Dropping in after a few months...Wishing you all well, as we head into the last weeks of summer in the U.S.

TV

Mad Men - new season started last week - Yay!

True Blood - enjoying most of season 2. More Eric!!!! Lafayette has the best lines.

Supernatural - I didn't start watching until season 3, so when I do have some time, I've been watching seasons 1-3 (gotta put that on my Christmas list). The 1st encounter with that Trickster dude was hilarious. I was crying the next time they met him...okay, I laughed too.

Books

Found a great new urban fantasy series, featuring mercenary/magician Kate Daniels, written by a husband and wife team using the nom de plume - Ilona Andrews

3 books published so far. Humor, kick-ass action, totally unsexy, icky vampires, various mythology (just enough to be interesting, not boring), wereanimals

Magic Bites, , *Magic Strikes

Press Replay

Music I'm enjoying lately - old and new:

Eddie Money's Two Ticket to Paradise

Kid Cudi f/ Common, Kanye West Make Her Say

Take care all,

******** September 10, 2009 * Supernatural season 5 ********

Haven't had much time to visit. Started a consulting job in November which turned into an company employee gig (yeah, don't have to pay for my insurance) and that's kept me really busy.

Recently saw "Watchmen" - boo hiss! I know women don't usually get a good deal in superhuman/hero movies, but I thought this one was extra hateful to women. The only good thing about the movie was that a preview of "Wolverine" played - Hugh Jackman on a big screen is always a good thing. I'm really hyped for this movie - trailers look awesome. Yes, I'm biased!

TV

Jill Scott in "No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency" adaptation premieres on HBO this weekend. "Eastbound and Down" was uneven, but some parts were funny. "Flight of the Conchords" - don't know if it'll be back. Don't know if the 2 dudes are really New Zealanders, but they ripped on Australians alot this season. It was fun to see Lucy Lawless guest star. Lucy was also a guest host on Rupaul's "Drag Race". Now that show was informative, scary and more entertaining that "ANTP"! "Camerooooooooon"

Trivia: Lucy Lawless recorded a duet with RuPaul back in 2006.

"Big Love" season finale was last week. The season was good, alot happened, but it was too short. New to my TV line up are "Breaking Bad", "Reaper", and "United States of Tara". "Lost" has been good - Sawyer has come into his own (and is looking mighty fine). Glad "Medium" is back. Still hanging in with "Heroes". Stopped watching "Desperate Housewives" and "Brothers & Sisters" - just got bored with the squawking. "Supernatural" is on the upswing, but I hope the new cast rumors aren't true.

Books

Anxiously awaiting the next Sookie/Southern Vamp book by Charlaine Harris in May and Jim Butcher's next Dresden book in April - "Turn Coat". Even interested in the next Anita Blake/Laurell K. Hamilton book - I hope Anita is back to kicking ass in this one. Picked up 2 newer series that are decent: Mercedes Thompson by Patricia Briggs, Fever series by Karen Marie Moning. Some Moning fan did a cool mash-up/book trailer "starring" Kristin Bell http://www.karenmoning.com/videos/trailer.html

Music

Surprisingly, I actually like Kanye West's "808s and Heartbreak". Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra "Kiss the Sky" was featured in both "Nip/Tuck" and "Eastbound and Down" recently - great song.

April is fast approaching, stores are full of Easter candy. I hope Spring (or whatever season is coming to your part of the world) is full of promise, renewal...and chocolate!!

Haven't been around much, just doing some quick visits among blogs. Started a new job last month and stepped into a major whirlwind - working lots of extra hours and weekends. Things quieted for awhile at end of last week. Decide to post a short one, give the blog interface a quick spin.

Been catching up on programs since I haven't watched much lately, not that there's anything great to see:

Heroes - *sigh* I'm hanging in there, hoping next chapter is better.

Mr. Monk and the Miracle - I had gotten bored with the series, but happened to catch this Christmas episode and found myself chuckling aloud.

Supernatural - This season has been pretty great overall. Heaven and Hell - Jensen Ackles (Dean) did an excellent job in the scene telling Sam what happened in Hell. Also had me digging out my Bad Company cd - Ready for Love was featured in this episode.

Desperate Housewives - really enjoying the season, but I was hoping the object of this season's crazy/vengeful dude wasn't who it was revealed to be in last episode - obvious, but makes sense.

Really looking forward to return of Lost, Big Love, Nip/Tuck and Medium this winter. Disappointed in season finale of True Blood, hoping next season will be better.

I wish you all Happy Holidays and an amazing New 2009! Have fun, be safe, eat some yummy holiday fare, drink lots of bubbly (soda or champagne - depending on your age). Enjoy!

Haven't been in mood to blog, but I'm procrastinating - should be working on a little project that's due tomorrow night, but can't seem to work up the urgency yet. I have been reading friends' blogs (at movietome) and posting to forums (quick stops on TV.com). I've seen the updates from team Blackout/Top 5 and a few mod responses - which are positive.

What I've been watching:

True Blood - So far, so decent. Still being patient to see where Alan Ball is going with the series.

Mad Men - Latest episode threw main character, Don Draper, into a totally unexpected place and preview for Sunday looks as if he is heading back to his past.

Desperate Housewives, Heroes, Dexter - good building blocks for the season.

Not remembering to DVR or watch Fringe. Where is Eureka? (I know on a hiatus)

Most surprising "me likey" item: My Own Worst Enemy (Christian Slater, Alfre Woodard)

Edward is a jaded spy, former super military dude. Henry Spivey has office job, wife and 2 kids. Edward volunteered for experiment in which he "sleeps" as Henry when not saving the world. Henry was created less than 20 years ago, doesn't know about Edward. Each begins to seep into the other's life - at worst times for Henry. Edward has kept secrets from his org's mgmt. They leave msgs for each other (vids, notes ala Memento).

Not a fan of Slater (or a hater) and I thought the premise was that his character knowingly lived a double life, so I hadn't planned to watch. Granted, not earth shattering concept, but the pilot was really entertaining.

Music

Couple of weeks ago, during the premiere of DHw, an extended trailer for Jackman/Kidman movie Australia played and a song from the band Explosions in the Sky played during 1st part. Of course I was lusting after seeing Hugh , but their music really struck me. Fans of Friday Night Lights will be familiar with this instrumental group. Reminds me of 80's U2 (Edge) and 60's California/surfing music.

Check out The Only Moment We Were Alone at http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=FtW67TCAn0E

First Breathe After Coma at http://ie.youtube.com/watch?v=wWywl5RvNsw

Well wishes to all.

I wasn't interested in logging in today, but I wanted to follow through on my community commitment.

So, here are my changes/suggestions most of which I have posted to the Redesign Feedback forum - it's hard to wade through it.

1. Whiteout Zone - Either change the background or give us the "skins" options mentioned in the survey. There is a random survey which was floating around the Emmy area which offered customized look/feel - get to it. Yes, I used some CSS to change the color, but I would guess the majority of users here don't want to load a script or do it themselves.
2. Make that random survey a static one on the homepage and Feedback Forum to get quantitative input from us. Make us feel like we're included by sharing the site plans in a more uniformed way. I appreciate some of the staff blogs which are doing so, but wading through the forums is just too time consuming.
3. Don't do major upgrades during Fall TV premiere time. Such bad timing. Prior to a major upgrade, pull some volunteer testers from the site. There was a long fix list as soon as the upgrade was implemented - those are the low hanging fruit (I can't believe I'm using that cliche!) which should have been corrected prior to this release.
   
4. Increase "my tracked blogs" to at least 10 or provide an option for me pick the number I want to see in my preference settings.
   
5. Implement expand/reduce lists on "Favorite Shows" and "My Feed". I like blogging/reading blogs, show forum posting and submitting information to TV.com's db. Give me the option to unclutter my space to do what I enjoy.

I won't be on the site for a minimum of 24 hours in support of a communal protest on the implementation of the untested "upgrade" that happened recently on TV.com. For me and many others, it's about the loss of "my" community.

While I miss the character of the old site and understand that various members of the community use this site in varying degrees, I have:

• spent hours doing careful research and adding to TV.com's db
• participated in forums about shows
• blogged and built my own user community

I am participating in "my" community's protest because I want to provide feeback as a "client" of this site. Yes, I appreciate that it's free and the infrastructure behind the site which keeps it running. I especially appreciate the unpaid moderators and staff members who patiently facilitate user community traffic.

I don't appreciate the rush for the upgrade without having long-time/advanced users do user testing and the really poor timing. I'm sure there would have been eager volunteers to have performed this duty. To implement a change during Fall Premieres? Bad idea.

There's no going back, but I hope in the future, changes will be handled better. I don't enjoy the site now and I don't feel like spending research time to add to the db.

Maybe the goal is to remove the blogging/community feature and focus on show forums only? I would loose most of my enjoyment of TV.com if that is the case. Whose loss is it?

Hello all,

Not much to talk about. I've found myself more interested in show forum posting since interesting shows are airing. Refreshed my avatar - lots of versions of Hugh for me to pick, so I should still be easily identifiable to everyone. Also, my banner to reflect the show I'm most interested in these days. I saw Tropic Thunder a few weeks ago; there were some LOL moments. I can sure see why some groups are upset with the portrayal of the mentally challenged.

I was quite happy to see that Nathan Fillion has a new series Castle which will air in 2009. Why is it so hard for TV producers/execs to find a vehicle for him? Speaking of Nathan, I can't remember if lisaG or mafalada posted this recently, but I love this - Alan Tudyk (Wash from Firefly) reads Wash's eulogy . Where is Alan these days? I loved him as Steve in Dodgeball, the obnoxious E network exec in Knocked Up and I didn't know he was the voice of Sonny in I, Robot.

True Blood

The series premiered last Sunday. It was a decent pilot and I'm looking forward to Sunday's episode. I'm a fan of the book series the show is based on so I'm trying to be objective. The southern accents are not the best, but they are hard to do. Accents vary and how your family members sound can affect your accent. I grew up with kids who sounded like they were from the most remote little place in Alabama because their grandparents were. So many of us in the U.S. speak a kind of "generic American". I grew up in the South, but I "don't have an accent" until I say certain numbers.

When folks "bond" with a series, book or film, that represents the epitome of a genre for them, it's time for cage challenges/ultimate fighting when other versions come onto the scene. Some Buffy tVS-ers, Angel-ites, Twilighters, Moonlighters, Blood Ties-ers are gnashing their teeth because they are pissed their beloved shows were canceled or have ended and/or their book/show is their epitome within the vamp genre and can't help but compare True Blood to their beloved.

Since the film adaptation of the first book of the Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer will be out soon, that seems to be where most of the teeth gnashing is coming from. One creative Twilighter described a conspiracy in which True Blood creators were cashing in on Twilight by hiring an actor named Stephen Moyer (plays lead Bill) because his name is similar to Stephanie Meyer. I make some leaps, but I really admire that one!

On another forum site, an Angel-ite made it her/his duty to hit just about every thread to rant about the sterling achievements of Angel and condemn this pretender to the vampire throne. I don't have that energy.

Full Disclosure: Buffy tVS (loved), Angel (liked for 1st couple of seasons), Moonlight (never watched), Blood Ties (watched 6 episodes and didn't like show, haven't read book series), Twilight (Target audience is young/read 2nd book and will not read more, I would probably check out film when it eventually hits TV because Robert Pattinson -Cedric from HP- is a kinda cute young man).

Mad Men

I'm really enjoying this season. Lots of unexpected behavior, but all very relatable - of course, in a hightened fictional way. The main character, Don Draper, did something to a woman he is having an affair with that if a man did to me, 1) I'd attempt to break his hand before kicking the hell out of him and 2) file assault charges against. Now, since it's fiction and the woman seems to like how Don rolls, it didn't turn me off from watching the show.

Another poster said that incident was edited when that episode was aired later.

Fringe

I hadn't paid much attention to this show which is being described as being similar to X-Files. The pilot was okay and I'll probably keep watching to see how it shakes out. The music must be done by the same composer for Lost because it did sound recycled. I never watched Alias, so I don't know if this is creator J.J. Abrams SOPs. The show used those location graphics which just seem to hang in midair and can be "walked through". I don't know what they're called, but those and some of the other visuals were cool. Lance Reddick, most recently from The Wire and Lost, and Blair Brown, who has an I, Robot, arm prosthetic and works for a potentially big evil company, are good actors.

Take care y'all!

Nothing much going on this week...while visiting a friend, I stopped to get my favorite iced coffee (bubble drink sans bubble) , I've got another friend visiting over the long weekend (Labor Day in US), and my grad cla$$ began this week. Well, actually, the first cla$$ is next week, we just had to post an introduction of ourselves. Last course of the degree program.

TV/DVD watching

Generation Kill Last episode of mini-series. I really liked it and the ending was overdone. Mad Men was really good this week. Eureka - I'm losing interest fast.

Michael Clayton DVD - George Clooney, Tilda Swinton, Tom Wilkinson

"I am Shiva, the God of Death" is a quote from the movie. I watched on a recommended of a friend and I'm glad I finally did. I hardly FF'd through any of it - that is a major compliment from me! Quick paced, suspenseful, not too much lawyerese and good performances. Writer/director Tony Gilroy (wrote all the Bourne scripts) provides brief glimpses into main characters to provide just enough character study, but not enough to make it plodding. A-

Part III of Scene and Song: Finale

These are my top 4 moments: Song in green, Film in Purple - Click on pic to hear song and see clips from film. Warning: May be a little spoiler-ly.

#4 River of No Return - River of No Return

(1954) Western adventure directed by Otto Preminger in Cinemascope starring Marilyn Monroe (as Kay), Robert Mitchum (Matt Calder)

Kay is a saloon singer in a rough frontier town, who befriends a young man waiting for his father, Matt. Later at their homestead, Matt and his son see Kay and her gambler BF on a log raft heading for dangerous waters. Matt rescues them, but his good deed bites him on the butt. "Wilder than Indian ambush, wilder than river fury, wilder than the most savage wilderness in all the Americas, was the wildness of their love!"

The theme song is sang by Marilyn in the last 5 mins. of the film; one of four she sings in film. Beautiful shots of the landscape.

Trivia: Filmed in Canada's Banff and Jasper National Parks. Mitchum and Monroe had several stunt related accidents because Preminger wanted them to do their own stunts.

(2004) drama (romance) directed by Michael Mayer starring Colin Farrell (Bobby Morrow), Sissy Spacek and Matt Frewer (Alice and Ned Glover) Dallas Roberts (Jonathan Glover), Robin Wright Penn (Clare)

In the 1970s, two teenage boys become friends and more. Easy-going and eager to please Bobby likes Jonathan's peaceful and orderly home and Jonathan's mother, Alice. Bobby becomes closer to the Glovers after a series of tragedies. Jonathan leaves home as soon as he graduates HS, while Bobby is content to remain in their hometown. Jonathan is living with roommate, Clare, in NYC and living it up without any cautions in the 1980s. Bobby joins Jonathan and Claire and the relationship dynamics change.

I'm not a big fan of Colin Farrell, but his portrayal of Bobby was great. Great music in this film: Blind Faith's "Can't Find My Way Home", Patti Smith"s "Because the Night", Yaz's "Only You".

But I "discovered" Laura Nyro, whose songs are listened to by the characters. Nyro's "Desiree" and "It's Gonna Take a Miracle" is on the record during Bobby's "seduction" of/bonding with Alice. Link is to a fan made trailer.

#2 Perhaps Perhaps Perhaps - Strictly Ballroom

(1996) romantic comedy (satire) directed by Baz Luhrmann starring Paul Mercurio (as Scott) and Tara Morice (Fran), Bill Hunter is the villainous Barry Fife, chairman of the Australian Dancing Federation

Scott's parents were ballroom dancers and his mother runs a studio. He's a talented dancer, but a rebel who is constrained by the strict rules of the sport. Fran is a student who has her own ideas and can understand Scott's desires.

"A life lived in fear... is a life half lived"

A sensual rumba Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps by Doris Day

Trivia: Strictly Ballroom, Romeo and Juliet and Moulin Rouge! are Luhrmann's "The Red Curtain" trilogy. Red Curtain is "a filmmaking technique [which] incorporates traditional theatrical conventions into his films and morphs them to create visual treats in stories set in heightened otherworlds. Simple devices like song and dance are then used to drive the action."

(1959) A melodramatic tour de force! directed by Douglas Sirk starring Lana Turner (Lora), Juanita Moore (Annie), Sandra Dee (Susie), Susan Kohner (Sarah Jane)

Two widowed single mothers meet in NYC in the late 1940s; Annie is African American and Lora is Caucasian. Annie becomes a live-in servant for Lorie and caretaker of Susie, and Annie's very light complected daughter, Sarah Jane, becomes a playmate for the younger Susie. Lora is busy becoming a model and actress while Annie manages on the home front, raising Sarah Jane and Susie. It becomes apparent to Sarah Jane, that Caucasians have more options and freedom than she and her mother do and decides to see how the other half lives. Annie keeps bringing her back down to reality telling her "It's a sin to be ashamed of what you are. And it's even worse to pretend, to lie."

If you can get past the racial and gender stereotypes, it is a great example of a melodrama. It was considered progressive for 1959 and was banned in many cities. This is a remake of a 1934 film which was even more a product of it's time.

My favorite scene is one of the best funeral and procession scenes ever for it's over the top excesses. The spotlight clip shows the beginning of a longer scene w/ Mahalia Jackson appearing as a choir soloist singing Trouble of the World as a dirge. I may laugh at some of the scenes, shake my head at others, but I always get a little teary during this one.

Trivia: Sarah Jane was played by an African American actress in the 1934 film (BW pic), but by a Caucasian in this version.

Thanks for visiting. For those of you in the U.S., enjoy your long Labor Day weekend! Regardless, have a great weekend!!

Take care,

Hari

Sweetened Iced Tea Hot, a little milk at bfast...

all times of the day, all seasons...I consume tea. A tea set and tea parties with stuffed animals or older cousins, were a big part of my childhood. My sister and I are in dispute over a teaset we both claim as our own. She says she just let me use it. Likely story!

No herbal (blech!) or green or too much fruit flavor. Black tea variety brewed strong - sun tea is a nice idea, but takes too long, just restarted using a brew machine since my ice machine is working again. Went to an afternoon tea on Sunday; sugar cubes shaped like card suits, finger foods of all descriptions, but lame deserts.

Whenever I traveled (haven't been out of North America) for business or pleasure, I always look for interesting tearooms/shops.

TV/DVD watching

Eureka - I'm unhappy with cast changes in the S3, 4th episode!

Mad Men - Is Don Draper losing his grip? Becoming more conscious of his actions?

Generation Kill mini-series has 1 remaining episode left. Pierce Brosnan's son, Sean, is in this show, but I don't recognize him.

Scenes of a Sexual Nature DVD - Tom Hardy, Catherine Tate, Ewan McGregor, Sophie Okonedo, Hugh Bonneville, Polly Walker - interesting cast, numerous "scenes" between new or old acquaintances, couples, but overall it was boring.

Part II of Scene and Song:

What song* in what film* strikes you as the most emotional/funniest/saddest/most romantic/danceable/mood setting moment?

* A song has lyrics and try pick a film from non-musical genre (ya know, cast doesn't sing and dance out of the blue like in Grease, Hairspray 2007, Sound of Music, Rent)

These are my top 12 moments: Song in green, Film in Purple - Click on pic to hear song and see clips from film. Warning: May be a little spoiler-ly.

#8 Let's Hear it for the Boy - Footloose

(1984) romantic teen rebel movie directed by Herbert Ross starring Kevin Bacon (as Ren) and Lori Singer (Ariel), Chris Penn (Williard), Sarah Jessica Parker, John Lithgow, Dianne Wiest

Ren is a city kid who moves to a small, rural town where Rock n' Roll and dancing are FORBIDDEN! Ariel is a PK (preacher's kid) and is itching to escape. Ren meets Ariel and between playing chicken with heavy machinery and solo angsty dancing, they teach the citizens that rock and dancing is the least of their worries.

Favorite montage: Ren teaches his friend, Willard, how to dance to Let's Hear it for the Boy by Deniece Williams (four-octave range soprano)

Trivia: This movie inspired 3 college students to create the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon in which a player must link a famous person to Kevin based on working relationships in less than 6 links. See the Oracle of Bacon to check a person's "Bacon Number".

For example, what is Hugh Jackman's "Bacon Number"? His "Bacon Number" is 2.

Hugh Jackman was in X2 with Kelly Hu. Kelly Hu was in The Air I Breathe with Kevin Bacon.

#7 Both Sides Now - Love Actually

(2003) romantic comedy directed by Richard Curtis starring every British actor and the most annoying US "actresses"

Numerous couples and singles in varying states of the relationship lifecycle. The movie could have cut back on a few couples and featured Chiwetel Ejiofor more... with another actress! Anyway, this scene where Karen (Emma Thompson) makes a discovery about her relationship w/ Harry (Alan Rickman) set to Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now (2000) is a favorite. Thompson does a great job in this painful moment and the song is a literal match for scene content.

Trivia: Joni Mitchell began smoking at age 9 during her recovery from polio. That illness, smoking and vocal cord nodules combined to affect her voice. Listen to her 1960s' version. Both Sides Now has been covered more than 550 times.

#6 Theme from Shaft - Shaft

(1971) action directed by Gordon Parks starring Richard Roundtree (John Shaft), Moses Gun (Bumpy Jonas)

No one likes Private Investigator John Shaft, not the cops, mobsters, Black Panther-like dudes because of Shaft's integrity and skilled anti-BS intuition; (He's a complicated man). Harlem crime kingpin, Bumpy's daughter has been kidnapped and he hires Shaft to find her. Bumpy knows Shaft is a cat who won't cop out When there's danger all about. Shaft will tear down Harlem to complete his job and no one better get in his way because he's a mean mother- Shut yo' mouth!

Lyrics begin @ halfway through Shaft's swagger through NYC streets. The song tells you all you need to know about Shaft. Congas, "rat-ta-tat" on hi-hat cymbal, "wah-wah" guitar – big elements that would be heard frequently in Disco. Played by 1000s of jazz and marching bands across the US. 2 more Shaft films and a sequel starring Samuel L. Jackson as John's nephew were released.

Trivia: In 2000, Shaft was added to the United States National Film Registry because it was so bad***. Theme from Shaft won Best Original Song 1972 Oscar and two Grammys for Isaac Hayes. Hayes originally wanted to play Shaft in the film.

(1983) comedy written/directed by Paul Brickman starring Tom Cruise (Joel) and Rebecca De Mornay (Lana)

While the parents are away, the high school kids, prostitutes, and pimp will play! Lana, prostitute who makes house calls, has something which Joel, high school senior, desperately needs, really wants and that his mother will miss. Joel also wants to study business at an Ivy League university. Will Joel get it? An acceptance letter!

Genre should be fantasy.

In the Air Tonight by Phil Collins precedes a Joel/Lana interlude on an Chicago "L" train (ICK! Do you know how many people ride that train?).

Trivia: This was Collins' first solo single and has been played in numerous TV shows including Miami Vice's pilot and has been sampled in many rap and hip-hop songs. There's an "urban legend" that the song was about an accidental or intentional drowning. Neither is true; it's about the 1st of 3 divorces.

Final 4 in next blog.

Thanks for visiting and submitting more of your favorite scene & song moments.

Interior Bedroom - Early Morning

A light filled, messy room with a large bed dominating space.

HARI is sleeping peacefully in the middle of the bed.

Loud SNORING is drowned out by the sound of a dog YIPPING and the increasingly discordant SOUNDS (CONCRETE MIXING, DRILLING, PEOPLE SHOUTING) of construction.

We see HARI jolt awake and looking disoriented. She fights to disengage herself from her oh so cool and crisp sheets and stumbles to the window. She yanks the blinds up and quickly closes both eyes. The light of a beautiful sunrise is shining on her squenched up face. She shields her eyes from the light, opens one eye and peers down towards her backyard.

Exterior Backyard - Still Early Morning

HARI's industrious neighbors are building a retaining wall and have tied their annoying small dog outside. The couple are shiny with productivity.

Interior Bedroom - Really Early Morning

HARI scowls, curses her neighbors' parents and crawls back in bed. HARI has been awakened 3 hours early.

*sigh* My very nice neighbors were just too darn whistle-while-you-work these past 2 mornings! I quickly stopped cursing their respective parents because the dude has done me some major yardwork favors - and it's not their problem that their neighbor stays out late in nefarious company!

I just really hate waking up before my alarm goes off and having the scratchy,squinty-eyed look for the rest of the day....

TV/DVD watching

TV watching was pretty dull this past week - Eureka, Long Way Down. Mad Men was good. Generation Kill mini-series has 2 remaining episodes left.

I reactivated my Netflix subscription which I had suspended in January since I had a variety of free pay channels and less time. Freebies are over, so I rearranged my stale film list and waited for my packets. No packets - Netflix had a major "technical error" which prevented delivery. So I was forced, yes, forced to watch Serenity for like the 12th time.

Also, watched one of my favorite old movies, River of No Return, which leads me to the meat and potatoes of this blog...

What song* in what film* strikes you as the most emotional/funniest/saddest/most romantic/danceable/mood setting moment?

* A song has lyrics and try pick a film from non-musical genre (ya know, cast doesn't sing and dance out of the blue like in Grease, Hairspray 2007, Sound of Music, Rent)

These are my top 12 moments: Song in green, Film in Purple - Click on pic to hear song and see clips from film. Warning: May be a little spoiler-ly.

#12 I Have Nothing - The Bodyguard

(1992) action/suspense with a speck of romance directed by Mick Jackson starring Kevin Costner (Frank) and Whitney Houston (Rachel)

Rachel is a famous performer who is being stalked and threatened. Frank, a no nonsense former Secret Service agent, becomes her bodyguard. Rachel sings "I Have Nothing" during a performance at the Oscar's.

They began to develop feelings for each other against Frank's professional ethics (yeah, right). From the "sex" scene, you would think this movie was done in 1952, instead of 1992 - one of those fade to black and morning-after sequences.

Trivia: This was Houston's film debut and the soundtrack is the highest selling soundtrack since... the... beginning... of... time.

#11 Let's Do it Again - Let's Do it Again

(1973) buddy comedy directed by/starring Sidney Poitier (Clyde) and Bill Cosby (Billy)

Clyde and Billy are raising money for a worthy organization by less than worthy means. When their methods pay off big, they attract the attention of another organized group who wants them to "do it again" and won't take no for an answer. 2nd in a trio of Poitier and Cosby buddy movies.

Trivia: Deceased rapper, The Notorious B.I.G., took his professional name (Biggie Smalls) from a character in this film. Jayne Kennedy is the young woman being wolfishly tracked by Bill Cosby in the opening credits. Jayne was an actress, model and sports announcers on The NFL Today in 1978.

#10 Que Sera, Sera - The Man Who Knew Too Much

(1956) suspense directed by Alfred Hitchcock starring James Stewart and Doris Day (Ben and Jo McKenna)

Ben and Jo witness an incident in Morocco and are blackmailed into silence. The couple decides to do some recon work to counter the blackmailers' plans. Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be) is performed several times but this is the most important performance as Jo tries to buy Ben some sneaking around time.

Trivia: The song won Best Song at the 1956 Oscar's.

(1974) comedy/horror movie parody co-written/ directed by Mel Brooks starring co-writer, Gene Wilder (Dr. Frankenstein) and Peter Boyle (Monster)

Dr. "Fronk-en-steen" is trying to distance himself from his grandfather's, THE Dr. Frankenstein's, legacy. He learns he has an inheritance which includes his grandfather's lab and assistants. He decides to continue his grandfather's work and creates the Monster.

Dr. "Fronk-en-steen" decides to show his results during this scene: Puttin' on the Ritz

Trivia: The film is preserved at the US Library of Congress National Film Registry because it is just so darn funny!

To be continued in next blog.

Thanks for visiting and submitting your favorite scene & song moments.

Degrees of Separation and TV.com Tidbits

While I was looking for info for actor Tom Hardy (pictured below w/ Sophie Okonedo in the film Scenes of a Sexual Nature which I've yet to see)

I found that his father is Chips Hardy , a writer of TV shows, plays and at least 1 book, which one reviewer described as "Pulp Fiction meets Wind in the Willows." Okayyyyyyy...

He wrote for British comedian, Dave Allen , whose signature sign-off at one point, was the blog title - "Goodnight, good luck and may your God go with you" which I submitted as a quote for Allen's person page because I liked it.

I've never seen Dave Allen's many TV shows, but I figured he never did voice-over work for the US animated series King of the Hill, especially after his death (Allen died in 2005). Granted the episode could have been voiced months before, but another Dave Allen - Dave "Gruber" Allen voiced the character. So there was at least 1 duplicate person guides for both - comedian and voice-over artist. Yeah, yeah, I followed procedure to fix (credit moves and submitted a deletion of dup form), but I don't find that type of data cleanup fun - I used to get paid to ensure data integrity!

Funny thing - I found a new fansite for the show and was nosing around. I was shocked to see the bio that I wrote for Rutina's TV.com page on this fan site. First, I was pissed but I got over it quickly. I don't have a copyright, the bio belongs to TV.com. I found the topic addressed in the Editor's Lounge (there are some very useful postings). I think this site would have to clean house of all plagarized/copyrighted materials before the owners could take legal action against other sites.

September Premieres I'm Looking Forward To
Date Show

18 Supernatural

22 Heroes (3 hour extravaganza - 1 hr recap, 2 hr premiere)

25 Ugly Betty, My Name is Earl (1 hr)

Found these inventions on one of the blogs I visit: OhGizmo!

When you have to eat and blog

Wakey, Wakey, no eggs, just bac-y

The alarm clock that cooks your bacon at your bedside.

Oooooo, pretty - Click on pic to see demo

Hari

As I opened my eyes on the first day of August, the words "rabbit, rabbit" were rattling around in my brain. I was told by a friend over 20 years ago, that you'd have good luck in the coming month IF the first words you said aloud on the 1st day of a new month were "rabbit, rabbit". I used to do it back then, can't remember if it made a difference OR if I believed it did.

Did a couple of searches and found alternatives of this superstition - saying rabbit" x3, "rabbit, rabbit, white rabbit" and "white rabbit" x3. I haven't done it in along time and I'm not sure why it occurred to me yesterday morning.

Do you have a superstition? If so, what is your ritual to protect against it?

Throwing salt over your shoulder after spilling some? Avoid cracks in a sidewalk? Lucky piece of clothing you wear on an interview, on a 1st date or when playing a sport?

at Comic-Con '08

I've been experiencing a HJ drought, so I'm glad he surfaced long enough to tease me, I mean, um, Wolverine fans, with a trailer.

Edit: Quick! The trailer clips are being removed quickly - Part 1 , Part 2

Ewan McGregor and a friend (sorry dude, only interested in Ewan) are traveling from the UK to South Africa on motorbikes. This is their 2nd bike documentary and this series has already aired in UK. I was surprised to find out that I have the Fox Reality channel (airing on in US - just found it today). First doc had some entertaining moments, so hopefully this one will too.

BTW, check out some nice shots of Ewan modeling some spiffy outfits and an interview. Select "Thumbs" option at top of page, his section begins on page 96.

Two Show I Was Sure I Wouldn't Watch

Military service in my family - In my generation, the eldest cousin was in Vietnam (I shudder at some of his stories), 4th eldest did Coast Guard, and then my sister - 3rd from youngest in my generation - joined the Army AFTER college (which I thought was CRAZY!!) but she was looking for a job and escape in the depressed mid-80s. She was out before Gulf War, but still in reserves and luckily didn't get called up. I have great respect for many of those who must/choose to soldier, but I wasn't interested in any military movies, TV series or documentaries about Iraqi. However, these stories cut through my conflict and presented relatable characters and individuals.

Generation Kill - HBO mini-series adapted from a Rolling Stones' reporter's book about US Marines in a recreconnaissance battalion during first 40 days in Iraqi in 2003.

So I gotta be honest, I checked out this show because I wanted to see an actor, Alexander Skarsgard, who is in a new fall show, HBO's True Blood , which I am highly anticipating.

True Blood is based on books by Charlaine Harris , about a telepathic waitress in a world of vampires, were-animals, and other supernatural beings in Louisiana. This is one of my favorite mystery series, and I wasn't too happy with casting (how could they not ask me who should play the characters?).
"This Skarsgard won't be a believable 1000 yr old former Viking! Humph!"

Back to Generation Kill

There are expected archetypes - clueless officers, fresh from Podunk kid, fast-talking/BS'er, political commanders - but I have found it interesting. Now, I think Skarsgard may be a pretty good ex-Viking after all (the powers at HBO are sighing with relief).

Superstition: No Charms candies for Marines! Bring bad weather or bad luck - are thrown away immediately. edit

Carrier - 10 part PBS doc in which film crew were with 5,000 soldiers on nuclear air craft carrier, USS Nimitz, which served in Persian Gulf in 2005. Since the navy allowed this, I knew the series would have some major "we are right, we are the best, hurrah America" moments, but I was surprised by the honesty and openness of some of the soldiers about their fears, conflicts, and motivations for joining. It focused on various soldiers, from lowest ranking enlisted (avg. age 19) to elite pilots.

* One soldier's said it was a floating HS, another said NIMITZ = Never Imagined Myself In This Zoo

Highlights:

• Ep. 2 "Controlled Chaos" --> 2 female pilots "she's a stud"

• Ep. 3 "Super Secrets" --> 1 soldier talked fairly openly about being gay in the military

• Ep. 8 "True Believers --> from sedate Catholics and Baptists, to shouting Pentecostals, pagans and Wiccans

• Ep. 10 "Full Circle" --> young man is dumped by his pregnant GF for her old BF. FF'd to the present, the dumped dude has a youtube channel, updating the world about his life and doing his own PR.
  

A clip featuring one soldier's, Kenny "Mana" Vida, song and performance.

Superstition: No Crunch candy bars on Navy carriers! "Crunch" is what happens when a jet crashes onto deck, into back of carrier or in the water. edit

TV.com

I've been running into related trivia or bio info for actors I'm not submitting for, so I either go ahead and submit and/or post the link under User Submitted News IF it is an obscure source that may not be keyed to appear in obvious search results. I don't mind sharing.

Thanks to Mackymacaspac for granting me a TC on Rex Lee, "Lloyd" on Entourage.

Here's hoping August is a lucky month for you all!

Okay, I'm not the Supreme Ruler, but I AM an Admiral - 2 people editorships and a Queen - 1 TV mini-series. I have mixed feeling about entering all this data at this site (redundancy of information, time spent researching, where this data will end up), but the "merit badges" and spotlighting a show or person I like in hopes others will "discover" and see the talent I see, feeds into my obssessive and sharing (some may call it proselytizing) personality. If I find something I like, I pass it on. Enough of my nuttiness, on to my spotlights...

It's All Connected

The Wire (aired 2002-2008 on HBO) may be the favorite TV series of my adulthood thus far. I didn't really get into it until season 3, but when I did, I was amazed that none of the
great ensemble cast or writers never received Emmy nominations. Great characters, storylines, actors (including the combination of new and veteran) - EXCELLENT show all around. It can be an emotional workout because you will trot out each emotion while watching this series.

Below are some of my favorite characters (l-r) Lester Freemon (Clarke Peters), Bunk Moreland (Wendell Pierce), and Jimmy McNulty (Dominic West).

Clarke Peters is my first person editorship. I first saw him as Lester - still waters run deep, father figure/mentor, detailed, persistent - "natural police". He has had a long and varied career - singer, dancer, playwright - in films, TV and the stage primarily in the UK but less so in the US. He had a small guest role as the Professor on the short-lived Showtime series Meadowlands starring David Morrissey and ...

Tom Hardy , who is my second person. In Meadowlands, Hardy played a vile predator named Jack Donnelly. Not a likeable character, but well-acted. I first saw him as Shinzon, Captain Picard's clone in Star Trek: Nemesis.

He has a wonderful gravelly voice and intensity. He has also done stage work in England and has done a series of period dramas on TV, including The Virgin Queen, Oliver Twist and the upcoming Wuthering Heights. I look forward to seeing him in Guy Ritchie's film Rocknrolla with Gerard Butler and Idris Elba.

See Trailer

Idris is another talented actor who is beginning to get bigger and better roles. He was great in The Wire as the drug kingpin, Stringer Bell, who while striving to funnel his blood money into
legitimate businesses, betrays his "brother" and leader of the Barksdale crew.

*Break for fanwoman moment*

I think Tom Hardy and Idris are very sexy men and Tom has really kissable (I imagine) lips.

*Fanwoman moment over*

I became QUEEN, I mean editor, for the 2007 mini-series Oliver Twist when I became annoyed that there wasn't more credit information for Hardy. So I was able to watch the series, embarked on an entering frenzy and received my crown yesterday. I received my first submission as editor which excited me so much because I figured noone else would be interested in this 1000th production of Dickens' Oliver.

Eureka season 3 premiere July 29

Ahhhh, I look upon my kingdom and all is well...

Hari

I'm sure all the Whedon admirers have seen the first 2 episodes of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. The cap above is from ep 1 @ 5 mins in when Dr. Horrible (Neil Patrick Harris) is singing about his crush - doing something between the Harlem Shake and a shimmy. Just made me bust out laughing. Ep 2 was even better than 1, so I'm looking forward to the final act.

What's with the title? "Do you speak Ubbi Dubbi"? - a "language" (gibberish) I first heard on Zoom.

I had forgotten about it until a friend and I were reminiscing about programs we watched as kids. I had a teacher in elementary school who would show us Zoom and The Electric Company as a "treat" almost every week. She would turn out the lights and read or grade papers while we watched - hmmm, this was probably more of a treat for her than us.

Zoom - This wasn't a favorite show, but here is a clip of a cast member speaking UBBI DUBBI. "(rhymes with "hubby"), you insert "ub" (pronounced to rhyme with "hub") in front of every vowel. Usually the "ub" syllable is stressed more than the vowel that it precedes"

I can't understand anything this kid says.

The Electric Company - Okay, this was cool. This was aimed at kids in primary school - after Sesame Street. It originally aired from 1971-77. Music, skits, cartoons and episodes of Marvel Comics Spiderman (Spidey Super Stories). Rita Moreno, Bill Cosby and Morgan Freeman were adults in the cast. Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks and Joan Rivers narrated animated clips. The kids were members of "The Short Circus" - Irene Cara (who sang "Fame" from the movie) was a member.

Morgan Freeman was the groovy Easy Reader. He sings in this segment with Rita Moreno - @1:30 - "reading stuff is out of sight!" Dig those threads, man!

During Saturday morning cartoons, the ABC network showed SchoolHouse Rock clips which presented history, science, math, U.S. legislative process, and grammar. Looking back now on the history ones - it's startling to see how "clean" a version of our history is presented. Make sense for kids, but 1 called "Elbow Room", about our Manifest Destiny deal, takes on a whole new meaning.

Here are 2 of my favorites:

The Great American Melting Pot

Conjunction Junction

I'll end this trip with one of my favorite songs from the 70's - Shame by Evelyn "Champagne" King. The same teacher played this at a cl@ss party and tried to get us to dance with each other - no way!!!

& Hari

I was returning from a visit "down country" to see my 86 year old aunt and taking the last exit home when a doe and her twin fawns began crossing the lane (above pic is not mine). I stopped and began scrabbling for my camera and checked the rearview to see if any other cars were approaching. Mom and twin 1 got across, but twin 2 turned to head back into the brush. Still can't find my camera, checked rear view again, and began repeating to myself "come on baby, go across". Twin 2 turns back to the road, hesitates (no camera, no other cars, "come on baby, go!") and then quickly trots over to join mom and twin 1. They disappear into the brush and I still can't get my camera out of the depths of my purse.

It's been awhile since I've seen twin fawns. Fawning time ranges from May to August, but June and July are usually the peak times. They were so cute.

Back to my aunt - I swear this little lady accomplishs more in a morning than I do in a weekend. She had hand-washed clothes, hung them up outside, cleaned half her house, got the clothes of line, ironed them, cooked a complete meal and remodeled a skirt on her 60 year old sewing machine before I showed up around 1 pm.

3 shows away from Doctor Who season's end for my viewing schedule. Those who told me the episodes continually improved after (and including) Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead were so right! I liked this episode and was creeped out because I was watching it in the quiet dark of 2 AM.

What I've Been Reading

Or trying to read in this case: Remember the book list making the rounds a few weeks ago? Possession by A.S. Byatt was on it and another mid-year book list about "new cl@ssics". I was looking for new reads and gave it a try. Snooze city! It was a fight to get past the first 3 chapters, I skimmed a few more and put it down. Summary: Roland Mitchell is researching an author Randolph Henry Ash, finds a letter to a lady, Christabel LaMotte, from Ash. Roland becomes possessed with finding out the relationship between Ash and LaMotte. Roland meets Dr. Maud Bailey, a LaMotte expert, and she joins him in this quest. The author did a lot of work on this book - she's created letters, poems, and diary excerpts for Ash and LaMotte along side the growing relationship of Maud and Roland. I found it dull. Critics think that Ash is really Robert Browning and LaMotte is Christina Rossetti.

Weird related trivia of my week: Rossetti's poem Goblin Market is quoted in the DW Midnight episode.

I had better luck with Time travel, interaction with well-known characters from books, humor and a little dithering romance. Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere is my next read.

Joga video directed by Michel Gondry - Did you see Gondry's The Science of Sleep? I liked it, but wasn't a big fan of Eternal Sunshine of Spotless Mind

a composition of a youtuber's favorite things - and she hits upon some of my favorite things!

Finally... this just makes me laugh

Thanks for visiting,

Hari

"The anti-Spider-Man by way of a Fight Club/Matrix mash-up" was 1 reviewer's summary of Wanted. McAvoy isn't an actor I instantly would pay $ to see; I've seen him in 3 films - Rory O'Shea Was Here, Narnia (not memorable) and Last King of Scotland. A friend really wanted to see this movie, I was bored and went with her.

• Suspend disbelief at door - check
  
• Don't expect much of a plot - check
• Restrain myself from grabbing the loudest box of candy I have ever heard from the noisy lady next to us? - check (barely)
  

McAvoy is likeable as the lead and does a pretty good American accent. Freeman and Jolie are good in their roles. Some humor and interesting visuals. The action sequences, esp. the car chases were pretty cool and relatively smooth w/ all the CGI. I rate it a 6/10 for actor "likeability" and action.

TV

Nothing interesting on over the past week, but July brings some premieres and "back from hiatus" returns:

Avatar: The Last Airbender July 14-19 (concludes with 2 hours series finale)
Monk season 7 July 18
Mad Men season 2 premiere July 27
Eureka season 3 premiere July 29

Doctor Who returns on July 11 with Midnight on Sci-Fi. I'll be carefully avoiding spoilers, so I may not visit some of my favorite blogs until I've seen the last 4 episodes. As much as I want to know the season's ending, I want to delay gratification and savor DT since the season just got good.

Mad Men - I watched sporadically last season, so I don't know if I'll make it through all the shows this season. Good actors, but that period sexism and other -isms can be hard to take at times. This season will be start a few years in the future from last, so that may squelch some of my complaints.

A friend told me about this series - I was really skeptical at first. I thought it would be like other manga based anime with gigantic eyes, choppy dialogue and sappy ballads. Instead I found it to be a kind of "Epic Fantasy 101" with some of the best animated action sequences I've seen, humor, and a great soundtrack. Yes, the show is idenitified as being for 8-12 year olds, but adults can see the more complex/layered themes.

Summary: This world has 4 nations: Earth, Fire, Water, Air. Each nation has a bending form (based on martial arts). Aang is the Last Avatar (= Chosen One), raised by monks in Air Nation, who has been in a suspended state for 100 years. A brother and sister from a Water tribe - Sokka and Katara - find him and become his companions on his quest to save the world. Aang knows air bending and must learn the 3 others quickly to fight the Fire Lord who wants to dominate all nations. Katara has raw talent in Water bending and also needs a teacher. Not everyone can do bending - Sokka can't, but wants to be a warrior. They are pursued by an exiled Prince of the Fire Nation who wants to capture Avatar to prove his worth to his father, the Fire Lord and regain his legacy. By end of season 2, Aang and Katara have learned Waterbending. Another companion was added in season 2, a sheltered blind girl named Toph, who can teach Aang Earthbending.

Themes: Eastern religion and mythology, martial arts, quest/adventure fantasy (self-discovery, personal growth, good v. evil), Inuit culture, death of a parent or friend, betrayal

The show is in the season 3 which is the final and has been on hiatus SINCE Nov. 2007! Fans have been buzzing since an April NYC Comic-con when a trailer for rest of season aired and I'm surprised that there wasn't a mass assault on Nick HQ when airdates were changed. The final episodes and 2 hr. finale will all be aired during 1 week. I'll miss this sweet, simple and fun adventure.

An enterprising and dedicated fan did some trailers for the remainder of the season; she could make a career out of this! Check out her An Outside Looking In Production of Series Finale Trailer or Intro to Avatar

Also, visit the Track Team's Myspace where the composers alternate clips of their soundtrack work for the series. I love the music.

Have a great week...

* all pics, except DT, are links to TV.com pages or youtube *

July 4th is Independence Day...kids in the neighborhood are already setting off fireworks (and annoying me).

TV

A little better this week...I gave up on USA's In Plain Sight after the 3rd show - the lead was just so annoying and circumstances not believable in the context of witness protection/marshalls. I did watch the first 2 episodes of ABC Family's and it was pretty darn funny - like I actually laughed out loud funny. SCI-Fi with quick dialog, lots of allusions and camp - more subtle than old Adam West Batman, but still there. The pilot featured Mary Lynn Rajskub as a scientist doing experimentation on gorillas - she is good at deadpan comedy. I don't recognize the actors playing the Middleman or sidekick Wendy Watson but I like them. I believe their schtick, not that annoying marshall in In Plain Sight. Okay, I'll stop complaining about that show.

FINALLY! Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead

This was the best of the season so far and Donna didn't annoy even once. In fact, I daresay, I really liked her in these episodes. Stephen Moffat does excellent stories. The Doctor was great, I liked the kid and everyone got a Second Life. 2 week hiatus on SCI-FI channel until next ep - UGH!

Music

What song always makes you dance?

I rediscovered my Madonna You Can Dance cassette tape - yes, I said cassette tape - haven't bothered to replace it. Oddly enough, my 2003 Toyota has a cassette player, so I popped it in, opened my moonroof and windows and blasted and had my own little party. It made me remember the days of dancing til the wee hours - with a new partner for each song, with my girls or by myself - sweating, not caring how I looked, just exhausted and dying of thirst because we had been dancing so hard. I haven't vacationed with my dancing friends in a while, but we would usually look for interesting clubs - didn't have to be the hottest, didn't care if it was full of straight or gay men - we just needed to hear some bumping music to go in and have fun. Boy, I miss that...but as soon as I get a FT job and more solvent, we are going to travel together again, find a club and SWEAT!

I came across Telegraph's 50 songs to make you dance compiled by their music critics. Most of the songs are linked to Youtube to discover/rediscover. Some artists I never heard of, like Chaka Demus and Pliers, Original Nuttah, but I was familiar with most.

I was happy to see 1 of my favorites #25 Standing in the Way of Control by The Gossip. They do a cover of Aaliyah's Are You That Somebody that I like.

#9 Can't Get You Out of My Head by Kylie Minogue - I like most of her dance songs. My favorite is a Chemical Brothers' remix of Slow.

#1 Crazy in Love by Beyonce - who hasn't tried to shake it like this young lady.

My list of danceable tunes would have included the above, and a few more, like:

I Can't Wait - Nu Shooz

LoveStoned - J. Timberlake annoys me (you'll are asking who doesn't at this point), but I couldn't ignore that it is fun to dance to.

IF - I don't remember anything else off this album, but I loved this song.

Lovin Is Really My Game by Brainstorm - The pic is from Noah's Arc 1x4 Don't Make Me Over in which the guys dance to a cover of this song and the tall guy in the center does a full split in like 4 inch boots. I loved that show - it was corny, a little overacted, and need work, but nothing else like it on TV. Boo-hiss Logo channel! If you want to see that clip, check segment 3 starting at -7:40 at spike.com.

I can't believe Shout by The Isley Brothers was not on this list. Every (drunk) college kid has danced to this song, at least since the film Animal House featured it in the 70s. It's a small right of passage - along with seeing The Rocky Horror Picture Show (maybe now, it's BtVS Once More With Feeling).

Let's go dancing soon!

Well, I was tagged by lae10 so I shall comply....

1. I'm a Pisces. This week's horoscope: Monday through Wednesday is a time of great power and possibility for you.....By Saturday, you'll be feeling great and be ready head out and find a new love (hmmm, see #4).
2. In the past, I called myself an atheist.
3. I'm afraid of heights.
   
4. Currently single, not living w/ a BF now. Never been married, don't have kids.
5. I don't own an MP3 player (well, my phone may be 1, but I don't use it).
6. I hate black licorice.
   
7. Comfort movie: The Fifth Element.
   
8. Comfort food: PB & J on toast (eat while watching #7).
   
9. I have an older sister and 1 niece.
   
10. Favorite new song: Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend
    

Not much TV watching over the last week...did see Doctor Who - Wasp & the Unicorn - it was cute. A friend raved about USA network's In Plain Sight - a wise-cracking female US marshal who manages people in Witness Protection programs and deals w/ her annoying sister and mother. I DVR'd 2 show and made it through 15 minutes - I found her really annoying. I'm going to give it another try since it was just the 1st show. I found myself watching reality TV - Bridezilla and Jon & Kate Plus 8. Bridezilla makes me laugh, then I feel sorry for all involved. The sextuplets are really cute, but I cannot imagine caring for 8 kids (they have twins also) - yikes!

Movies

I saw the Travolta/Queen Latifah/Pfeiffer Hairspray. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but John Water's original is the best to me. I liked the Broadway version better than the movie also. I took my niece to see it - her treat - and she became obsessed, singing the songs for weeks, driving her mother crazy. Boy from Oz was my treat - and I'm still obsessed!

Also, Spiderman 3 - free Showtime over the weekend - the 2nd one was the best in my opinion, but I wanted to see what the black suit was about. Tobey Maguire channeling Travolta - gave me a little chuckle.

Books

When Old Fans Hate a New Direction

This is the 16th book in Laurell K. Hamilton's series featuring Anita Blake, vampire executioner and necromancer (raises the dead). Anita Blake's world has vampires, lycanthropes (human->animal), magic, and, supernatural/horror elements. Anita has become a vampire servant, a succubus with vampire-like powers, and a dominate wereanimal leader. I really enjoyed the series because of the dual police procedural/supernatural elements.

As Anita became more involved in the supernatural world and a succubus, the kick-ass/action parts became fewer. A characteristic of being a succubus is an overwhelming, powerful state called ardeur which forces Anita to feed it via sex with a posse of lyncanthropes or vamps, some who are her loves, friends, acquaintances or never met (in this 16th book). LKH describes this and other changes for Anita as metaphysical.

Forums over the last few years have been filled with complaints about lack of action, angst of characters, repetitive themes and yes, too much sex. LKH posted a response entitled Dear Negative Reader in which she encourages them to stop reading her books if they don't like them and wants to know why they continue to do so. They are a vocal group and the Amazon rating is dismal for this latest book. She also writes:

There are books that don't make you think that hard. Books that don't push you past that comfortable envelope of the mundane. If you want to be comforted, don't read my books. They aren't comfortable books. They are books that push my character and me to the edge and beyond of our comfort zones. If that's not want you want, then stop reading. Put my books away with other things that frighten and confuse or just piss you off.

I am 1 of the negative readers - I complain to my group of friends who also read the series. I think she is giving herself a LOT of credit in the above quote - give me a plot! There are some readers that are turned off by the type of sex or that it is with lycanthropes - but those readers dropped out after the first book or never picked it up. I disagree w/ readers who go to book signing and tell her they hate the book. I agree w/ LKH that that doesn't make any sense. I do think she is being repetitive and the sex is boring. That is wrong to me - that is not a response I want to have to romance/erotica/ardeur - it's like reading a textbook

Why do I keep reading? I'm not ready to give up on the character and the potential I saw in the early books. I think the last 3 or 4 books are a transition and that the potential I saw will come to fruition.

Fandom can turn. A writer/director can't please everyone and a character needs to evolve or once you do, you aren't interested in the character anymore.

Did you have a series - book or TV - that you stopped reading/watching because the character(s) took a road you were unwilling to follow?

*****

Sex and the City Top 10 - final 2 favorite episodes

#2 Hop, Skip, and a Week - Season 6, episode 80

Q: Do we need distance to get close?

Charlotte had pushed Harry for an engagement after converting to Judaism, he couldn't take her ultimatum and they broke up. Carrie is dumped via a Post-it note from Berger. Smith becomes the Absolut Hunk - adored by girls and gay men. My favorite because of the Harry proposal during the singles mixer and the end of Berger and Carrie.

#1 My Motherboard, Myself - Season 4, episode 56

Q: *Carrie's computer crashes as she is typing her question*

My favorite because it focused on the true theme of the show - friendship.

Miranda's mother dies suddenly in Philly. Miranda's tough exterior is cracking a little under the duress and Carrie and Charlotte quickly show their support. Samantha procrastinates, she's uncomfortable w/ death and fixates on a lost item. Miranda goes shopping for appropriate clothing, snaps at a pushy sales person and then allows herself to break and accept comfort from this stranger. Her girls come to the funeral, Samantha finally has the words to tell Miranda and Carrie steps in to walk w/ a solitary Miranda. I'm getting weepy just thinking about it.

*****

Music

Growing up, we lived with my grandmother and on Sundays, she watched Hee-Haw. Hee-Haw was a variety show featuring country acts that ran from 1969 to 1992 on network and then cable TV. I think most of today's country music is like Top 40 of the 80's with a couple of fiddle or banjo riffs thrown in. You'll notice a central theme with the music I like - I like usually like a sound that is closer to the roots of the popular music (blues, gospel -->R&B, bluegrass, county, blues --> rockabilly, all those feed into rock n' roll, etc.).

My favorite country music performer is Dolly Parton. Her voice is clear as a bell and she's soulful. She has a schtick but she can back it up as a musician, songwriter and vocalist.

Dolly Parton - Two Doors Down (fun 1, kind of disco) , PMS Blues , Heartbreaker

Loretta Lynn - You Ain't Woman Enough to Take My Man

Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight

Conway Twitty - It's Only Make Believe

Shelby Lynne - Leavin'

Allison Krause & Union Station - Everytime You Say Goodbye

Enjoy!