pulled. :( But she sensed Lucy when she was working with Katherine. I can't figure out if this is because Bonnie is doing most of her learning by instinct and her grimoire or uneven writing or both.

Elijah-- Was actually trending last night on Twitter, which astounded me. [Thought sure it would've been Tyler trending, but more on him later.] I wonder what's going to happen once Klaus finally shows, because if Elijah can't make good on his bargain with Elena all bets are off.   ILiveforTVD on Twitter asked last night if I thought that Elijah was playing Luka's dad or Elena, my response is that knowing how sneaky some of the baddies are on this show, he could be playing both of them. I'm definitely curious to see what happens. I just wish they [Williamson & Co] were more consistent about building and sustaining suspense.

Jenna--I can't figure out whether she gets into the trouble she does, because she gets left out of the loop because people are trying to "protect" her or she's just that naive about what goes on in town. No vervain [Or does it just not work on Elijah and The Originals. If Katherine can build up an immunity to it, I know he can.]. No nothing. Alaric dropped the ball. I give credit to Sara Canning, because every actress doesn't have the capability to make you care about a character despite the potential for the character to become cannon fodder.

Carol Lockwood -- If Sheriff Forbes knows the hidden history of the town, I find it extremely difficult to believe that Ms. Lockwood also knows something she's not telling.

Elena - She's stubborn and she's sneaky. I'm beginning to think she and Katherine share more than just looks. :) It reinforces the whole doppleganger thing very nicely too.

Katherine--Nina Dobrev does an excellent job inserting vulnerability into a character that at times appears to have none. I'm just more and more amazed every week.

Stefan--He's steadfast and it was a dream. I'd like to say I knew it all along, but I didn't, because with this show, you never know.

Alaric-- The drunk guy and "rescuer" bit. I think I'd have bought that way more the other way 'round. [Just sayin'. ] Hopefully, after the events with Elijah, Alaric will learn to keep Jenna in the loop. If he doesn't, I don't even want to imagine the consequences.

Jules -- She's hardcore and she marked Damon [That can't mean anything good]. She saw right through him too, not that it was all that difficult...[more on him later].

Caroline aka Vampire Barbie [That was cute!]--She was steadfast [too] last night. She stayed up until the very last second and I loved her for it. I love her and Tyler together. I'm afraid of what's going to happen when he finds out that she knew about what happened to Mason, etc. though.

Tyler--I was watching a TV Guide interview with Michael Trevino shortly before BTLOTM aired. He mentioned that Julie Plec showed him videos of women giving birth and wolves hunting/taking down their prey to help him prep.   Kudos to both her and him, because that ish worked. The special effects people definitely deserve as shoutout too, because I don't believe I've seen anything that painful looking and believable in recent memory since AWIL. As far as not seeing the wolf completely...I thought we caught a glimpse [wishful thinking on my part?]...I think they might be saving that...ie. the best is yet to come. Candice Accola and Michael Trevino definitely brought it. :)

Rose--How did we go from her pinning Damon to the car to her not being able to stay out of his bed? What made her jump in the way when Jules came calling? Maybe if we were shown more of her backstory I'd get it...This just seemed rushed to me and illustrates my misgivings about pairing a [seemingly] strong woman with a player/bad boy/damaged goods type [Either she gets watered down or he does, or both]...As much as everyone in the audience will never be completely satisfied, it's especially true here.   I don't mind if Rose is a little vulnerable, but it felt like this happened way too fast. [Yes, I know we only have a certain amount of eps. in a season.] Maybe I was expecting a bit too much? I'd hate to think that all things considered.

Damon-- Calling Caroline Vampire Barbie...He got downright Sawyeresque with that one. : D
Damon's planning needs work sometimes and I think it's definitely due to his arrogance and impulsiveness. It's definitely a good thing for him that Alaric's got his back and now Stefan's been released from the cave. I don't think he's going to come out of all this unscathed though. I'm just not sure what form payback for the murder of Mason is going to come in. As I stated above, I'm also not sure Elijah is done with him yet either.

Charlie Brown Christmas...

2010-12-08T05:36:00.000-08:00

This time of year is always going to be hard for me regardless...The pain eases, but it never completely goes away...Last night the Charlie Brown Christmas special came on, which inevitably makes me think of my Mom. It was one of her favorite Christmas specials. She, my oldest niece, and sometimes my sis would watch it together.

This was one of our favorite moments [or at least part of it].

Yet another WTF moment I could have done without...

2010-12-03T10:08:00.000-08:00

I dropped some change just now...I'm stooping to get it. This guy asks me if I have it. I say "Yeah." Guess what he proceeds to do? He picks up my change and doesn't give it back to me, he puts it in his own pockets. }:O There were people looking on, but they said nothing. WTF???!!!! With the morning I've had, I wanted to go off on him, but I thought to myself "Why waste the energy?". If he had the audacity to steal my own change in front of my face, he must've needed it. I can't think of anything else that would make someone do something like that. I would've given it to him if he'd asked, but to just take it?

Vampire Diaries recap-The Sacrifice

2010-12-03T07:46:00.000-08:00

Dr. Jonas Martin-- Lurking in Elena's room. Taking her hair...[I know it was for a spell, but it was overshadowed to me by the "Let's give viewers yet another reason to hate and fear Dr. Martin" vibe I was getting. The fact that the actor is a dark-skinned African-American doesn't help here.]

Luka--I don't want to hate him. [Especially since it's too soon to tell how much he knows about his Dad working with Elijah.] He gets in the way of one of my favorite ships, but still...I felt badly when he had the seizures last night and he's right about Bonnie. She does need her own variation on The Charmed Ones Power of Three. Or she needs to pull from nature and return it somehow, like Willow learned to on Season 7 of BtVS.

Bonnie--I love how they're making her character more 3 dimensional this year. :) Also I enjoyed hearing Kat Graham's cover of "Happy When It Rains".   I loved how she stood up for Luka and kept Jeremy from digging himself into an even deeper hole...Still I wish she'd give him a chance. I think she feels a sense of loyalty to Luka since they bonded. Someone, I can't remember who, said not to count Team Ice Cream out...I also feel like she's afraid if stuff doesn't work out between them, stuff would be forever awkward. That's a pretty understandable fear. At least she knows that Jeremy cares about her too. She really does need for Cousin Lucy (or Cuzo as I call her in my head) to come back. Either that, or she needs for Luka to give her Lesson 2, how to call power from the elements...there's another name for it, I'm sure, but at the moment it escapes me. [Ever notice how Wicca and Vodoun both get exoticized/demonized and they're actually religions? Yet another reason why I'm conflicted about watching this show, but that's also another blog post.]

Jeremy-- I liked that he stopped when Bonnie told him to as far as pressing his luck by bashing Luka. That went so wrong...I felt sorry for him. At the beginning it seemed like he was handling his biz. I started to worry when he was slow to find the moonstone. [All I kept thinking at the TV screen was "Run Dammit!"]

Tyler--I feel badly for him and what he's about to go through. I love that the left the transformation, somewhat to your imagination too.

Caroline--Smooth how she explained away, knowing about the Lockwood dungeon. Hopefully, in time Tyler will come to see that her friendship isn't a sham. Werewolves and the anger thing, just don't give me a good feeling as far as the truth coming out and eventually it will. The Tyler/Caroline/Matt triangle. More soap opera stuff, but I don't find it to be as annoying at times, as the main triangle can be.

Matt--Wish we got to see more of him. He's one of the only normal characters left. I do believe they brought this up on The Televixen's podcast too. Hopefully, the writers will take note.

Rose--She wanted more from Damon and I wasn't quite sure how to read that...What happened to being torn up over Trevor and no emotions? Has Damon got The Magic [Stick] or what? I don't know what's scarier that or the Crazy Eyes.  As we could see from her speedy exit when Elijah showed up, Rose believes in self-preservation almost as much as Katherine. :)

Elena--Her plan was noble, but how does she think that would have made everyone feel? From the Salvatores to Aunt Jenna [Half-assed guardian that she is, she still cares]...But then with the body count rising with only Elijah...and Klaus [Who's supposed to be even badder than Elijah...That better be some awesome ish! Is all I have to say. They've built him up too much now to disappoint us.] on the horizon. It's not out of the question to come to the conclusion that drastic times call for drastic measures. Something in Elena's behavior last night that reminded me a bit of Katherine...Elena was sneaky and kind of arrogrant with those bribes, wasn't she? What would Bonnie have said about her promise to Rose?

Katherine--It tickled me that she changed her mind about being locked in the tomb. [She's bored. XD lol Too fantastic. Nina Dobrev is a blast in this role.]
Katherine looked like the cat that had gotten the cream when Stefan made his error.

Elijah-- Ok, if you pull out all the stops with this guy, what will there be left for Klaus to wow us with? [That double heart rip thing, brings to mind Angel's double staking in the pilot ep.] Klaus is supposed to outDamon Damon, but I feel like Elijah is already doing that to an extent [Too much of the same thing gets old fast]. :( . Also, it's all too obvious that Elijah isn't through with Damon and Elena yet...I get the feeling that for Damon payback's definitely going to be a bitch.

Stefan--I felt so sorry for him this ep...He acted to save somebody else in a split second without thinking of the repercussions and it definitely cost him [Hence the title]. :(   As for the previews to next week, I've read enough of the books to know there is Delena, but the way Williamson & Co. is going about getting us there feels rushed and sloppy [at least as far as this ep goes].  Next week's developments with Stefan... I feel like his behavior is OOC, I guess it feels that way to me, because we haven't seen enough flashbacks of what Stefan was like before Elena.

Damon--There were several times last night when I thought Damon was just going to pounce on Elena last night. The anger was just so mixed with sexual tension, it was hard to really interpret. [ Ian Somerhalder's mannerisms don't make it any easier sometimes...] The "Throwing you over my shoulder" line didn't bother me, but the "I'll break your arm" line did. I'm not saying turn him into a softie, but the line just disturbed me. You claim to love this girl, put her in a sleeper hold or something, but don't break limbs. }:( [Maybe I've got too many issues with domestic violence, but that line just bothered me big time. I don't care how pleasing to the eye someone is. That kind of talk just isn't sexy to me at all. ] This time I felt like Damon was right to warn Jeremy away. Look what it cost them.

The Twilight nods--Slater's password is what? Really???!!! C'mon now. :(   And then the whole thing with Alice [They don't call 'em fangbangers on this show, but that's what she seemed like to me.].

A spinoff for TVD...Um until the writing becomes more even again [Hopefully this ep was a fluke as far as that's concerned, because I'd been pleased for the most part with how the season was going so far]....I don't think that's such a great idea. Not really loving the premise either. If you're going to use an old idea, at least put a new spin on it or shoot it from a new perspective...Don't add to the same ol' same ol' that's out there. We've got enough of that.

My artwork

2010-12-02T05:21:00.000-08:00

I've finished a lily painting I was working on. If I have to do a quick and dirty photo upload, I can use my phone, but I really don't like the quality of photos I take using my cell phone [I also don't want the resolution getting all screwed up]. I'm looking for a good digital camera...[A good digital camera will also help me sell some things on eBay, but that's a subject for another post.] I'm also hesitant to post the painting of the lily until I get the Chinese name seal I ordered [It is a Chinese Brush Painting after all.]. I'm not sure what other subjects I'd like to do...I'm ordering more books, and I'm hoping something will come to me that's not even in the books. Or I can combine several ideas that I've seen in different books. I also want to be sure I'm getting the characters right...I wish there was someone I could go to who could assist that wouldn't laugh at me or turn their nose up at me wanting to do this style. I'm thinking if I keep my eyes open, I will find that person...I'm stubborn that way. :)

Outstanding eval...and I thought I'd be happier

2010-12-02T05:14:00.000-08:00

I got an Outstanding in my work eval...Somehow I thought I'd be happier...I feel like I had to turn myself inside out to achieve it...I'm not saying success should come easy, but I feel like there's a happy medium. I think a definite priority shift, change of scenery and/or both will be called for in 2011..2012. I know it's going to come at a cost though and I'm prepared to deal with it.

RL intrusions...

2010-11-22T10:14:00.000-08:00

Sorry I've been so slow posting my thoughts on Katerina.
I started it the day after and then all types of drama ensued...I may speak more on some of it and a later date.
Then my [former] chiropractor has been giving me a hard time about wanting to seek chiropractic services elsewhere. Pardon me, but isn't it the patient's right to choose what's most convenient for them? Last I checked it was. I don't like the tactics he uses to persuade people to sign up with him. If he doesn't use intimidation, it definitely comes pretty close. }:(

Then my "new" doctor's office is trying to shake me down for money after the health insurance co. already paid. I'm like WTF???!!!! Does everyone think I'm made of money?

Work...I don't even want to get started on a rant about that. :( About the only way I can think of to help myself get through it, is to take several deep breaths and say "It could be worse", which it definitely could.

I've been so drained lately, I've barely had time to read like I usually do.

I did paint some last week though. I'm hoping to get some scans up within the next few weeks.

I also finally got my second photo shoot done. I'm anxious to gain some experience, but I realize I need to be patient and a lot more flexible. More self-aware too probably...The whole thing is definitely a learning experience...But I guess you could say that about life in general.

Vampire Diaries episode "Katerina" (contains spoilers)

2010-11-22T09:18:00.000-08:00

Bonnie-- She wasn't really hiding that she was attracted to Luka that well. I don't think she'd have responded too well had that been the other way around. But, that being said, it was nice to see her get some action, beyond helping to save Elena and The Salvatores.

Rose--Loved the scene where she turned the tables on Damon. I'll have to see more of her, but so far I like the blend of vulnerability and strength she has.

Trevor--I barely recognized him...I have a love/hate relationship with the costuming/wigs in some of the period scenes...

Don't remember seeing Tyler or Matt

No Jenna or Alaric either

Elena--I can't decide whether she was crazy or brave to do what she did regarding Katherine. Nina Dobrev was awesome last night and not too campy or over the top either. To show that Katherine does still have feelings, no matter how deeply she tries to bury them...I'm not sure a lot of actresses could have done a job of that caliber conveying that so subtly.

Stefan--I don't know how to feel about how steadfast he is in being there for Elena. She comes through for him...[The vervain in the well, etc.] Lately, it just doesn't seem like she truly appreciates him.

Elijah--How scary is it that Originals can compel other vampires?   That just doesn't bode well at all. The thing with Elijah taking the change in his hand and tossing it around...I was trying to explain on Twitter last night that it reminded me of how Gambit from the X-Men can take playing cards and charge them when he throws them, but I couldn't explain the physics behind it, which frustrated me. :( [Kids stay in school! I didn't leave, but I wish I'd been better at math and physics, that's for sure.]

Slater--He was really amusing...I was sorry to see him go. [An eternal grad student...Think there's a joke there? Nah! }:)]

Luka--The warlock thing bothers me...[It probably comes from watching too much Charmed]. It'll be interesting to see whether Luka will eventually decide to assist Bonnie and the others or he's working for Elijah like his dad.

Luka's dad aka Dr. Jonas [?] Martin--Are there going to be any new Black characters on this show that aren't pawns, Evil, or just passing through? It'd be nice...

Damon -- Elijah will be out for payback and it won't be pretty. :(   I know he heard that cockiness when Damon assured ? and Rose that Elijah was dead. The Rose/Damon hookup...some people believe that it was just rebound sex...I'm not sure...Then there is a strong Dalena ship out there...The writers and Kevin Williamson are very good at throwing us curveballs, so I would say almost anything is possible.

Jeremy--He took Bonnie bailing on him surprisingly well. He earns points from me for that alone.

The Originals --Someone asked if Pearl was one[in one of the conversations I had on Twitter]... We've seen European Originals, but I'd love to see  An Asian Original. A Native American Original, An African Original...I think all cultures have vampire, shapeshifter, and witchcraft legends/myths. I'd like to see this reflected in the show more. Just having the Bennet witches and the ? Warlocks doesn't get it for me.

Klaus--I'm curious to see who they will cast in this role, because we've been speculating for weeks. :)

My predictions: Kevin Williamson said something about writing Damon angst. Don't know whether it's related directly to the finale or what, but I predict Elijah or Klaus is going to either make Damon do something he doesn't want to regarding Elena or he will be forced to watch while Stefan does something to Elena that neither/none of them wants. I don't believe she will die. If she does, I think it will be for a few seconds or minutes similar to what happened to Buffy in Season 1 of her show.

YouTube! bar

2010-11-07T13:34:00.000-08:00

Playing with the layout here a little bit. If you want the YouTube bar back instead of reactions, please let me know. I'm not a tech wiz and haven't figured out how to keep both up at the same time without totally screwing up the layout. I'm also really enjoying the Twitter wall addition [ I figure this will also light a fire under me to Tweet more. ] No matter what, I'll try to be flexible. :)

Rose (TVD)--Contains Spoilers!

2010-11-05T05:03:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin? Seems like I'm always asking that with this show.

Elena--She didn't have much to do last night. :( At least IMO. Next week she will though. Very much looking forward to seeing that. The blood of the doppleganger thing...Ominous...and I still don't think the answer to the teasers is going to be as obvious as it looks. There's going to be some type of twist...

Bonnie--She's awesome in her power [To learn so much in such a short time.], but I'm concerned about those nosebleeds. Even the Charmed Ones had power of three for a reason.

}:( Cousin Lucy needs to come back for more reasons then one.

Jeremy--He's very protective and considerate towards Bonnie. I also like that he's kind taking more of an interest in what's going on around him, now that he knows what he does about Mystic Falls.

Stefan--Is the human blood making him bolder? Or is the combination of the human blood and his love for Elena? He seemed different to me last night. Like he had more of a backbone. :) I liked it.

Rose-- I'll need to see more of her, to know whether I love or hate this character yet.

Trevor--I was so sorry to see him go. :( [ First Carter, now this dude. Another character to develop and more eye candy...how is that a bad thing? Guess they figured there was too much male eye candy...Now I have an idea how the Uncle Mason fans felt a few weeks ago.]

Elijah--He terrifies me. If what's coming in the previews to Katerina is any indication. Folks are in trouble. As old as he was, I also didn't think he'd be that easy to kill. It was sloppy and it was arrogant...Beheading is the answer I think...but to fill the season they have to stretch stuff out. ;)

Tyler and Caroline--Who knew? I like the idea of this ship though. It reminds me of the Underworld series and even before that R. Chetwynd Hayes had a series of short stories...Hopefully they're still in print...but I digress...I have to wonder if Caroline telling Tyler about the supernatural history of Mystic Falls will be a hit or miss. She did at least keep her promise not to reveal anything about the others...Still once the truth comes out, she risks not only Damon's anger, but Tyler's...As I said last night, this show definitely doesn't run short on angst. Normally that gets on my nerves, but I enjoy the supernatural elements enough on this show to let it ride.

Jenna and Alaric--Didn't see them this week.

Damon--??????!!!!!!!!I'm really conflicted here. I loved the range of emotions on Damon's face when Stefan apologized for "making" him turn. Warning Caroline to stay away from Tyler...is that fear? Protectiveness? That vampire vs. werewolf prejudice thing? Some of all 3?

And finally...Damon confesses his love to Elena...that just made my jaw drop and then to say that he knew/felt that he didn't deserve and he shed a tear [I loved how artfully that scene was shot. I think showing his whole face would have been too soap opera like.]. Another thing that stuck with me, was how he could have kissed her on the mouth, but he chose the forehead...It was just truly WTF?! in one of the best ways imaginable...[Week after week this show just...smh]I think Damon might have confessed to her hoping somehow she'll remember [at least subconciously], otherwise why tell her at all? And I'm not sure how he'd feel were she to die and become a vampire... I know how the books go...but that doesn't necessarily mean that's how the show will go.

Aimee--So she's not a total red shirt. She has been missed. At least there's that.

Nitpicks : The bloodbag drinking thing. For some reason all I could imagine, was someone pulling up beside them and seeing that and asking "Dude! Is that the energy drink or the candy?" [I don't even think they'd have to compel anybody either. No one would trip. Maybe that's why they worked this in. lol]

The fight: SafiTaffy99 on Twitter, I couldn't agree more. I think the one with Katherine was better. Like I said, Lucy needs to come back. :)

Walking Dead premiere (Contains spoilers!)

2010-11-01T05:01:00.000-07:00

I was glued to the television!

I never read the graphic novel...I have the first book on order. [I wanted to see if I enjoyed the series first.]

I enjoyed this way better than I did Dead Set.

The hospital was very eerie...[Hospitals give me the heebiejeebies period, so that was like shooting fish in a barrel as far as I'm concerned. That coupled with the fact that power was out in the stairwells and dude was running around with no weapon...I had to suspend my disbelief quite a bit, especially given the fact that he was in his hospital gown and barefooting...That he made it out of there with no cuts and not encountering any zombies was nothing short of a miracle to me. ]

I know the deputy's family are still alive...[It's that so close and yet so far cliche'...I figured maybe.] It breaks my heart about the Morgan and Duane [Duane...is that a nod to Duane Jones from NOTLD '68? If so, I love stuff like that.] though...I think the wife/mom was cognizant though. She remembers her house...She remembered how to turn the knob, as opposed to just banging and groaning/moaning and a carrying on. The son also indicated that she'd been back before. I don't know whether her cognizance has to do with how long she'd been a zombie or that the virus mutates or what, but she's not like the others...I don't know if that means she can be cured [and possibly cure others] or she has to be watched out for, because she's more dangerous than the rest, because she's cognizant. This also reminds me somewhat of how Kelly behaves in Guillermo Del Toro's Strain series...

The zombies in the city waiting in a kind of huddle like that freaked me out towards the end. Do they have some type of hive mind or something? They all knew to stay quiet too...Very creepy.
Can't wait 'til next week.

The music that was playing at the end...Although I liked it, it felt kind of out of place. :(

Vampire Diaries --Masquerade (Contains spoilers!!!)

2010-10-29T06:13:00.000-07:00

I had fun last night. I also made a bunch of new Twitter friends [always nice].

Didn't know about The Vampire Diaries Bingo game. Maybe I'll give playing a shot...

Bonnie--I felt like we got more insight into her last night. She's not all venom, like some tend to think. I loved that...also. Is Beremy a thing now? It looked like it was starting last night. It'll be interesting to see what Luka is all about. I'm definitely looking forward to more from Katerina Graham. I think she did an excellent job of showing Bonnie's conflict.

Lucy--Witches rule on this show! I love it! She says she coming back. I hope she does and that she decides to stay. That'd be interesting. I haven't been this excited about a character that's a witch in a while...[Charmed sometimes got a little too silly for me.] Natashia Williams is the name of the actress who played her.

Stefan--I wanted him to be all badass last night, like when he was interrogating Katherine, he wasn't. I'm thinking the breakup with Elena had a lot to do with it. That and the human blood thing...Somebody called this, but I couldn't remember his or her Twitter name to give them a shoutout. [ It may have been SafiTaffy99 or VDSource, or someone else altogther...It's getting hard to keep track. Now I know I'm getting old. :(]

Caroline--She tricked me and Katherine last night. Ms. ? is awesome! I was happy to see her intervene where Tyler and Matt were concerned. Candice Accola deserves her kudos.

Elena --She had me laughing last night, because curiosity just kills her. She will not stay put. She may still have gotten kidnapped, but maybe not as soon. She wants to feel safe???!!! You're dating who/what and you live where? That's got to be the lamest "we need a timeout" excuse...}:( You love this guy and you did that? Sheesh!

Katherine--I almost felt sorry for her last night. As for what she shouted out to Damon before he sealed her up in the tomb...I can't figure out if she was telling the truth out of desperation [She seems to put self-preservation first and foremost.]. Or if she was lying/telling a half truth yet again. I don't think I'd have wanted to chance it either. They'd better hope she doesn't find a way out of there though.

Alaric or Ric--The Ric thing just tickles me...I wish they'd given him a little more to do. Hopefully he can keep Jenna from further harm if nothing else.

Aimee--It never even occurred to me she'd be one of the ones to go. But then, I think every TV show that says they're going to kill off a character and shows pictures of guesses...almost always throws you a curveball. [i.e. It's almost never part of the main cast, unless they're looking to shock, kill off characters just to prove they can, they're crazy, or a little bit of all three.]

Sara--That broke my heart. :( And after Caroline tried so hard too.

Tyler--Unless they plan to do to him what they did to Mason, the Salvatores have werewolf trouble again. :( Even without Katherine pulling his strings...I'm having a blast watching how they tie up [or don't] all the loose ends. If it's one thing the writers on this show know how to do, it's keep you watching.

Damon--He's scary when he goes off and you're never really sure that anyone's going to be able to rein him back in. I don't think the sipping helps either. [That's what my mother used to call it when someone just about always had a glass in their hand. Sipping. XD] Again, I love that Ian Somerhalder can be over the top, but he can give subtle too...I'm waiting to read the TWP review by Cindy McLennan. The Evil Pixie Monster thing just tickles me no end, it clicks though. Nicole over at Give Me My Remote also brought up a good point about the moonstone...I thought it needed to be there to keep Katherine weak[er?], but who knows?

Hopefully, I didn't forget anybody, because I'm exhausted. lol

The dresses...That's a blog post unto itself...I think I liked Caroline's best and her shoes[Have I mentioned how much I love red and black?]...I'll look at this ep again before next week I'm sure.

Plan B-U Know the Drill-Yes,this post does contain spoilers

2010-10-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

Bonnie --It was wonderful to see her last night. She can give aneursysms...that's truly scary.
I think if Bonnie, had gotten to know Carter[from the Brave New World ep] better, it would've been harder for her to make any kind of amends with Caroline. As far as the friction between her and Damon...I can't figure out if that's true hatred or sexual tension, or what...if she wanted to, she could annihilate him [Stefan knows this, Damon I think takes too much for granted.], yet something stops her.

Then, there were other little things I noticed...how Damon pulled Mason off Bonnie. Calling her "Judgy"...Thanking her. Someone even pointed out that he held the car door open for her. [Which I didn't see, so I think a repeat viewing is in order. ;)]

Bamon is a ship I wouldn't mind. If Delena doesn't work out, I wouldn't hate this...

Matt - I'm trying not to give away too many spoiler here, but to say he's in a heap of trouble is an understatement.

Tyler--I knew the curse was going to pass to him somehow, I just wasn't sure if it would be by design [Katherine] or accident.

Stefan--Poor Baby! :( After Damon ticked off Katherine intentionally, I was sort of wishing he was the one that wound up in a well full of vervain, but more on him later...Were he and Damon color coordinated last night? I don't remember this always being the case, but I definitely noticed it last night.

Caroline--I loved the bonding that went on between she and her mother last night, and it broke my heart that Caroline decided to go ahead and compel her mom anyway. :( I think she's right that ultimately it'd become necessary. I also felt it was better to have Caroline do this, than Damon. Something about Caroline compelling her own mother, just made it a little easier to take.

Elena -- I liked how they switched back and forth between her and Katherine. I think they made their point without hitting you over the head with it. When it's done right, I love it.
As far as Katherine finding out the moonstone, was gone...Elena dropping the flashlight in the well water didn't help either.

Katherine--What does she need another werewolf for? Can't believe she did that to Jenna either. :( For her to have that many backup plans, she either wants something that the moonstone is the key to, she's in some sort of trouble [Bigger Baddie holding something over her perhaps?], she really just loves to screw with people or all of the above.

Mason--The torture scene didn't devolve into camp, at least not to me. I think they did an excellent job. It was hard to watch, but at the same time, I couldn't tear my eyes away.

Jeremy--I think he's in way over his head.

Damon--If ever there is a character that delights me one minute and exasperates me the next on this show, he's it [With Elena running at a close second.]. Stefan softened the request to Bonnie. Stefan tried to warn him about ticking off Katherine too [I'd swear, sometimes you'd think he was the older brother.]. He tried to take the blame and keep Elena from leaving, but it was too little, too late. For now, until he learns to keep his rage from blinding him, he's going to be a liability to any of their plans. But then, he might surprise, like he did in the Kill or Be Killed Ep. Time will tell...

Looking forward to The Masquerade next week.

Awk-ward

2010-10-13T05:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was messing around on YouTube! and I liked a video in the wrong profile [It was a long day is about all I can say in my defense.] I have two profiles on YouTube! I have one that's under this name and general. The other is Vampire Diaries focused [QueenNyx40]...I didn't necessarily want to unlike the video to correct the error and I didn't see a button that would shift stuff back into neutral. I'd love to get into making fanvids, because I've got some fun ideas...with anything though, I bet good editing, etc. takes practice though. I've been painting more, but I'm still not satisfied as far as scanning something to show. Then there's a lot going on, not a lot of which it would be appropriate to discuss here. I also may have another photo shoot in the works, so a lot of stuff has just been put on the backburner. This would also account for the spaces between blog posts. I've been on Twitter way more than I have facebook too, which is kind of funny considering I didn't even like Twitter at first. :) That just teaches me to never say never I guess...

Interesting discussion on Twitter yesterday...

2010-10-13T04:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday on Twitter, Toure' asked the Black/African-American tweeps what term they preferred. I responded that I can't limit a response to that to 140 characters [even if I were to number them part 1 of ?]. Harry Allen also participated in the conversation...he retweeted something someone said about "Black" people being Brown. I think this could be a blog topic all on its own. Don't Hispanic and East Indian people call themselves/get classified as Brown? Ownership of the right to call oneself something, those debates are always sticky. I'm not somebody that thrives on conflict. I'm more of the live and let live philosophy, which is why most of the time I don't do posts like this unless something's really sticking in my mind. I don't think these type of issues are unique to this country either...India and Brazil deal with similar issues. Again to go into all the history would be a really, long, blog post, but look it up. If you're at all interested in history, it's really fascinating, informative, [and depending on how you look at it somewhat depressing] stuff. As far as being called Black goes, it's easier to say and easier to fit in the spaces they give you on applications. As far as African-American goes...I don't mind that either, but I don't know where in Africa I'm from (I wish I had the money and time to invest in research.) ...I know almost all of my ethnic background but two parts...(Where I get my freckles from and what part of Africa my ancestors were from.). I do know that I had a Chinese maternal [great?] great-grandmother and that I had a Chickahominy maternal great grandmother. Now, if someone were to take the PC thing to the extreme, how many hyphens would that be? :) That's why I always thought the term "biracial" fell short, because I can't name one human being that's on the planet now that's solely of two races, unless they're extremely isolated, and even then I think it's debatable...No doubt about it, I definitely couldn't have tweeted all this. Twitter is an interesting platform, but I don't think it's ideal for all discussions. Again, we learn as we go...

Kill or be Killed (Last Night's Vampire Diaries ep and Yes this post does contain spoilers.)

2010-10-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

Julie Plec and Ian Somerhalder were tweeting last night during air time on the east coast. It was my first time participating in something like that. I enjoyed it more than I expected to.

Ok, here I go:

Bonnie - We don't see her until another new ep airs. I'd still like to see more of her though.

Matt --Not there last night.

Tyler--partied with Jeremy, Aimee, and Sarah and came close to being cursed right along with his brother. Would I be asking for to much, if I said I hoped he did not wind up a werewolf? There's actually such a thing as too much angst.

Mason--That scene between he and Stefan. I swear I forgot to breathe. So much tension last night. I love eps like this one. My theory that an accidental killing was not an escape clause from the curse also panned out [I don't suppose it'd make for good, suspenseful TV without that would it?].

Katherine--What's up between her and Mason? And what's up with the moonstone? I also think she is a great big garden tool, but I digress.

Elena--Was it just me or did she and Stefan give anyone else a toothache as far as their "I love you" code for the fake argument? I enjoy happy couples don't get me wrong, but I don't like sappy. I just don't. :(

Caroline-- I can't believe she whooped Mason! I was like Wow! Didn't see that coming. [I don't think she could take Alcide on True Blood, but I bet she'd have fun trying.] I love that although she was afraid to come clean to her mom she did it anyway. Candice Accola has been amazing to watch in these past few eps.

Deputy ?--I was so sorry to see him go...I wish they'd stop that. Again, I'm so conflicted about loving this show, it's not even funny.

Damon--In some ways he didn't surprise me [Saying he didn't want peace, messing with Mason at the Volunteer Day event, draining the deputy and being blase' about it.]. What did knock me for a loop was how he talked to Caroline about being hard on her mom and when he spared Caroline's mom. [Ticked and hurt always seem to make him unpredictable. I also wonder what Damon's relationship with his mother was like. Was he a disappointment to her too? ]
Also, was it my imagination, or did it seem like he was going to say something about the ring when the Caroline's mom threatened Stefan?

Twitter's ticking me off for the second time today...

2010-10-06T11:15:00.001-07:00

Went mucking about with my computer settings (at least the ones I can do that with ) and thought I'd solved the problem...only to encounter the Twitter failbot again...I haven't seen anything on the web or heard anything about widespread Twitter problems...I wonder what the deal is...It's times like these I wish I was way more computer savvy (Do people even say that anymore?).

Last Night's Vampire Diaries episode--Memory Lane (Contains Spoilers!)

2010-10-01T05:15:00.000-07:00

Matt--Wasn't shown last night. Are he and Aimee official now?

Caroline --Understandably still bummed about losing Matt. Elena and Stefan also know that now she's Katherine's flunky.

Katherine--She's built up an immunity to vervain ...Man, to say this chick is scary is an understatement! I also think she really does love Stefan...or at least she feels her idea of love for him anyway. Also Mandy Bierly (from EW) must have eyes like a cat, because I didn't see makeup, or earrings on Katherine, when Stefan wakes up from his nightmare. It was dark in the room and all I saw was hair, I didn't even see those curls, until he leapt away from her. Again, my hat's off. So not jealousy talkin'. :)

Elena--That was a good act that she and Stefan put on, because I sure bought it. What did Katherine mean when she told Elena you're asking the wrong questions? Is it an identity thing [again]? Is Elena more than human? We've had no indicators...I just know one thing, one Sookie Stackhouse is enough. ...Nina Dobrev seems like she's getting better with the dual role thing each time. :) Very entertaining television.

Stefan--It bothers me that he was able to torture Katherine that way, especially since she looks just like Elena...It's all well and good that he can do what he needs to find out what he needs to know, but at the same time, I just found it kind of disturbing.

Mason--Silver doesn't work on him...The vampires are definitely in trouble. Not to mention the fact that in the previews, I think I see him revealing to the mayor or the sheriff what Damon is...Everything's about to blow sky high...[Depending on how many seasons this show is supposed to last for this could be a very good thing or a very bad thing. One thing I know for certain, I don't want to see it jump the shark, if it hasn't already by doing the evil twin thing.]

Tyler--I think he will wind up killing somebody...It's just a matter of who...I also don't think whether or not it's going to be an accident or not is going to matter as far as the curse goes.

Damon--Playing Pictionary...Too priceless. I don't think I'd have believed it, if I hadn't seen it. As far as picking a fight with Mason...that wasn't smart and everyone kept warning him...Mason even tried to let him off easy...but I think Damon's so bent about about Elena and Katherine, that he's basically in self-destruct mode. As much as Katherine likes to take advantage of/torment Damon, I don't trust her to tell him the truth about the werewolves. He's too sweet on her, he needs to handle her more like Stefan did. As strong as she is, I doubt she'd tolerate it for long though and she's not in love with him...so that's already two [more] things going against him.

Jenna and Alaric--I like them together... hope it lasts. With a show that pretty much runs on angst I'd like to see an exception to the rule.

Bonnie--She wasn't on this week. C'mon y'all! Get on the ball writers!

My head's spinning...Did I miss anybody?

I thought about tweeting while the show was on or maybe right after, but I like to let stuff just kind of sink in. (As I suspected this choice did turn around to bite me. Next week, barring the unforseen, I'm going to take the plunge.)

I'd sound like such a tween if I were to tweet while I was watching. Most of my posts would probably consist of these three phrases: OMG!, Did y'all see that? WTF??!!

I also didn't want to devolve into posts where I'm purely just drooling. You'd be surprised at how easy that is for me to do lately...

Maybe if I give it a shot, I'll surprise myself, who knows?

Boys in the Wood (Last night's Vampire Diaries ep)

2010-09-24T09:25:00.000-07:00

Elena--I'm torn with her, because if someone killed or tried to kill one of my family members, I'd be ticked too. The manipulation though...two wrongs don't necessarily make a right...

Caroline--After all the trouble she went to, I was sorry to see her lose Matt.

Bonnie--It's not quite the same as the Sookie/Tara relationship on True Blood, but I definitely see parallels.

Aimee-I don't remember seeing her before and I've only read a couple of the books...It'll be interesting to see what happens with this character...whether they keep her and build on her, or she's just there to drive the plot with the main characters.

Tyler and Mason --I want to know why Tyler didn't change (Is he not of age yet or something?). As for Mason, his self-control must be stellar for him not to have annihilated the inside of that truck. With shows like this, it's a given you're going to have to suspend your disbelief though. It's just a matter of how far/long you're willling to suspend it I guess. : D

Damon--The way he jumped in the way of that arrow for Elena...I was also amused by the fun he was having with Vanessa at Isobel's archives. I couldn't figure out whether he was trying to win her back. ( He seemed to be on a campaign last night, didn't he?) Or whether he is hung up on Elena because Katherine doesn't want him/never loved him (i.e. if I couldn't make Katherine want/love me, I'll make Elena want/love me.). He wasn't feigning that hurt last night...I looked at that kaleidoscope of emotions play across his face last night...and he was actually hurt that he didn't have a chance with her anymore. I'm curious to see what he'll do next and if he'll play right into Katherine's hands by doing so. Or whether his anger will help them defeat her.

Stefan--He was fun last night. Wish we saw more of this side of him. This makes it easier for me to see what draws Elena to him.

I found the title of the ep somewhat problematic and this recent development of "compelling" POC to be disturbing for me as well...I don't think they did this last season...I don't believe it would have slipped past me. I feel so torn...I love this genre and I love my eye candy (Mr. Somerhalder)...so I'm going to give the show some more time...Plus, I also hate quitting before I know how a story turns out...

Vampire Diaries Ep Brave New World Does contain spoilers

2010-09-17T07:17:00.000-07:00

Carter-- Damn! Damn! Damn! It's like Season 2 of True Blood all over again, only this has been condensed into 1 hour. It makes it no less painful though. Too bad Bonnie couldn't singe Caroline. }:( [Incidentally, the actor that played this character B.J. Britt, also played in Vampires Suck. Gotta love the irony.]

Bonnie--She must really love Elena and have amazing self-control is all I can say. I would love for her to catch a break though...First her Grams gets taken from her, then her potential boyfriend? I'd be more than a little PO'd myself.

Nurse Haynes --Poor baby, but at least she got to live.

Stefan--Why didn't he just intercept Carter? That didn't have to turn out the way it did?

Damon --Where do I even begin?

Katherine--Was she watching from the shadows?

Tyler and Mason--They seem more like Twilight than True Blood weres to me, but it's too soon to tell...

Mayor Lockwood--Wonder what she'll do when she finds out the truth about Damon?

Jeremy--I like what he did, but for some reason I think it's going to turn around and bite him (absolutely no pun intended).

That revelation that a werewolf bite can kill a vampire...I don't think that was an accident. The only question is which one will go? I think I have an idea, but I don't want to inadvertently give up a spoiler...

Elena --she easily could have let Bonnie fry Damon. She has many reasons to hate him and very few to protect him, besides possibly not wanting to hurt Stefan. Why did she intervene?

I also feel that a class and race commentary was being played out somewhat with Caroline preying on Nurse Haynes and Damon setting up Carter for his fall. Nurse Haynes was spared/got a reprieve...So why does the Black male get taken out? Aggression and manipulation play a part here, just like with Eggs on True Blood. As on True Blood there are also not very many multi-ethnic characters...That's why I loved that first Blade movie so much. The vampires were all colors shapes and sizes. Think about it, every culture has vampire myths, right? I think the vampires released from the tomb kind of took care of this on TVD for a while, but then most of them were destroyed...I'm going to give this a bit more time before I quit watching altogether (It'll be hard, because I love this genre so much. And yes, I've tried L.A. Banks and Seressia Glass' books.). I know one thing this episode did give me plenty of was food for thought.

Caroline--Her transformation...I like how they captured the fear and confusion and then I like how she dealt with Damon when she got her memories back. I like the way they don't romanticize the transformation here...The analogy I would have compared it to, particulary with some of Stefan's story arc last season would be addiction (again, not very hard to see and I think it's something of a cliche in this genre...There was a vampire movie actually titled The Addiction too. )

Matt--He was sort of like a puppy last night...It was sweet and kind of cringeworthy at the same time.

Why?

2010-09-17T05:35:00.000-07:00

Just got a really disturbing message on fb.
I'm not going to air but so much dirty laundry here, but I wonder why it is that people do the same stuff over and over and expect a different result? There's a quote about that somewhere, I just can't remember it verbatim.

I'm also not in the same financial position I was when I was paying partial rent versus full rent plus utilities, cable, etc. Even with my raise stuff only goes so far. I've cut back quite a bit on luxuries and I'm still cutting. My question is when do you say enough is enough? Especially when nothing you've done thus far has ever helped/been taken for granted?

I'm tired...and if you care even an inkling for the person hitting you up, you're going to be concerned for their welfare...The painful thing here, is that in this instance, I truly do not have any type of a safety net. At some later point I would help if I could, as I've got stuff in the works,...the only thing is the help is needed now...Double edged swords are the worst...

Crossroads...

2010-09-15T06:06:00.000-07:00

Put a little dent in getting my mother's things to her sister...My sis asked for something as well (it's odd, I almost left without this item yesterday, and then I wound up getting guided to it. So, I know my mom is still there if that makes any sense...), so as soon as time and money allow, I will be making the trip to the post office (I wish they weren't short staffed right now. Service sucks depending on when you go in.). I saved some things too, but most of it I don't have the space to keep, or any use for...There's lots of children's clothes and toys for example...If I can get that boxed up and sent to the Salvation Army in time for Christmas...it would be such a wonderful thing! That's the goal I'm aiming for. There are both "old school" and fairly new types of toys...

I haven't been able to find my mother's writings yet...I figure I'll look for that next trip...

I wasn't able to save my mother's Asian parasol. :( I don't know whether dry rot got to it or what, but I was so disappointed when I tried to open it yesterday and it couldn't be salvaged. :(
I've got a theme in the works at my apartment, and it would have gone perfectly.

I figure if I can just space this out over weekends and annual leave days...I can get this done...Still over 30 years of accumulated stuff between 2-3 people...That's tough when for whatever reason(s) you don't have a lot of help. It's not that I'm not grieving either, but I would rather not wait until I have double the grief to deal with, because then, something tells me this task will become even more daunting.

Pictures will come later...I can't afford a digital camera just yet, and unless one has an iphone or a Droid, I find the quality of cell phone pictures is still craptacular for the most part.

Evil is Going On...True Blood Season Finale (contains spoilers)

2010-09-13T05:48:00.000-07:00

First off, can I just say WTH?

There was no closure last night at all. If I weren't so emotionally invested in the characters, last night might have frustrated me enough to make me quit watching.
The viewer was left hanging with basically all the storylines last night...

Russell--If Eric escaped can he? Yeah he's been weakened, but he's also older.

Eric--He's out an assassin and what's going to happen as far as vampire politics go? Alan Ball alluded that there will be more to do with this next season. As far as the concrete thing goes, Bill was just sloppy.

Bill--Did he really think he could take out an older vampire with just concrete? He didn't even drug or bind Eric or anything? Cocky, much? And now he thinks he can take Queen Sophie Anne? He must feel like he's got nothing to lose.

Godric--Always nice to see him...Vampire as ghost...Was that a nod to Anne Rice? (Claudia shows up as a ghost in I forget which book...I think it was Tale of the Body Thief...) What kind of unfinished business must you have to come back as a ghost after you've been turned into a vampire?

Arlene--So is the baby evil? I'm guessing it is, if Lafayette's vision is right.

Sam -- That blood on his hands in Lafayette's vision doesn't make me feel good about Tommy's fate. Sam cooked breakfast... Why would you turn one of the coolest dudes on the show into a psycho? :( Fantastic chance for the actor to stretch...sucks to see the character go downhill though.

Tara--She scared me with those scissors last night. Her haircut's cute though. She's been through so much, I'm amazed she didn't go off worse at Sam's confession. Also just when I think her mom's getting it together she loses it again. Poor baby.

Pam--She will always rule! She kicked the assassin's ass. Again, I have to ask what was Bill thinking? Did age factor at all in his planning or lack thereof? Sheesh!

Alcide --Not enough of him last night at all. Andy Swist totally helped cheer me up on that score though. }:D

Sookie--Was it just me, or did anyone else think it was beyond bitchy of Sookie, to destroy Talbot in front of Russell, and then laugh about it like that? For a minute, I almost didn't think it was her... That was the only time I actually felt sympathy for Russell last night...I know she was furious and rightly so, but that just seemed out of character.

Lafayette and Jesus--I'm worried for them...Does Lafayette's vision of Jesus mean that he is evil, or that he only has the potential for it?

Jessica and Hoyt--I love them together. I'm a bit worried about the new house though, what up with the baby doll on the floor?

Summer and Hoyt's mom--I didn't think their little intervention would work, but now she's gone and purchased a firearm. Be afraid, be very afraid. That woman is truly nasty.

Jason, Crystal, and Hotshot--I'm more than annoyed with all the back and forth going on. At least now she admits that she loves him out in the open at least...I still want to know how/if they're going to wrap up this storyline. It's gone so far from what happened in the books that I'm clueless.

I think I got everyone...At least I have plenty of time to order more TruBlood before next season. lol

I'll be curious to see what the commentary on Racialicious will be like. Judging by the reviews/commentary I've seen so far at different websites, a lot of people are frustrated, particularly by the whole Crystal and Jason storyline. Time will tell.

The Vampire Diaries Season 2, Ep 1 The Return (some spoilers)

2010-09-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin?

Found the whole Elena/Katherine thing amusing...Especially the visual clues as far as how to tell them apart. :) I'm also curious to see if Katherine will continue to show up in all black or make things a bit more challenging...Where was Katherine lurking to find out all this stuff about Elena? I think that's got to be one of the scariest things about the episode.

Stefan --I still want to know what it is Elena and Katherine see in him, because I just don't know...I find broody and boring dull. It got very old with Angel, I don't love it here either.

Tyler --

Bonnie--I notice she gets paired with Damon in quite a few fanfics...I can't see that happening, especially not after what Damon did last night. She also doesn't strike me as the type to let her hormones carry her away...

Caroline--So, is she going to be a vamp now? I saw the previews from last week and I'm just like "Uh-oh...Is this going to be a repeat of Vicki?"

Damon--I started to feel sorry for him last night...and then he did what he did last night...I think he was even mad at himself, not because it was wrong, but because he realized that by doing that he'd lost whatever small chance he had of hooking up with Elena...

The vampires eating and drinking thing...I wish I understood the biology of this better...I guess it depends upon whose 'verse you're in. I remember some of them did eat in the Jossverse...It was weird. In I Will Remember You from Season 4 of Buffy, Angel makes this huge deal of being able to eat again, yet in Season's 3 -5? 6? of Buffy, Spike partakes of hot chocolate with little marshmallows, Weetabix in blood, Hot wings and bloomin' onions... Damon is also the second vampire I've seen that can get drunk. The food/liquid can't go in and not come out, so how does their biology? Guess that's the wrong word... Thanatology? work...I guess that's stuff they figure viewers/fangirls won't wonder about or won't pay any mind...The funny thing is, I can never shut my brain off and I read/watch too much supernatural/paranormal stuff not to be curious about this...I'm not motivated enough to do a Nitpicker's guide or anything like that...it's just one of those odd little things that set me to wondering is all.

Vh-1's Greatest artist(s) of all time countdown...I think I'm beginning to see...

2010-09-10T05:49:00.000-07:00

When they got to the top 10 last night, Vh-1's Greatest of all Time list, kind of made sense to me. It's funny Toure tweeted his frustration about it yesterday, and I definitely get his point [In no universe does Eminem trump Earth, Wind and Fire, Curtis Mayfield and Mary J. Blige... On the other hand, Hendrix totally trumps Prince even without having as much material... John trumps Paul...cultural/global impact seems to also be a factor in how these votes went. I also saw a weird type of arithmetic for example, Michael Jackson placed higher than James Brown and Elvis, because he has elements of both and took his showmanship farther... ]. I think people are slightly more satisfied with genre lists or male/female lists, but even with those, no one comes away ever completely satisfied. Any lists where race inevitably plays a factor is also going to foster debate/provoke thought regardless. Another thing I wondered, was did all of these artists have to have videos? If not, it would have been cool to include a Blues artist or two...Howling Wolf, Muddy Waters...somebody. And as for the architects of Rock...We saw Little Richard [who should have been way higher in the countdown]. We saw James Brown, but what about Chuck Berry? Omissions like that bothered me...Not to mention no Chaka Khan or Minnie Riperton, maybe because they are more soul than rock? But that's subjective too, isn't it? But as I said at the beginning, no one is ever completely satisfied with lists like these...They're something to get people thinking and talking.

Glass half full?

2010-09-07T05:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry it's been so long since I last posted.

I've got lower back pain again...I'm not on anything for it...Been wearing out my heating pads to know avail...

I'm still going to the chiropractor...Unfortunately even with my raise, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to afford yoga...Figuring out how to schedule a yoga class would also be a laugh and a half right now.

Still dealing with the same workplace issues as well...I'd elaborate more on that, but I don't think it's a good time just yet.

Despite all this, don't think I don't realize it could be worse.

True Blood 2nd to last ep of the season "Fresh Blood"

2010-08-30T09:49:00.000-07:00

Alcide -- Utilize that wolfie goodness, people! I missed him again last night.

Bill --

Sookie - Now Sookie wants to finally wake up to what Tara had to say to her? I guess better late than never.

Jesus and Lafayette --I've got mixed feelings about the use of V and what was going on with the dolls...I know they'll talk about this on Racialicious. :)

Sam --I've got issues with the fact that sex with Tara is part of his rampage...Why couldn't they get together without that? (If it was even a good idea for them to hook up at all. I kind of wanted them to get together, but not like this.)

Russell--I hope he's the one to go.

Jessica and Hoyt--I love it! I wish Hoyt's mother would just untie the apron strings already. I also never saw it coming that she and Summer were in cahoots.

Pam--Silver mace...

Ginger--How long can they keep doing that to her, before they have to find a replacement? That poor baby. lol

Tara--So is she blackmailing Andy Bellefleur now?

Jason and Crystal--

Eric--Just when he was starting to get interesting I would hate to see the character go. (I can't believe I'm saying it, but yeah...)

Yvetta-- A cardiologist. Who knew? Can't believe she actually managed to tie Pam up.

Terry and Arlene--I had mixed feelings about this...It cracked me up that Arlene was wrong about the baby being gone and how psyched Terry was. He's a gem.

The In Memoriam reel...That was crazy. I also had confirmation that Diane is no more. Some deaths I forgot about, like the cat. lol

Last Night's True Blood ep "I Smell a Rat" or The Truth Comes Out (Contains Spoilers!)

2010-08-23T06:08:00.001-07:00

Calvin--Forgot Crystal's dad's name, I think it's Calvin, but he's an ass.

Crystal --I loved that reveal. Too bad we have to wait until next week to see more of Jason's response.

Lafayette and Jesus--I like how that was filmed. It was kind of trippy and I also feel like there was some social commentary going on there. Vodoun, Native American religious practices, South American American and Carribean religious practices seems like there's more in common there than isn't if you follow what I'm saying.

Sam--That was kind of jarring to me to see him as a grifter. It also put his response to his family in a different light. He wanted to help them, but at the same time, he seemed to want to distance himself from that shady part of his past. I think he also sees a lot of himself in Tommy.

Hoyt and Jessica--I hope they're back together. It made me so happy that Tommy wasn't able to come between them. I'd like to see him with someone good for him, just not Jessica. I also loved it when Jessica let Arlene have it. I don't think it sunk in, but still. :)

Bill-- I want to believe he loves her, I really do. The burning cross on his and Jessica's lawn...at first I felt odd about it...Then I realized Bill and Jessica were both made vampires against their will. I wouldn't change mine for a second, but race/ethnicity can definitely be something, that you're given a hard time (understatement I know, but please bear with me.) over if you're the odd one out, that you didn't pick. I think other minority viewers will have interesting things to say about this as well. It also wouldn't kill Ball to add some more minority vampires. Was Diane staked? Or is this just a matter of that odd TV thing where a "white" show only has so many characters of color perhaps because they have few writers of color? This is definitely stuff I think about regardless of how much I'm enjoying an episode.

Sookie--I knew her secret, what I found funny was her response to it.

Eric--I didn't know whether he was having everybody on last night, or he really was feeling down. I don't know what to make of his "true" feelings for Sookie either. I don't even think she does.

Arlene--I was so proud of her for finally telling Terry the truth I didn't know what to do. I wish she wasn't so dead set on getting rid of the baby or thinking it's evil. I think that ultimately will be the thing that destroys things between her and Terry.

And Terry --Rare are the men who would do this. He is truly one of my favorite characters on the show.

Alcide --No Alcide last night. I'm truly po'd. (Unless I blinked and missed him which I doubt. I don't blink when I see him. Period.)

Tara -- I didn't expect her to respond to Jason's confession last night the way she did. I know she confronts Andy next week though.

Pam -- No love lost between her and Sookie I see.

What I'm working on now

2010-08-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

I'm working on Chinese Brush Painting during the evenings and weekends. I'm not where I want to be as far as handling the brush yet, but I've just started. I did the drawing first, because I don't trust myself to do any drawing with the paint brush just yet. I'm also going to need a lot more burnt sienna paint, but that's beside the point I guess...

My work so far. Please pardon that left eye. The rice paper is super delicate and I'm think I'm having difficulty with perspective as well...

I think I'm really just happy I'm motivated/inspired again.

Displaying my artwork...

2010-08-19T09:32:00.000-07:00

Posted some artwork of mine on facebook. I was told I should take a class...I do so much better from photos than life though. The fact that I'm so rusty doesn't help my case either.

Stuck a little of my photography up too. Here's a sample.

Twitter's just batting a 1000

2010-08-19T09:30:00.000-07:00

I want to see what the 0 follower thing is all about. Half of mine seemed like spam or madeup anyway, but still...It's just odd. At first I thought it was a virus or just me, but no...Again, I'll be curious to see what the deal was behind this.

Fail whale, Hump Day, etc.

2010-08-18T09:46:00.000-07:00

It just gets easier after today.

I have no idea what happened that I've encountered Twitter's fail whale for the first time in like weeks, but I'll try back later. It's funny I never thought I'd care about getting on Twitter this much. I guess because I never thought I'd become fairly decent at microblogging.

I want to paint this weekend and finally get a printer cable.

I'm toying with the idea of going to the art supply store Friday, but it depends on how I feel.

I haven't felt like myself lately...I know it's partially due to stress, can't figure out if the rest is the weather, chemical or what...

I'm wrapping up reading Star Island. That is a crazy book. This is the first time I've read a Hiaasen book. I've never seen (or read) Strip Tease either. I'm also reading Janet Evanovich's Sizzling Sixteen. I already know those books are crazy. I saw Jackie Brown on cable a few weeks ago and that inspired me to go get Rum Punch from the library. I already know most of the changes made, but I still want to see what the book is like.

FYI about Death at a Funeral

2010-08-16T11:42:00.001-07:00

I laughed but all of it wasn't comfortable laughter. You also might not want to eat while you're watching.

Review of True Blood ep Everything is Broken (contains spoilers!)

2010-08-16T11:17:00.000-07:00

Franklin--I won't miss him.

Crystal--She was getting on my nerves with that going back and forth stuff, and I know how it gets when self preservation kicks in, but still that was rough.

Sam's little brother-- forgot his name, but he showed his a#$ in more ways than one.

No wonder Sam went off last night.

Arlene--Kudos to her for finally telling Terry the baby isn't his. I'm not sure what the outcome will be though.

Hadley--At least she and Sookie get to meet, unlike in the books. I forgot the son's name...I didn't think they would get to him this fast, but they did. Maybe they're speeding things up a bit to give them room to play...Either that or the show is only supposed to run a set number of seasons. I know one thing, I've definitely been enjoying the ride.

Claudine--And again I ask, will there be a Claude ?

Lafayette and Jesus--Wonderful!

Ruby Jean--She cracked me up last night.

Jason--The fact that he did what he did almost makes up for Eggs. Almost. I still don't know if Tara will be able to forgive him for that.

Hoyt and Jessica--I wish they'd just go on and get back together. Yeah they've got issues, but it seems to me they can't be worked out or around or whatever... Stepford girl (forgot her name and sometimes Imdb is no help whatsoever.) needs to go and Sam's little brother keeps getting in the way. If he were more like Sam, I might like him for Jessica, but he's not, so I don't.

Pam --Who'd have thought she'd expose a soft side? I've said it once, I'll say it again. I love this character.

Nan--Can't believe she called Eric "a little bit#%". Eric!

Eric--I'm curious to see how he'll defeat King Russell.

King Russell --I knew he'd gone bye-bye when he was running around speaking to Talbot.

Holly--I think she was younger in the book and she had a boyfriend she accidentally turned into a cat if memory serves...

Tara --I understood why the character (A lot of my relatives have this same view of shrinks.) wouldn't want to go to a shrink, but I couldn't understand what would make her pick a support group instead. That's worse to me (especially after she said she didn't want to spill her guts to a stranger.)...but to each her own I guess.

Alcide--Not enough of him this week, not by a long shot. And three episodes left?

Felton and Calvin -- I don't remember them being this nasty in the book. I think they're mixing characters again and trying to simplify for TV.

Ginger--Never a dull moment...I wondered what had happened to her.

Whew! I think that's everybody...Is it just me or do these lists get longer every week?

Birthday shoutouts

2010-08-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Was on Twitter and I saw someone give Madonna a birthday shoutout. Angela Bassett's bday is also today...Don't think they'd see nor care about my tweet or blog post, but I know a birthday girl who will. :D

My aunt's birthday is also today. Happy B-day Aunt Carolyn!

Here we are again...

2010-08-13T07:04:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy it's Friday I don't know what to do.

I think I'll make a point of watching a funny movie this weekend Death at a Funeral just came out on DVD, maybe I'll watch that.

I'm behind on getting my art projects that I've completed so far [You know it's bad when another artist friend goes "Say, whatever happened to that piece you were working on with the? :D Sometimes I need a fire lit under my a#$ though. So I appreciate her message.]...This is partially because I'm having printing problems at home that I didn't anticipate. Then some unforeseen expenses cropped up (medical, first time Pepco AC fiasco, etc.). So, I've had to budget pretty carefully to keep from running around begging and I definitely don't want to hit up what's left of my IRA...I'm trying to think of a safety net for myself regarding emergencies that won't kill me at tax time or take a huge chunk of my paycheck...Relief may be coming soon, but I'm not sure...

Saw some tips Beverly Johnson posted yesterday. I had a berry smoothie and already my energy level is slightly better than yesterday. I also keep hearing sticking to a seafood/veggie/fruit diet might help too. That's difficult for me though, with a limited budget and transportation...I'm not giving up by any means...but it'll definitely be slow going.

I have so much straightening up around the apartment to do, that it's not even funny. :( I especially dread cleaning the oven.

I feel like I'm forgetting something, but I can't think what...Oh well. My mother used to tease me when I did this and say that if I forgot maybe it wasn't all that important. : D I miss her a lot. I have no idea what to get NE aunt for her bday...and I'm running out of time...I'm hoping I'll be able to do better for everyone around Christmas time, but lately nothing ever comes off like I plan it. Which, believe it or not is also teaching me a lesson or two.

Off to my dad's this evening. Wish I wasn't so tired. He seems to think there'd be a difference if I waited until tomorrow morning, but it'd be slim at best. Bottom line, we give it our best shot, we do what we can and that's it.

True Blood "Night on the Sun" Contains Spoilers!

2010-08-09T09:08:00.000-07:00

Where do I begin?

Tara...she'll be ok. It took her a while to snap out of it, but she's human... I love how Lafayette is there for her. Sam was there for her too last night. It made me long for what they could have had first season...

Jason and Crystal...I know where that's heading, don't want to give too much away, because I've read the books.

Jesus and Lafayette...Wish we knew more about Jesus...Guess the reveal will be slow if at all...

Ruby Jean...is a trip. I'm dying to know what Lafayette's special power is...I don't think it's metaphorical and I so don't want this show to jump the shark.

Eric...I'll never be able to figure him out. I think that's a tremendously good thing. I knew he had revenge on his mind, but the way he went about it.

Hadley...I'm wondering if they'll diverge from the books with her too.

Sam's Mom...As heavy as she made that suitcase look, I would swear she left out of there with more than what they came in with.

Arlene...I almost feel sorry...

Jessica...She catches on fast and she wants to learn...I love this character...at first I didn't think I would, but she's definitely growing on me. She didn't sit there and cower after King Russell was through with her either. I loved that! She turned the tables on Gus (I'm going to miss him...). I wish she and Hoyt would get back together.

Bill and Sookie...I know it's an old song, but everytime they start up Lauryn Hill's "Ex-Factor" just keeps playing in my head.

The fight between Sookie and Debbie (Man! That woman has a potty mouth!)...I enjoyed it, but I can't help wondering how they'll top it. If they even can. (Again read the books, but the show still keeps you guessing with how it differs.)

Alcide...When is this man going to get some love? Don't think I'd be half as concerned if I didn't need a bib just to look at him, but still...WTF?!

Last night's episode of True Blood "Hitting the Ground" (contains spoilers! )

2010-08-02T05:14:00.002-07:00

Lafayette...he's not a drug dealer anymore...:) Already Jesus (inside joke here?) is having an influence on him. Where was Jesus last night anyway?

Tara...She really is a good friend to Sookie and that's all I'm going to say. Even if one thinks the other is doing a stupid thing, they still eventually back the other up.

Jason...as distracted as he was by Crystal, he still pulled it together to be by Sookie's side.

Bill...Did the fairy blood slow the effect of the sun's rays on him? I don't remember that happening in the books, but sometimes I like when they diverge from the books...

Claudine...I loved seeing her last night. This makes me wonder if we'll see Claude too or he'll get phased out like Bubba.

Jessica...Missed her.

Hoyt...He's clearly not happy with Summer.

Eric...He's just...last season I thought love or at least lust was motivating him...now I'm not sure what's motivating Eric as far as Sookie is concerned. Is he telling people one thing and secretly thinking/feeling another?

Alcide...TV Guide had these collectible Team Bill and Eric covers ...What I want to know is this? Where were the Team Alcide covers? He really went above and beyond last night.

Gus (Don Swayze)...Can't remember this character in the book...Kind of wish we get to see more of him too...He's good on his own merit too, but I'd be lying if I said he didn't remind me a lot of Patrick too...

Debbie...She's a mess, but what she said last night shed a little light into why she might be such a mess. I'd like to see this explored further.

Queen Sophie Anne...She's really amusing at times...I don't think she's going to be able to outscheme the king though...They deserve each other I think...

Hadley...I'm curious about her...

The Magister...I was thrilled to see him go.

Pam...She recovered in record time and with snark intact. I love her!

Lorena...The dynamic(s) of her and Bill's relationship kind of makes me think of Darla's and Angel's relationship in the Whedonverse...

Sam...He was awesome last night. He is by far one of my favorite characters on the show.
I hope little bro doesn't make Sam sorry he rescued him. The parents...I don't know who's worse Mom or Dad... What a mess!

Without question TGIF!

2010-07-30T12:17:00.000-07:00

It's been one really rough week. I'm hoping next week is better. I know it'll definitely be shorter and that alone makes it better already. :D

I'm trying to figure out the insanity that is my Pepco bill and get it straightened out.

I wanted to go see Inception this weekend, but sadly, it looks like that won't happen this week either.

I've got a package from the Laurell K. Hamilton fan club to go pick up. }:D Saw her blogging about writing the next Anita Blake...I'm anxious to see and afraid to see what Anita's in store for this time.

I also have books to pick up at the library (when do I not). I'm wrapping up Eat, Pray, Love and Steve Turner's Trouble Man. I'm returning Trouble Man late, mostly because I've been exhausted all week. I want that Ali exhibition fight if it's available on DVD and I definitely want The Ballad of Andy Crocker too. I've got to convert my cassettes...That is also so far down my list right now it isn't funny.

The chiropractor has been helping a lot with my stomach, back and ankle pain. He said the stomach pain might be due to too much roughage...Not to sound like a complete idiot, but I didn't realize there was any such thing with the stress on a healthy diet nowadays. You're also supposed to get more servings of fruits and vegetables than anything else if I'm not mistaken.

I got some Yoga Nidra tips from a friend, so that should help with the insomnia.

I need to go to the grocery store, but heaven knows when I'll make the time...I can't stand going when it's crowded and I know that much.

This guy playfully grabbed my ankle and almost got decked...We've only known each other for a few months...I'm not used to being touched a whole lot and there was a split second when I almost wigged. He wouldn't have understood it, if I'd have went off. Yeah, I could explain, but even that's a coin toss. Some dudes get it, some don't and think you're being a drama queen or a tease or whatever.

Am going to see my dad this evening. Hope everything's alright with him, because I don't think I can handle any more on my plate just now. But then, God never gives you any more than you can handle or so the saying goes, right?

Last night's True Blood I Got a Right to Sing the Blues (contains Spoilers)

2010-07-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

Lorena...As twisted as she is, she really was hurting last night...

Bill and Sookie...I understand it, but it still doesn't make me any less sad.

Lafayette and ?...It was going so well...I didn't see that coming...I wonder if they'll be able to patch things up, I hope so.

Arlene..."This is why people hate y'all."????!!!! That woman is a trip...There's more out there like her though so...[shrug]

Eric...I know what's coming, so I'm just waiting for it. :D I also want him to hurry up and rescue Pam.

Tara ...I wanted to cheer...Can't believe she bit into Franklin like that...[However, during the bludgeoning scene...I wanted to scream Where's your stake? Is there a long handled axe? Behead him and drag him out into the sunlight!!! Hurry up! *note: This is the G-rated version...I actually used way more expletives...If you saw the previews for next week, you know she didn't get him...

Crystal and Jason...I don't need to tell you that spells trouble, but again I've read the books, so I know how it's going to go...unless they diverge a bit, like with Lafayette.
I also want to know how it's possible for a badge to go to someone's head when he doesn't even have a badge yet? Sheesh! He's just downright scary.

Queen Sophie-Anne is a mess.

Jessica ...I love her, but it doesn't take a genius to see either she's going to get caught and punished for bespelling people at the drop of a hat or it's going to backfire/ go haywire in some other way.

Sam...I hope he gets to his little brother in time and that it doesn' bite him on the can...He's too good. :)

Alcide...Ooh, Ooh, Ooh....Showed up on time and looking awesome, can't beat that. }:D

Nivea Touch of Water Lily

2010-07-22T05:32:00.001-07:00

I thought about doing a little deal every week, maybe at the end of each post where I do a blurb on my favorite beauty item of the week. The idea came to me as I was using Nivea's Touch of Water Lily hydrating shower gel with sunflower oil pearls. I usually grade on things like scent [first and foremost], how it mixes with my lotion and deodorant [I rarely wear perfume.], and whether or not over a period of time it starts to dry my skin out. Anyhow, this shower gel meets all my criteria and I think Nivea is a brand that tends to get overlooked. I'm also not sure how many people blog about beauty products for women of color...I'll have to research that...It's difficult to come up with something new or put a new twist on something with so many people in cyberspace though. New and interesting challenges are part of what make life worth living though.