Teena Marie

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

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.

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...

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...

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

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

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

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...

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)

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

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!

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!)

 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!!!)

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

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

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...

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.)

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...

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!)

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)

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

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?

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...

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)

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)

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...

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?

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"

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!)

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

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...

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

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.

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

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!)

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

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...

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!

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! )

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!

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)

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

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.

Racialicious.com commentary on True Blood

A lot of interesting stuff is being said...Some of it I already commented on here...Lorena and Bill, and the violence against women in general (as bad as it was last season, it's really terrible this season.) Other things, I missed entirely, like Eric calling Lafayette RuPaul.

Tara this season...I definitely don't like how it almost seems like a rehash of last season...I don't find a character like her unrealistic though...I'm isolated like that...Very few family members (dysfunctional and scattered across states.) I can count on and very few close friends (Black, Hispanic, and White). I don't get why Black people feel the need to be all one thing across the board...I don't think that's realistic, particularly in this day and age. I also wondered at people fussing about Tara and Kenya being angry and oversensitive...I'm like that and I'm real, but that's just one facet of me. Hopefully, Ball and Harris will explore other aspects of Kenya's and Tara's personalities so that these issues can be addressed. Doing that and keeping the story tight is probably extremely difficult, but I know it's not impossible.

I love that Lafayette might have the chance at something nice.

Anyway, check out the article and comments here:

http://www.racialicious.com/2010/07/15/tough-black-women-women-in-refrigerators-the-roundtable-for-true-blood-s03e04/#comments