Regional Championships are open for voting.
This one is the hardest yet! Make sure you go over and vote for your favorite Supernatural episodes!
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Looking Forward to April!
The weather teased a little in the middle of the week, then promptly got cold and windy again. But I'm hopeful it will recognize that next week is APRIL and will accommodate. Just a little. High 60s is good. The only thing I hate more than the end of a season is skipping seasons.
But there's more to look forward to in April than weather:
A Better Car Situation
Getting the new car fixed, and also getting the old car serviced and detailed, just in time for...
NEC
The New England Chapter of RWA is holding their annual conference on the 11th and 12th. It's been two years since I've been to any kind of con, three (four?) since I hit this one. They always do a great job, and I'll be seeing one of my best friends. I plan to hook up with my cousin afterward, and stop by Patriots Place in Foxboro on my way home.
Almost more importantly...
The (Temporary) Return of Good TV!
I'm sooooo jonesing for a fix. The gap because of the strike was hard, but it made this gap even harder. I can't wait for Numb3rs, Scrubs, LOST, Samantha Who?, and, of course, Supernatural to come back. Even though it's for a (way too) short time, it's better than never!
April is also a launch into...
The Return of Good Movies
There have been a few things out recently that I wanted to see, but when the time came, I wasn't interested enough to actually leave the house. A few April movies change that: Leatherheads primarily, and definitely Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and a movie that JUST came to my attention: Street Kings. Dude! Keanu's back! It's been wayyy too long, and though the movie is the kind I usually just rent, it's also got Amaury Nolasco, so I might just head to the theater!
April also means soccer (Number One started this week and has two to three games a week through May! Number Two starts next weekend); my chapter meeting, at which I will do my Pirates Guide writing workshop; Number Two's birthday (and she never wants a party! I am so blessed); AND a Chippendales show. I've never been to one, only a knockoff called Men at Work, so I'm looking forward to that.
And you know what? May looks even better!
But there's more to look forward to in April than weather:
A Better Car Situation
Getting the new car fixed, and also getting the old car serviced and detailed, just in time for...
NEC
The New England Chapter of RWA is holding their annual conference on the 11th and 12th. It's been two years since I've been to any kind of con, three (four?) since I hit this one. They always do a great job, and I'll be seeing one of my best friends. I plan to hook up with my cousin afterward, and stop by Patriots Place in Foxboro on my way home.
Almost more importantly...
The (Temporary) Return of Good TV!
I'm sooooo jonesing for a fix. The gap because of the strike was hard, but it made this gap even harder. I can't wait for Numb3rs, Scrubs, LOST, Samantha Who?, and, of course, Supernatural to come back. Even though it's for a (way too) short time, it's better than never!
April is also a launch into...
The Return of Good Movies
There have been a few things out recently that I wanted to see, but when the time came, I wasn't interested enough to actually leave the house. A few April movies change that: Leatherheads primarily, and definitely Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and a movie that JUST came to my attention: Street Kings. Dude! Keanu's back! It's been wayyy too long, and though the movie is the kind I usually just rent, it's also got Amaury Nolasco, so I might just head to the theater!
April also means soccer (Number One started this week and has two to three games a week through May! Number Two starts next weekend); my chapter meeting, at which I will do my Pirates Guide writing workshop; Number Two's birthday (and she never wants a party! I am so blessed); AND a Chippendales show. I've never been to one, only a knockoff called Men at Work, so I'm looking forward to that.
And you know what? May looks even better!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Ups and Downs
First, the ups:
It's Megan Hart's birthday!
I'm lucky I sent her a gift and card early in the week, because I talked to her multiple times today, even discussing some adult entertainment in celebration, without putting together that TODAY is the actual day.
Anyway, all is right with my world now. It always feels off between December and March, until we're the same age again.
The Supernatural Sweet Sixteen voting is going on right now! Scroll down a little bit for part one and part two. I thought things would be more difficult, but it was actually easier for me this round.
I got something good in the mail today, and took care of some things that I expected to be really slow but weren't. I wrote 1300 words on my new novella, "Letting Go," scheduled for release later this year, and did some revisions on Behind the Scenes that should have me done with all the major changes. Now it's just tweaking all the references to stuff that's no longer there, or different.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, the downs. I wish the ups were as high as the downs were low.
In the "PIA but unimportant in the face of things" category...my husband got hit by another driver (sorry, his CAR got hit) a few weeks ago. Our body shop is backed up so that's not repaired yet. Last week I backed into our neighbor's parked car an messed up the rear bumper. While the estimator was here today, I was standing there looking at the car and noticed some scratches. And more scratches. And MORE scratches, with a big crease over the rear tire. It's like someone squeezed a shopping cart into too small a space, and dug the paint off the doors and quarterpanel all the way down the side of the car. That repair is going to cost twice as much as the bumper! Poor car.
In the "the car totally doesn't matter category," the Iraq war has now done its job on my family. I found out my cousin was killed on Saturday. All-too-common story, roadside bomb. He was a medic, too, which for some reason always seems worse.
He's a second cousin and I haven't seen him for about 17 years, I think, but I looked at his oh-so-familiar face and remembered babysitting him when we were kids, and my heart broke. I can't imagine the pain his mother and sisters are enduring.
I shall say no more, lest I break my no-politics rule for this blog. I pray for everyone over there, and everyone who has loved ones in danger spots of any type.
It's Megan Hart's birthday!
I'm lucky I sent her a gift and card early in the week, because I talked to her multiple times today, even discussing some adult entertainment in celebration, without putting together that TODAY is the actual day.
Anyway, all is right with my world now. It always feels off between December and March, until we're the same age again.
The Supernatural Sweet Sixteen voting is going on right now! Scroll down a little bit for part one and part two. I thought things would be more difficult, but it was actually easier for me this round.
I got something good in the mail today, and took care of some things that I expected to be really slow but weren't. I wrote 1300 words on my new novella, "Letting Go," scheduled for release later this year, and did some revisions on Behind the Scenes that should have me done with all the major changes. Now it's just tweaking all the references to stuff that's no longer there, or different.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, the downs. I wish the ups were as high as the downs were low.
In the "PIA but unimportant in the face of things" category...my husband got hit by another driver (sorry, his CAR got hit) a few weeks ago. Our body shop is backed up so that's not repaired yet. Last week I backed into our neighbor's parked car an messed up the rear bumper. While the estimator was here today, I was standing there looking at the car and noticed some scratches. And more scratches. And MORE scratches, with a big crease over the rear tire. It's like someone squeezed a shopping cart into too small a space, and dug the paint off the doors and quarterpanel all the way down the side of the car. That repair is going to cost twice as much as the bumper! Poor car.
In the "the car totally doesn't matter category," the Iraq war has now done its job on my family. I found out my cousin was killed on Saturday. All-too-common story, roadside bomb. He was a medic, too, which for some reason always seems worse.
He's a second cousin and I haven't seen him for about 17 years, I think, but I looked at his oh-so-familiar face and remembered babysitting him when we were kids, and my heart broke. I can't imagine the pain his mother and sisters are enduring.
I shall say no more, lest I break my no-politics rule for this blog. I pray for everyone over there, and everyone who has loved ones in danger spots of any type.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Head Slap
My mind is a sieve.
Way back in this post (or the equivalent, very same post on LJ or MySpace), I started a contest.
And then I never announced a winner.
*headslap*
So, Marilyn! You win! E-mail me which book you want, and if you already have them all, I'll earmark a copy of Renegade for you in July.
So sorry for the delay!
Way back in this post (or the equivalent, very same post on LJ or MySpace), I started a contest.
And then I never announced a winner.
*headslap*
So, Marilyn! You win! E-mail me which book you want, and if you already have them all, I'll earmark a copy of Renegade for you in July.
So sorry for the delay!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Yay and Wow!
Congratulations to all the Golden Heart and Rita finalists (official list to be posted here tomorrow)! I feel bad for my friends who didn't final, but joyful for the ones who did.
According to Mrs. Tinkles, Round Two of the Supernatural Tournament is a doozy! Lots of ties going on! She's extended the round, so go vote! Links are here.
I turned in my novella, RENEGADE, today. Inspired by the hit song (featured at the end of the Supernatural episode "Nightshifter"), it features two heroic...um, heroes, and the woman who loves them. More to come on that soon!
According to Mrs. Tinkles, Round Two of the Supernatural Tournament is a doozy! Lots of ties going on! She's extended the round, so go vote! Links are here.
I turned in my novella, RENEGADE, today. Inspired by the hit song (featured at the end of the Supernatural episode "Nightshifter"), it features two heroic...um, heroes, and the woman who loves them. More to come on that soon!
Monday, March 24, 2008
SPNA Update, Studio Diva, and TV Roundup
New rounds are open in the Supernatural March Madness tournament! That link will take you to the main journal. For voting, it's probably easiest to go to the schedule and see what's open and what's closed. But read all the posts to see which episodes have fallen by the wayside so far. (Nooooo, not "The Usual Suspects"!!!)
Have fun! I am, despite the Solomon-like choices with some of these.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, all you readers out there? Get ready for some super fun! Make all your favorite authors jump through hoops to entertain YOU!
Check out The Romance Studio's Studio Diva (the second link takes you directly to the Studio Diva info), which will be ongoing from May through August. You can win some cool prizes, and so can the authors!
You can also be instrumental in directing the program. See how here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As frustrated as I was with the AMPTP over the writers strike, I have to admit, the studios have done a fairly decent job managing the schedule. When Supernatural went off the air again, LOST was coming back. We got Jericho overlapping with The Sarah Connor Chronicles. And now that LOST and Jericho are going away again, the first post-strike shows are starting to air.
Still, we're hitting a big lull, at least as far as the show I watch. I still have How I Met Your Mother and Miss Guided, but that's about it.
Some thoughts:
Miss Guided
I watched it 'cause Judy Greer is made of awesome and deserves her show to succeed, and it's very funny and sweet. The put-downs aren't overwhelming, there's balance, and the VP is hilarious. And the characters are more complex than the stereotypes they represent. The cute guy the protagonist loves actually deserves it!
Kyle XY
Overall, I really enjoyed the season. For those passionate fans who Google the show and find my comments, let me repeat: I really enjoyed the season. The overdone voiceover seemed to back off a little bit, or I got used to it and it stopped bothering me. The relationships were still the high point, even as the adventure aspect dropped a little. I especially loved Josh and Andy.
I have to admit, though, the finale left me cold. Okay, Lori and Declan I can live with, even though all my sympathies are with him. I can accept that not EVERY thread has to have a totally happy semi-ending. (I'd like Kyle and Declan to have more interaction then, m'kay? Thx.) The thing that bothered me the most, though, was Amanda's abduction. Foreshadowed heavily, all very dramatic and duhn duhn DUHHHHHN!, but pretty stupid.
Theory 1 (the one I first thought when the show aired)
Latnock says, "It's time to introduce ourselves to Kyle" and then kidnaps his girlfriend? To what ends? First, you see if someone is willing to do what you want them to do. Then, if they aren't, you threaten something you hold dear. If they waver but don't give in, you threaten harder. Last option is to actually follow through on the threat. It's called escalation.
Theory 2 (the one I just thought of, that makes more sense but not much)
Brian loses his creation, is told to go away, and instead of doing so, lashes out by taking away something Kyle holds dear. More logical because there's at least some motivation behind the action. But still, to what ends? What does Brian hope to get by abducting Amanda? It won't bring Jessi back, Kyle doesn't know where she's going. It won't get him in good again with Latnock. If Adam is right about who they are, they'll be appalled. Even if Sarah's more right about them, they aren't likely to appreciate a stranger being pulled into their politics and their secrecy revealed.
Theory 3 (in the interest of completeness)
Someone else entirely?
Regardless, I'm interested in seeing the premiere of the next season and finding out who did it and why. And how Kyle will handle it, as it causes him a dozen different problems.
Jericho
So despite fans' best efforts, this show isn't going to make it. I'm a little sad, but I won't miss it. I really enjoyed season 1, and season 2 has been well done, but I think they went a little too big with it, losing sight of the individual stories that made season 1 so compelling.
The conspiracy is frightening, because I can see it as possible in real life. Much more possible than direct invasion or a new Hitler taking over the U.S. (as has been suggested lately with the new gun laws being debated).
And I'll miss Skeet Ulrich, who I just discovered. I hope he and the actress who plays Heather get something for next fall. They have talent (even though Skeet didn't act much different than he did in Miracles).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking forward to April and May for a whole buncha reasons, now!
Have fun! I am, despite the Solomon-like choices with some of these.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Okay, all you readers out there? Get ready for some super fun! Make all your favorite authors jump through hoops to entertain YOU!
Check out The Romance Studio's Studio Diva (the second link takes you directly to the Studio Diva info), which will be ongoing from May through August. You can win some cool prizes, and so can the authors!
You can also be instrumental in directing the program. See how here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As frustrated as I was with the AMPTP over the writers strike, I have to admit, the studios have done a fairly decent job managing the schedule. When Supernatural went off the air again, LOST was coming back. We got Jericho overlapping with The Sarah Connor Chronicles. And now that LOST and Jericho are going away again, the first post-strike shows are starting to air.
Still, we're hitting a big lull, at least as far as the show I watch. I still have How I Met Your Mother and Miss Guided, but that's about it.
Some thoughts:
Miss Guided
I watched it 'cause Judy Greer is made of awesome and deserves her show to succeed, and it's very funny and sweet. The put-downs aren't overwhelming, there's balance, and the VP is hilarious. And the characters are more complex than the stereotypes they represent. The cute guy the protagonist loves actually deserves it!
Kyle XY
Overall, I really enjoyed the season. For those passionate fans who Google the show and find my comments, let me repeat: I really enjoyed the season. The overdone voiceover seemed to back off a little bit, or I got used to it and it stopped bothering me. The relationships were still the high point, even as the adventure aspect dropped a little. I especially loved Josh and Andy.
I have to admit, though, the finale left me cold. Okay, Lori and Declan I can live with, even though all my sympathies are with him. I can accept that not EVERY thread has to have a totally happy semi-ending. (I'd like Kyle and Declan to have more interaction then, m'kay? Thx.) The thing that bothered me the most, though, was Amanda's abduction. Foreshadowed heavily, all very dramatic and duhn duhn DUHHHHHN!, but pretty stupid.
Theory 1 (the one I first thought when the show aired)
Latnock says, "It's time to introduce ourselves to Kyle" and then kidnaps his girlfriend? To what ends? First, you see if someone is willing to do what you want them to do. Then, if they aren't, you threaten something you hold dear. If they waver but don't give in, you threaten harder. Last option is to actually follow through on the threat. It's called escalation.
Theory 2 (the one I just thought of, that makes more sense but not much)
Brian loses his creation, is told to go away, and instead of doing so, lashes out by taking away something Kyle holds dear. More logical because there's at least some motivation behind the action. But still, to what ends? What does Brian hope to get by abducting Amanda? It won't bring Jessi back, Kyle doesn't know where she's going. It won't get him in good again with Latnock. If Adam is right about who they are, they'll be appalled. Even if Sarah's more right about them, they aren't likely to appreciate a stranger being pulled into their politics and their secrecy revealed.
Theory 3 (in the interest of completeness)
Someone else entirely?
Regardless, I'm interested in seeing the premiere of the next season and finding out who did it and why. And how Kyle will handle it, as it causes him a dozen different problems.
Jericho
So despite fans' best efforts, this show isn't going to make it. I'm a little sad, but I won't miss it. I really enjoyed season 1, and season 2 has been well done, but I think they went a little too big with it, losing sight of the individual stories that made season 1 so compelling.
The conspiracy is frightening, because I can see it as possible in real life. Much more possible than direct invasion or a new Hitler taking over the U.S. (as has been suggested lately with the new gun laws being debated).
And I'll miss Skeet Ulrich, who I just discovered. I hope he and the actress who plays Heather get something for next fall. They have talent (even though Skeet didn't act much different than he did in Miracles).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Looking forward to April and May for a whole buncha reasons, now!
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Fail. I Mean, Supernatural March Madness is Upon Us!
So on March 19, which isn't that long ago on the calendar, really, Gail mentioned that she wanted to do a Supernatural bracket tournament with the show's episodes, modeled on the NCAA. She asked me to pimp the tournament and I heartily agreed.
And I've failed.
I've had her LJ open on my browser for four days, and never had enough time to post about it here. So now I'm doing it, and it's kind of late.
But not TOO late!
She has the rules posted here, explaining how she set up the brackets, etc.
The schedule is here.
Since each poll is only open for two days...
Results for SPNA East, Round One
Results for SPNA South, Round One
As of right now, voting in SPNA West, Round One is still open (though the schedule says it closes/closed 3/23 a.m.).
As is SPNA Midwest, Round One. Hm. Maybe not. Maybe she's closing them AS I TYPE THIS. That would be weird.
ROUND TWO is definitely in play, as it opened today!
East is here.
South is here.
Have Fun!
And I've failed.
I've had her LJ open on my browser for four days, and never had enough time to post about it here. So now I'm doing it, and it's kind of late.
But not TOO late!
She has the rules posted here, explaining how she set up the brackets, etc.
The schedule is here.
Since each poll is only open for two days...
Results for SPNA East, Round One
Results for SPNA South, Round One
As of right now, voting in SPNA West, Round One is still open (though the schedule says it closes/closed 3/23 a.m.).
As is SPNA Midwest, Round One. Hm. Maybe not. Maybe she's closing them AS I TYPE THIS. That would be weird.
ROUND TWO is definitely in play, as it opened today!
East is here.
South is here.
Have Fun!
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Mary "LOST" Me
In the comments to the last post, Mary said Locke must be #6, which reminded me I was thinking about some other things and then I just had to post them here, instead of just a really long comment there. :)
I agree with her that it seems to fit that Locke is the last of the Oceanic Six. But then that leads me to wonder how on earth it was decided who would go?
Sun is obvious. She'll die in three weeks if she's not off the island. (Which means they will be rescued in less than three weeks! They're jumped three island days between the last two episodes, so we might see that exodus this season. Finale, maybe.
Jack is also logical. He wants off, and if there could only be six, he'd feel he was the strongest candidate for getting back to them, to get the others.
Kate is not so logical. She knows she'll be arrested as soon as she's back to civilization. She's not even the best candidate for taking care of Aaron, assuming Claire couldn't. I can't imagine Claire letting her son go, and definitely not with Kate, who wouldn't even pick him up when he was fussing. Why wouldn't Claire want Sun to take Aaron, given that Kate would be on the run or going to jail? If Claire dies, why would ANYONE, including Kate, decide to give her Aaron?
It's all so delicious. LOL
Sayid's and Hurley's status as Oceanic Six make me think there's no "decision" made at all. Why would they go instead of letting some of the women or weaker men go? People who were desperate to get home. Like Juliet, or Desmond.
There's got to be some complicated situation going on that leads to the future we've been seeing. I can't imagine a mass death, and of course there's reference to going back, that they need them, so we know that's not likely.
The future timeline bothers me a little, too.
Sun's would have occurred about 7 months from now, maybe a little less, since she didn't seem to think she was in simple labor and was frightened about what was happening.
Hurley's would obviously be much further, after he'd deteriorated. Unless he'd deteriorated and then got better.
Ditto Jack. In Kate's future, Aaron looked about 2 years old, and he spoke pretty well. So did Jack have his drunk-beard issues before that, or after?
Going back to the island seems like it's going to take place waayyyy in the future. How long will that translate for those left behind?
I agree with her that it seems to fit that Locke is the last of the Oceanic Six. But then that leads me to wonder how on earth it was decided who would go?
Sun is obvious. She'll die in three weeks if she's not off the island. (Which means they will be rescued in less than three weeks! They're jumped three island days between the last two episodes, so we might see that exodus this season. Finale, maybe.
Jack is also logical. He wants off, and if there could only be six, he'd feel he was the strongest candidate for getting back to them, to get the others.
Kate is not so logical. She knows she'll be arrested as soon as she's back to civilization. She's not even the best candidate for taking care of Aaron, assuming Claire couldn't. I can't imagine Claire letting her son go, and definitely not with Kate, who wouldn't even pick him up when he was fussing. Why wouldn't Claire want Sun to take Aaron, given that Kate would be on the run or going to jail? If Claire dies, why would ANYONE, including Kate, decide to give her Aaron?
It's all so delicious. LOL
Sayid's and Hurley's status as Oceanic Six make me think there's no "decision" made at all. Why would they go instead of letting some of the women or weaker men go? People who were desperate to get home. Like Juliet, or Desmond.
There's got to be some complicated situation going on that leads to the future we've been seeing. I can't imagine a mass death, and of course there's reference to going back, that they need them, so we know that's not likely.
The future timeline bothers me a little, too.
Sun's would have occurred about 7 months from now, maybe a little less, since she didn't seem to think she was in simple labor and was frightened about what was happening.
Hurley's would obviously be much further, after he'd deteriorated. Unless he'd deteriorated and then got better.
Ditto Jack. In Kate's future, Aaron looked about 2 years old, and he spoke pretty well. So did Jack have his drunk-beard issues before that, or after?
Going back to the island seems like it's going to take place waayyyy in the future. How long will that translate for those left behind?
Saturday, March 15, 2008
So the Bad
Please understand that by "bad" I don't mean bad. Smallville is bad. Sitcoms featuring hot, exasperated wives and fat, sloppy, idiotic men, neither of whom have any redeeming characteristics, are bad. This isn't that kind of bad.
No, this is the kind of bad you get when a show is written and acted so well, they make you love the things you hate. They make you, oh, totally not mean it when you swear you're going to stop watching if they kill Charlie.
On to the bad...
The first bad thing.
This is the one annoying thing. The network and Damon/Carlton are partly to blame because they announced Harold Perrineau's (Michael/Kevin Johnson) return to the show last summer before/at Comic-Con. I didn't mind that, really. I like him and am really glad he's back. My thirst for good TV, which hasn't been able to be satisfied by actual TV to the extent of my need, has led me to read speculation and mild spoilers, so I'd seen some people guess that Michael was the man on the boat. Which, again, was fine. I didn't mind fulfillment of that guess.
What I did mind, quite a bit, was ABC's promos touting the return of someone we never thought we'd see again. DUDES! One of your executives told us at the TCA or whatever they're called, right before the announcement at Comic-Con, that he was coming back! So we TOTALLY knew we would see him again!
Bad thing number two.
Last week, they had a really tearjerking, poignant, heartfelt ending, when Desmond and Penny connected, and things all came together from flashbacks and the bits of the present. Their exchange..."I'll find you"..."I love you"...was perfect. And I was so sure the bastards were going to have him drop dead like Fisher Stevens. I wanted to run to LA and hug them when they didn't.
But I knew they wouldn't do it two weeks in a row. I kind of figured out that Jin's flash was a back. The whole panda thing was out of place. The phone was older, too big. And Sun's desperation for him to be there was too intense. So the whole episode I was expecting his death, as much as I held on to hope that he wouldn't die. Of course, as soon as he told her he'd never leave her, I knew he wouldn't have a choice.
HEY! Darlton! Stop freakin' killing my favorite characters!
Bad thing the third.
WARNING: Speculation ahead.
I think Juliet is pregnant. Please, please, don't let it be Ben's baby. I don't even like the idea of it being Goodwin's, but that's the only choice we know about, right?
About Other Stuff that's Not the Bad
The Oceanic Six
Jake, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, and Sun. Jin obviously not. Did you notice that his gravestone had a date of September 2001? So they lied about him, too, and said he died in the crash. I wonder if he really dies, or somehow gets left behind or something. The grave marker could be only a marker.
I'm soooo intrigued by the story of the Oceanic Six and wonder how far they'll get on the path to going home this season.
Ben and Aaron don't count as part of the Six because they weren't on the plane--or weren't passengers, anyway. Aaron was technically on it. So the last person who is part of the six is the person in the coffin from the end of last season. Someone who suffered a far different fate as one of the Six, it seems, given the empty church at the memorial "service."
I wonder if the Ben in Sayid's flash-forward is really Ben, or his not-evil twin or something.
My biggest question is...this future that we're seeing. Is it unchangeable? I sadly expect that it is. But that makes me really hope the final season will occur after all these flash-forwards, and they'll go back to the island, and it will be an even bigger adventure.
I'm almost unhappy we have to wait so long to get there.
No, this is the kind of bad you get when a show is written and acted so well, they make you love the things you hate. They make you, oh, totally not mean it when you swear you're going to stop watching if they kill Charlie.
On to the bad...
The first bad thing.
This is the one annoying thing. The network and Damon/Carlton are partly to blame because they announced Harold Perrineau's (Michael/Kevin Johnson) return to the show last summer before/at Comic-Con. I didn't mind that, really. I like him and am really glad he's back. My thirst for good TV, which hasn't been able to be satisfied by actual TV to the extent of my need, has led me to read speculation and mild spoilers, so I'd seen some people guess that Michael was the man on the boat. Which, again, was fine. I didn't mind fulfillment of that guess.
What I did mind, quite a bit, was ABC's promos touting the return of someone we never thought we'd see again. DUDES! One of your executives told us at the TCA or whatever they're called, right before the announcement at Comic-Con, that he was coming back! So we TOTALLY knew we would see him again!
Bad thing number two.
Last week, they had a really tearjerking, poignant, heartfelt ending, when Desmond and Penny connected, and things all came together from flashbacks and the bits of the present. Their exchange..."I'll find you"..."I love you"...was perfect. And I was so sure the bastards were going to have him drop dead like Fisher Stevens. I wanted to run to LA and hug them when they didn't.
But I knew they wouldn't do it two weeks in a row. I kind of figured out that Jin's flash was a back. The whole panda thing was out of place. The phone was older, too big. And Sun's desperation for him to be there was too intense. So the whole episode I was expecting his death, as much as I held on to hope that he wouldn't die. Of course, as soon as he told her he'd never leave her, I knew he wouldn't have a choice.
HEY! Darlton! Stop freakin' killing my favorite characters!
Bad thing the third.
WARNING: Speculation ahead.
I think Juliet is pregnant. Please, please, don't let it be Ben's baby. I don't even like the idea of it being Goodwin's, but that's the only choice we know about, right?
About Other Stuff that's Not the Bad
The Oceanic Six
Jake, Kate, Hurley, Sayid, and Sun. Jin obviously not. Did you notice that his gravestone had a date of September 2001? So they lied about him, too, and said he died in the crash. I wonder if he really dies, or somehow gets left behind or something. The grave marker could be only a marker.
I'm soooo intrigued by the story of the Oceanic Six and wonder how far they'll get on the path to going home this season.
Ben and Aaron don't count as part of the Six because they weren't on the plane--or weren't passengers, anyway. Aaron was technically on it. So the last person who is part of the six is the person in the coffin from the end of last season. Someone who suffered a far different fate as one of the Six, it seems, given the empty church at the memorial "service."
I wonder if the Ben in Sayid's flash-forward is really Ben, or his not-evil twin or something.
My biggest question is...this future that we're seeing. Is it unchangeable? I sadly expect that it is. But that makes me really hope the final season will occur after all these flash-forwards, and they'll go back to the island, and it will be an even bigger adventure.
I'm almost unhappy we have to wait so long to get there.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
In the "Oh, Please" Category
My attention was just called to this article.
It basically says that more girls and young women use the Internet than boys do. On the face of it, that's interesting, but not surprising. Granted, I interact with more women than men, and most of them are working in an industry that requires Internet proficiency.
But the article states that "New research suggests it is time to rethink the stereotypical net user as a pasty-faced male geek in Joe 90 specs, or the furtive spotty teen looking for zeppelin breasts online."
Hel-LLO! When did we establish that stereotype, 1980? I was using the Internet in 1992 to get information for my Cleveland Browns Backers newsletter. I'm no supermodel, but I've never been pasty-faced, and I've always used the Internet more than the men in my life.
But I've also been an aberration in most generalities, so okay, let's assume they're right that the Internet "began as an almost exclusively male preserve."
The article gets worse. It focuses most of its statistics on social networking, at least in the first half of the article, and says “Girls use the internet for gossiping and finding things out about friends and people you know. Boys use it more for useful things like games."
Oh. My. God.
First, when was playing games ever a better, more constructive thing than personal interaction?
Second, I'm pretty sure there is a lot of research and other kinds of activity going on, so the focus is bogus.
The article states that YouTube users are primarily men. I have no idea how they think they know that. They don't cite a source, just quote a couple of users. Perhaps YouTube accounts require that info, but how do they know it's true?
Some of the other stuff, later in the article, about women not enrolling in IT education programs, etc., is more substantial and harder to argue, but that's a very different subject. And making money via programming is a lot different from making money via usage, so saying women are gossiping but not making money is completely wrong.
One of the commenters to the article said (paraphrasing and inferring) "who cares about social networking, all the users are in peer-to-peer sharing, and that's all males." I don't think it's any better to indicate that boys mostly do illegal stuff on the 'net than it is to say girls mostly gossip.
My initial righteous indignation is wearing off and my argument is starting to get wispy, so I'm going to stop here.
~~~~~~~~~~
It's not too late to enter my contest! I'll draw a winner at the end of the week.
It basically says that more girls and young women use the Internet than boys do. On the face of it, that's interesting, but not surprising. Granted, I interact with more women than men, and most of them are working in an industry that requires Internet proficiency.
But the article states that "New research suggests it is time to rethink the stereotypical net user as a pasty-faced male geek in Joe 90 specs, or the furtive spotty teen looking for zeppelin breasts online."
Hel-LLO! When did we establish that stereotype, 1980? I was using the Internet in 1992 to get information for my Cleveland Browns Backers newsletter. I'm no supermodel, but I've never been pasty-faced, and I've always used the Internet more than the men in my life.
But I've also been an aberration in most generalities, so okay, let's assume they're right that the Internet "began as an almost exclusively male preserve."
The article gets worse. It focuses most of its statistics on social networking, at least in the first half of the article, and says “Girls use the internet for gossiping and finding things out about friends and people you know. Boys use it more for useful things like games."
Oh. My. God.
First, when was playing games ever a better, more constructive thing than personal interaction?
Second, I'm pretty sure there is a lot of research and other kinds of activity going on, so the focus is bogus.
The article states that YouTube users are primarily men. I have no idea how they think they know that. They don't cite a source, just quote a couple of users. Perhaps YouTube accounts require that info, but how do they know it's true?
Some of the other stuff, later in the article, about women not enrolling in IT education programs, etc., is more substantial and harder to argue, but that's a very different subject. And making money via programming is a lot different from making money via usage, so saying women are gossiping but not making money is completely wrong.
One of the commenters to the article said (paraphrasing and inferring) "who cares about social networking, all the users are in peer-to-peer sharing, and that's all males." I don't think it's any better to indicate that boys mostly do illegal stuff on the 'net than it is to say girls mostly gossip.
My initial righteous indignation is wearing off and my argument is starting to get wispy, so I'm going to stop here.
~~~~~~~~~~
It's not too late to enter my contest! I'll draw a winner at the end of the week.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Too Much Time
So today is that annoying day when we turn our clocks ahead an hour. I admit I'm not thrilled with the new timing. I like it lighter later, but not darker earlier. We just started walking to the bus stop in daylight when it gets dark again.
But regardless of when we do it, I realize the same thing every year: We have too damned many clocks.
Two in the master bedroom. Plus three or four watches, though those move rooms, especially if they are being worn.
One alarm clock and one computer clock in Number One's room.
One alarm clock, one computer clock, and one wall clock in Number Two's room.
One in the main bathroom, one in the Daddy's.
One in the living room, a wall-mounted grandfather clock that is usually not running because a) we forgot to rewind it, or b) Number One stopped it to play cello (the ticking messes up her timing) and never restarted it.
None in the dining room! Oh, wait. My laptop is usually on. That has a clock.
A ridiculous number in the kitchen: microwave, stove, and telephone/answering machine.
Three in my office. An Audubon bird clock that now sings the wrong songs at the wrong times, no matter how often I adjust it, and which will now be an hour off for seven-plus months because it's too much of a pain to rehang it. My computer clock, which resets itself but is often slow. And my little travel alarm. No, wait. Four, because my fax machine has a clock. So does my iPod. Five.
Two in the main family room: The VCR and a Cleveland Browns wall clock that is at least 15 years old, maybe 20. Then the clock over my husband's desk, and the clock on his computer.
Oh, we should add the other two iPods and three cell phones.
That's 31 friggin' timepieces in one house, for four people! No wonder we're always stressed! There's always something telling us how much time we don't have left.
And today, we have even less.
Okay, I know it's boring to read a list of clocks. You probably skimmed this post. But be honest--it made you think about how many you have, didn't it? Be honest.
How does your household compare to mine?
You know what? Let's make it fun. I'll give a free download of one of my books ('cause I don't have any paper copies left) to the person who posts the most number of clocks in the comments of one of my three blogs (I post this same post on Blogger, LJ, and MySpace). So give us the rundown!
But regardless of when we do it, I realize the same thing every year: We have too damned many clocks.
Two in the master bedroom. Plus three or four watches, though those move rooms, especially if they are being worn.
One alarm clock and one computer clock in Number One's room.
One alarm clock, one computer clock, and one wall clock in Number Two's room.
One in the main bathroom, one in the Daddy's.
One in the living room, a wall-mounted grandfather clock that is usually not running because a) we forgot to rewind it, or b) Number One stopped it to play cello (the ticking messes up her timing) and never restarted it.
None in the dining room! Oh, wait. My laptop is usually on. That has a clock.
A ridiculous number in the kitchen: microwave, stove, and telephone/answering machine.
Three in my office. An Audubon bird clock that now sings the wrong songs at the wrong times, no matter how often I adjust it, and which will now be an hour off for seven-plus months because it's too much of a pain to rehang it. My computer clock, which resets itself but is often slow. And my little travel alarm. No, wait. Four, because my fax machine has a clock. So does my iPod. Five.
Two in the main family room: The VCR and a Cleveland Browns wall clock that is at least 15 years old, maybe 20. Then the clock over my husband's desk, and the clock on his computer.
Oh, we should add the other two iPods and three cell phones.
That's 31 friggin' timepieces in one house, for four people! No wonder we're always stressed! There's always something telling us how much time we don't have left.
And today, we have even less.
Okay, I know it's boring to read a list of clocks. You probably skimmed this post. But be honest--it made you think about how many you have, didn't it? Be honest.
How does your household compare to mine?
You know what? Let's make it fun. I'll give a free download of one of my books ('cause I don't have any paper copies left) to the person who posts the most number of clocks in the comments of one of my three blogs (I post this same post on Blogger, LJ, and MySpace). So give us the rundown!
Monday, March 03, 2008
Supernatural News
It appears that the woman with Lilith at the end of the last episode of Supernatural was Molly Brown (I think that was the name), who was on a wanted poster earlier in the episode.
In much, much bigger news, Supernatural was renewed for a fourth season! Woo hoo!
~~~~~~~
I have a feeling I won't be blogging as much in the near future. I have a novella due this month (RENEGADE, featuring two of the hottest men alive...er, in fiction...inspired by two of the hottest men alive. Good men, wanted by the law, seeking help from a heroine with her own secrets. Big ones. I hope soon she'll tell me what they are.).
I also must dig deep into the edits of the book my agent rejected last year, because she finished the book I sent her and has notes on that one. And I have some thoughts on revising another book and giving it new life. And I have a novella due in May.
So, yeah, I'm busy. I won't disappear, I promise, but don't expect much for a little while.
In much, much bigger news, Supernatural was renewed for a fourth season! Woo hoo!
~~~~~~~
I have a feeling I won't be blogging as much in the near future. I have a novella due this month (RENEGADE, featuring two of the hottest men alive...er, in fiction...inspired by two of the hottest men alive. Good men, wanted by the law, seeking help from a heroine with her own secrets. Big ones. I hope soon she'll tell me what they are.).
I also must dig deep into the edits of the book my agent rejected last year, because she finished the book I sent her and has notes on that one. And I have some thoughts on revising another book and giving it new life. And I have a novella due in May.
So, yeah, I'm busy. I won't disappear, I promise, but don't expect much for a little while.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Quote of the Day
A father and young daughter are playing Clever Endeavor.
Father (reading clue): "I get turned down a lot."
Daughter (making guess): "An author."
She must have a mother who's a writer. :)
Father (reading clue): "I get turned down a lot."
Daughter (making guess): "An author."
She must have a mother who's a writer. :)
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Funniest. Video. Ever.
So I'm on my way to bed, feeling down for a few small reasons after a pretty good day. I stop at Ducky Does TV, and see this.
You really need to see this first, if you haven't already. But then see this. These will crack your sh** up.
WARNING: NOT WORK SAFE. DO NOT WATCH WITH CHILDREN AROUND. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THE F WORD, DON'T WATCH. But in the second video, it's all bleeped out. I have to look for a non-bleeped version.
But not now. Now, I sleep.
You really need to see this first, if you haven't already. But then see this. These will crack your sh** up.
WARNING: NOT WORK SAFE. DO NOT WATCH WITH CHILDREN AROUND. IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THE F WORD, DON'T WATCH. But in the second video, it's all bleeped out. I have to look for a non-bleeped version.
But not now. Now, I sleep.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Consumer From You-Know-Where
As I mentioned yesterday, I've been having service issues that put me in a pattern of behavior of which I'm not proud. I call about my problem, get frustrated to the point of lashing out, then apologize because it's not their fault their company sucks, and praise their calm in the face of my bitchiness. Here's a sampling:
DIRECTV
Problem: They keep sending messages over the phone line that our DVR is not activated, even though the TiVo has been recording consistently and every time I call (at least 6 times now), the response is "That's odd, we don't know why." Last weekend, we had about 15 messages. So I called again.
Sample Exchange:
Guy: It sounds like your box is going bad.
Me: So we need a new box.
Guy: Yeah. Now, we don't do TiVo anymore, but our DVR is the same thing.
Me: No, it's not the same thing, and I hear it sucks. I like TiVo.
Resolution:
None to the problem, but the CSR who transferred me to tech support said she'd give us a $5 per month credit for a year.
VERIZON
Problem: At some point Sunday afternoon, our Verizon-supplied wireless router to connect us all to our wonderful FiOS service went dead. Almost dead. There was a faint glow in two of the lights, but not the power light. The rep ran me through a series of very inconvenient but necessary steps until he said, "Yep, router's dead. You need a new one."
Sample Exchange:
Him: We can send you a new router, but unfortunately you'll have to buy it. If you had FiOS TV we could send you one for free.
Me: You don't have FiOS TV available here, unless that's changed.
Him: *pause* You're right, we don't.
Me: So that's not a very useful offer, is it?
Him: You can buy any router, though.
Me: So despite your dire threats when we subscribed about never using a non-Verizon router, even though our old router had better security and a stronger signal, you're telling me I can just use any old thing.
Him: Uh...yep.
Resolution: None from them. We couldn't find our old router, so I used a $25 coupon I had from Staples and bought a new one that I can include as a business expense on my taxes (since I communicate with all my nonfiction and editing clients online) and is, yes, faster and more secure than the old router.
SHEETZ
Problem: Using Sheetz's touch-screen ordering system, I ordered a 20 oz. dark chocolate mocha and two hash browns. I went and paid. I came back, and no one was doing s*** to make my order. Three people stood toward the back having a little staff meeting. The basket was in the deep-fryer. The "drink order! drink order!" alarm had screamed when I first put it in. But when the little meeting was done, no one went to the food-making area.
Sample Exchanges:
Me (to woman who came around the counter): Uh, is anyone gonna make my order?
Her (to woman behind the counter who'd lifted the hash browns): Hey, is there an order up?
Other her: No.
Me: There should be, I put one in. (said in acerbic tone)
(A few minutes later)
Original Her (back behind the counter, to drink-making her): Are these hash browns even for someone?
Me: Uh, yeah. They're mine.
Resolution:
Drink-making her was very apologetic and sweet and hurried to make the drink. One of the guys (presumably making his own drink so he could hang around in the back making people like me angry becaues they're not doing anything--here's a tip: If you go on break, leave the area) had been making a drink and she thought he was making the order and had forgotten to hit the button to take it off. So she did it for him, because they get penalized when orders are up too long. Now, since she was very nice and worked hard to rectify it, and apologized about the hash browns, too, while the buffoon who bagged them glared at me balefully, I didn't tell her to next time ASK if he was making that order before she took it off the machine.
It takes a lot to move me to call anyone, and if it involves a problem where I think a confrontation might occur, I'll put it off or try to resolve the situation another way. But once I get into it, I'm no retiring mouse. I don't like being nasty, and the people I've had to deal with have handled me very well, demonstrating an upsurge in customer service skill and ability overall.
I just wish the frickin' companies they work for would put quality first so I don't have to even go there.
~~~~~~~
In case you're wondering,the decision on the TiVo is to nurse the box along (it loses connection to the satellite and has to be reset, sometimes more than once a day, sometimes not for weeks) until summer, when there is much less on TV to record and I can stomach losing the shows I've already recorded (that's a fib, there's no way I can stomach losing Supernatural for three months). I'll be researching our options for late summer/early fall to hopefully have a solution in place before football season.
DIRECTV
Problem: They keep sending messages over the phone line that our DVR is not activated, even though the TiVo has been recording consistently and every time I call (at least 6 times now), the response is "That's odd, we don't know why." Last weekend, we had about 15 messages. So I called again.
Sample Exchange:
Guy: It sounds like your box is going bad.
Me: So we need a new box.
Guy: Yeah. Now, we don't do TiVo anymore, but our DVR is the same thing.
Me: No, it's not the same thing, and I hear it sucks. I like TiVo.
Resolution:
None to the problem, but the CSR who transferred me to tech support said she'd give us a $5 per month credit for a year.
VERIZON
Problem: At some point Sunday afternoon, our Verizon-supplied wireless router to connect us all to our wonderful FiOS service went dead. Almost dead. There was a faint glow in two of the lights, but not the power light. The rep ran me through a series of very inconvenient but necessary steps until he said, "Yep, router's dead. You need a new one."
Sample Exchange:
Him: We can send you a new router, but unfortunately you'll have to buy it. If you had FiOS TV we could send you one for free.
Me: You don't have FiOS TV available here, unless that's changed.
Him: *pause* You're right, we don't.
Me: So that's not a very useful offer, is it?
Him: You can buy any router, though.
Me: So despite your dire threats when we subscribed about never using a non-Verizon router, even though our old router had better security and a stronger signal, you're telling me I can just use any old thing.
Him: Uh...yep.
Resolution: None from them. We couldn't find our old router, so I used a $25 coupon I had from Staples and bought a new one that I can include as a business expense on my taxes (since I communicate with all my nonfiction and editing clients online) and is, yes, faster and more secure than the old router.
SHEETZ
Problem: Using Sheetz's touch-screen ordering system, I ordered a 20 oz. dark chocolate mocha and two hash browns. I went and paid. I came back, and no one was doing s*** to make my order. Three people stood toward the back having a little staff meeting. The basket was in the deep-fryer. The "drink order! drink order!" alarm had screamed when I first put it in. But when the little meeting was done, no one went to the food-making area.
Sample Exchanges:
Me (to woman who came around the counter): Uh, is anyone gonna make my order?
Her (to woman behind the counter who'd lifted the hash browns): Hey, is there an order up?
Other her: No.
Me: There should be, I put one in. (said in acerbic tone)
(A few minutes later)
Original Her (back behind the counter, to drink-making her): Are these hash browns even for someone?
Me: Uh, yeah. They're mine.
Resolution:
Drink-making her was very apologetic and sweet and hurried to make the drink. One of the guys (presumably making his own drink so he could hang around in the back making people like me angry becaues they're not doing anything--here's a tip: If you go on break, leave the area) had been making a drink and she thought he was making the order and had forgotten to hit the button to take it off. So she did it for him, because they get penalized when orders are up too long. Now, since she was very nice and worked hard to rectify it, and apologized about the hash browns, too, while the buffoon who bagged them glared at me balefully, I didn't tell her to next time ASK if he was making that order before she took it off the machine.
It takes a lot to move me to call anyone, and if it involves a problem where I think a confrontation might occur, I'll put it off or try to resolve the situation another way. But once I get into it, I'm no retiring mouse. I don't like being nasty, and the people I've had to deal with have handled me very well, demonstrating an upsurge in customer service skill and ability overall.
I just wish the frickin' companies they work for would put quality first so I don't have to even go there.
~~~~~~~
In case you're wondering,the decision on the TiVo is to nurse the box along (it loses connection to the satellite and has to be reset, sometimes more than once a day, sometimes not for weeks) until summer, when there is much less on TV to record and I can stomach losing the shows I've already recorded (that's a fib, there's no way I can stomach losing Supernatural for three months). I'll be researching our options for late summer/early fall to hopefully have a solution in place before football season.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Too Much to Talk About
I could whine about all the customer service issues I've had lately, and how if you work in a customer service capacity, you don't want to deal with me.
Or I could lament how my iPod died again, and it's been less than seven freakin' months since I got it, and how they are about to lose me as a customer because their products cost more than anyone else's and last less time and I'm so pissed.
Or I could talk about the short story I'm working on for Amber Quill (release TBD, but maybe July). It's called RENEGADE, and it is inspired by the end moments of the episode "Nightshifter" from Season Two of Supernatural, though the characters and circumstances shall bear no resemblance to anyone you've ever seen. :)
But I would really rather talk about last night's Supernatural. Hope that's okay with you.
I watched "Nightshifter" first (which was coincidentally on before "Jus in Bello," which has nothing to do with the fact that I'm writing RENEGADE). At one point during "Jus in Bello" I thought, "The feel of this episode is so much more like last season." Which is neither a criticism or a compliment, just an observation. Could be the jail, could be the shot angles, could be the graininess of the film or the direction or a combination of all of the above.
Some of the good lines (as close as I can remember them without rewatching):
"Anyone got a breath mint? I got some guts in my mouth killing my way in."
"Yeah, but you didn't shoot the deputy."
"I'm so having a lot of sex when this is over. Not with you."
There was some complaint on a blog I used to read about how the show has made all women either evil/sluts or virgins/virgin-like. The complaint was followed by various levels of "feminist rage" aimed at the writers over this element, which I think is both vastly oversimplified and one of those things self-righteous people tend to find because they look for it.
First, I thought Nancy was great. Virgin sacrifice has ancient roots, so it fits the mythology of the show. But as the show went on, she revealed herself to be not much of a stereotype. She wasn't hot, but she was pretty in a normal-looking way. Certainly not someone who COULDN'T have sex if she wanted it. She wasn't completely fearful and shy/retiring, just scared of the guys the big bad FBI agent--the good guy, the one on her side, as far as she knew at the beginning--had told her were total monsters, something worth fearing. She acquitted herself pretty damn well, and was very brave, willing to give herself up to save her friends, and putting herself at risk to play her part in the battle.
Nor was Nancy the only non-evil female in the episode. Bela is not "evil" in that sense, she's just ambitious and without conscience, and probably more complicated than we have yet seen. Ruby isn't evil, either, taken at face value. Perhaps she'll be revealed later on to have ulterior motives that are firmly on Hell's side, but for now, she just keeps saving the boy's asses.
As for the rest of the season, we've had:
--Tamara, the hunter, who was smart, funny, a hunter
--The mom of the changeling who was just a scared mother
--Ben's mom, who seemed to be pretty together and neither evil nor virginal (thought it can be argued she had a slutty past, she wasn't portrayed that way on her episode), and Dean's momentary dream moment doesn't count because it was a dream
--Gertrude, the old woman...okay, never mind :)
Sure, there was the demon bartender, the pagan god woman, and the witches (whom I mostly place in a neutral category, as they were just selfish in a way most people are, not evil). But there was also the demon priest, Gordon, the ship captain's brother's ghost, the pagan god man, and the trickster. So how is a balanced slate of evil anti-feminist? Why not say, "The only non-evil man on 'Jus in Bello' was a buffoon, and so unfair to small-town sheriffs'?"
The other complaint I read about was that the show fell apart with the battle. I disagree. I think the problem is that people didn't get that Dean didn't tell US his whole plan. When he said, "We let them in, and then we fight," he wasn't talking about fighting to kill and be the ones to survive. He was talking about fighting to hold them until they could trap them inside and exorcise them, which they did, to great success, because as you could see when the lights came on, most of the people were moaning and moving.
Ruby wanted to kill the virgin and herself (supposedly, though I am in the camp that thinks there was more to that), use the spell to vaporize the demons and hopefully leave the people okay. Dean's plan had similar results, except they didn't have to cold-bloodedly kill the innocent woman. Choice is as much about being able to live with your decision (assuming you live) as about choosing the right thing. So while Sam was all "sacrifice the one for the good of the many," that was more than Dean could allow.
So, to recap:
1. They let the demons in.
2. They blasted them with rock salt and holy water that bruised the bodies but left them alive, and beat on them a little bit--again, leaving them alive--until they were all inside.
3. The deputy and the secretary/dispatcher used salt to trap them inside.
4. Sam's recording on the PA exorcised them all, leaving most, if not all, of the innocent people alive. Except the ones the demons killed before possessing, of course.
Seems like a very well-done plan, to me. I had no confusion while watching the show.
Okay, now the tasty little bits:
The tattoos
Some too-literal people might say, "How come they never mentioned that they had those?" but the show isn't like one perfectly connected series of moments. We don't see them doing laundry or shopping for rock salt (sorry, Megan), but we know they must. It's plausible that they got them after the big demon escape and before the season started, or between shows.
I just think it's hot that they have matching tattoos blocking demon possession. And that we got to see a flash of skin.
Speaking of skin...
Dean's shoulder
I like episodes where Dean gets shot in the shoulder. It's the only time we get to see those arms. Was that the same shirt? I have to watch BUaBS to compare. If it was, it was convenient that he had it on, pre-ripped sleeve and all.
Sam's Latin
OMG, he memorized the exorcism. And he said it so smoothly and confidently! Loved it!
Dean's jokes
I love the look that comes over his face when he just can't not say it, and he knows it's not right to, but he says it anyway. And it's always accompanied by Sam's bitchface, which is as dear to me as his hair. Which continues to be excellent, BTW.
Throwing them up against the wall
I don't think I'll ever get tired of that.
I probably have more thoughts I can't think of right now. What did I miss? What were your favorite parts? What was less than stellar that you can rationalize-away a la Natalie? :)
Or I could lament how my iPod died again, and it's been less than seven freakin' months since I got it, and how they are about to lose me as a customer because their products cost more than anyone else's and last less time and I'm so pissed.
Or I could talk about the short story I'm working on for Amber Quill (release TBD, but maybe July). It's called RENEGADE, and it is inspired by the end moments of the episode "Nightshifter" from Season Two of Supernatural, though the characters and circumstances shall bear no resemblance to anyone you've ever seen. :)
But I would really rather talk about last night's Supernatural. Hope that's okay with you.
I watched "Nightshifter" first (which was coincidentally on before "Jus in Bello," which has nothing to do with the fact that I'm writing RENEGADE). At one point during "Jus in Bello" I thought, "The feel of this episode is so much more like last season." Which is neither a criticism or a compliment, just an observation. Could be the jail, could be the shot angles, could be the graininess of the film or the direction or a combination of all of the above.
Some of the good lines (as close as I can remember them without rewatching):
"Anyone got a breath mint? I got some guts in my mouth killing my way in."
"Yeah, but you didn't shoot the deputy."
"I'm so having a lot of sex when this is over. Not with you."
There was some complaint on a blog I used to read about how the show has made all women either evil/sluts or virgins/virgin-like. The complaint was followed by various levels of "feminist rage" aimed at the writers over this element, which I think is both vastly oversimplified and one of those things self-righteous people tend to find because they look for it.
First, I thought Nancy was great. Virgin sacrifice has ancient roots, so it fits the mythology of the show. But as the show went on, she revealed herself to be not much of a stereotype. She wasn't hot, but she was pretty in a normal-looking way. Certainly not someone who COULDN'T have sex if she wanted it. She wasn't completely fearful and shy/retiring, just scared of the guys the big bad FBI agent--the good guy, the one on her side, as far as she knew at the beginning--had told her were total monsters, something worth fearing. She acquitted herself pretty damn well, and was very brave, willing to give herself up to save her friends, and putting herself at risk to play her part in the battle.
Nor was Nancy the only non-evil female in the episode. Bela is not "evil" in that sense, she's just ambitious and without conscience, and probably more complicated than we have yet seen. Ruby isn't evil, either, taken at face value. Perhaps she'll be revealed later on to have ulterior motives that are firmly on Hell's side, but for now, she just keeps saving the boy's asses.
As for the rest of the season, we've had:
--Tamara, the hunter, who was smart, funny, a hunter
--The mom of the changeling who was just a scared mother
--Ben's mom, who seemed to be pretty together and neither evil nor virginal (thought it can be argued she had a slutty past, she wasn't portrayed that way on her episode), and Dean's momentary dream moment doesn't count because it was a dream
--Gertrude, the old woman...okay, never mind :)
Sure, there was the demon bartender, the pagan god woman, and the witches (whom I mostly place in a neutral category, as they were just selfish in a way most people are, not evil). But there was also the demon priest, Gordon, the ship captain's brother's ghost, the pagan god man, and the trickster. So how is a balanced slate of evil anti-feminist? Why not say, "The only non-evil man on 'Jus in Bello' was a buffoon, and so unfair to small-town sheriffs'?"
The other complaint I read about was that the show fell apart with the battle. I disagree. I think the problem is that people didn't get that Dean didn't tell US his whole plan. When he said, "We let them in, and then we fight," he wasn't talking about fighting to kill and be the ones to survive. He was talking about fighting to hold them until they could trap them inside and exorcise them, which they did, to great success, because as you could see when the lights came on, most of the people were moaning and moving.
Ruby wanted to kill the virgin and herself (supposedly, though I am in the camp that thinks there was more to that), use the spell to vaporize the demons and hopefully leave the people okay. Dean's plan had similar results, except they didn't have to cold-bloodedly kill the innocent woman. Choice is as much about being able to live with your decision (assuming you live) as about choosing the right thing. So while Sam was all "sacrifice the one for the good of the many," that was more than Dean could allow.
So, to recap:
1. They let the demons in.
2. They blasted them with rock salt and holy water that bruised the bodies but left them alive, and beat on them a little bit--again, leaving them alive--until they were all inside.
3. The deputy and the secretary/dispatcher used salt to trap them inside.
4. Sam's recording on the PA exorcised them all, leaving most, if not all, of the innocent people alive. Except the ones the demons killed before possessing, of course.
Seems like a very well-done plan, to me. I had no confusion while watching the show.
Okay, now the tasty little bits:
The tattoos
Some too-literal people might say, "How come they never mentioned that they had those?" but the show isn't like one perfectly connected series of moments. We don't see them doing laundry or shopping for rock salt (sorry, Megan), but we know they must. It's plausible that they got them after the big demon escape and before the season started, or between shows.
I just think it's hot that they have matching tattoos blocking demon possession. And that we got to see a flash of skin.
Speaking of skin...
Dean's shoulder
I like episodes where Dean gets shot in the shoulder. It's the only time we get to see those arms. Was that the same shirt? I have to watch BUaBS to compare. If it was, it was convenient that he had it on, pre-ripped sleeve and all.
Sam's Latin
OMG, he memorized the exorcism. And he said it so smoothly and confidently! Loved it!
Dean's jokes
I love the look that comes over his face when he just can't not say it, and he knows it's not right to, but he says it anyway. And it's always accompanied by Sam's bitchface, which is as dear to me as his hair. Which continues to be excellent, BTW.
Throwing them up against the wall
I don't think I'll ever get tired of that.
I probably have more thoughts I can't think of right now. What did I miss? What were your favorite parts? What was less than stellar that you can rationalize-away a la Natalie? :)
Monday, February 18, 2008
STILL Amazing Trish
She's done gotten herself into the final two! Way to go, Trish!
To vote on the best romantic/love scene, click below. Please vote!
To vote on the best romantic/love scene, click below. Please vote!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
When Bad Things Happen to, um, People
Today has been a case study in silver linings.
Bad Thing Number 1:
We were downstairs and heard a loud bang, followed by some clattering. I envisioned Number Two falling and dropping a box of stuff that scattered on the tile or hardwood floor. But the kids hadn't even heard it, and I couldn't find any evidence of the noisemaker. Not inside or out.
Until I opened the fridge a couple of hours later to grab a slice of cheese on my way out the door (I have developed an addiction to Kraft Singles Select cheese slices). I immediately understood the bang and clatter. See, when I bought a fridge, the one that fit our space, our budget, and my very very particular needs when it came to features, well the one I bought is not top-of-the-line. I like my stuff really cold, and keeping it that way causes a few freeze spots.
In one of which ended up a can of root beer.
Yes, the bang was the can exploding. The top blew off, and the side unzipped. Slush landed on every shelf, and brown drops flecked the walls and the stuff in the door.
Which I immediately closed and left to do my errands.
When I returned, the job was almost done. My fabulous husband and darling kids had taken every. single. item. out of the fridge and cleaned it, then cleaned the shelves and the holders in the door. Then they weeded out all the expired stuff, and the damned thing is now immaculate. No more jelly sticking the cheese drawer closed. No more tiny flecks of dried milk (that flaked off the neck of the jug) coalescing into a white coating over the main shelf. I was so happy. It felt like Mother's Day!
Bad Thing Number Two:
After finishing the cleanup (I helped do the dishes and stuff), we went downstairs and discovered that the Internet was down. The router had a very tiny glow in the Ethernet light but nothing in any other light. I launched into a VERY annoying conversation with Verizon. He made me crawl underneath and unplug the router, then plug it into a different outlet (after, of course, running me through a series of stupid questions and irrelevant tests that he had to do because he doesn't know that I'm not an idiot). His diagnosis? "Yep, the router is fried."
Other annoyances:
--The warranty had expired. No one is surprised by that, right?
--He could sell me another Verizon router. Yeah, 'cause the first one was of SUCH high quality. We could get one free if we had FiOS TV. Except they don't offer FiOS TV in our area, so that's not a very helpful offer, now, is it?
--We could buy any router anywhere. This, despite dire threats from Verizon when they installed it not to use any other router because it wouldn't be able to communicate with them for diagnostic purposes. Then again, that feature didn't exactly work out this time, either.
--I had to go shopping for a new router late on a Sunday. J made a joke about how we could save money and just go without Internet. HA!
Silver linings and other good things:
--It was only 4:00 on a Sunday, so the stores were still open.
--I had a Staples Rewards coupon card for $25 off a $50 purchase.
--I can expense the purchase, as it is impossible for me to do business if I have no Internet.
--The setup went pretty smoothly, with only a few difficulties. Like not being sure which cable went into the modem port on the router. And struggling to figure out how to get the other computers connected after I enabled encryption.
--The biggest silver linings are these:
**The security of the new router is MUCH better than the Verizon one.
**The signal is MUCH more powerful, so even in the far corner of the house, I get a
96 signal on my laptop (used to be lucky to get 60 with the Verizon one).
**I swear the service is faster on my desktop, which is wired to the router.
So I'm pretty happy.
Other things to make me happy:
Clips from Supernatural. OMG, do these two short bits make the next episode look made of awesome. The show will return April 24th for four episodes, which is less than any other show, but I'm just glad it's coming back at all. Unlike some other networks, though, they haven't yet announced renewals for fall. I'm trying to be patient.
So, how were your weekends? Got any silver lining stories?
Bad Thing Number 1:
We were downstairs and heard a loud bang, followed by some clattering. I envisioned Number Two falling and dropping a box of stuff that scattered on the tile or hardwood floor. But the kids hadn't even heard it, and I couldn't find any evidence of the noisemaker. Not inside or out.
Until I opened the fridge a couple of hours later to grab a slice of cheese on my way out the door (I have developed an addiction to Kraft Singles Select cheese slices). I immediately understood the bang and clatter. See, when I bought a fridge, the one that fit our space, our budget, and my very very particular needs when it came to features, well the one I bought is not top-of-the-line. I like my stuff really cold, and keeping it that way causes a few freeze spots.
In one of which ended up a can of root beer.
Yes, the bang was the can exploding. The top blew off, and the side unzipped. Slush landed on every shelf, and brown drops flecked the walls and the stuff in the door.
Which I immediately closed and left to do my errands.
When I returned, the job was almost done. My fabulous husband and darling kids had taken every. single. item. out of the fridge and cleaned it, then cleaned the shelves and the holders in the door. Then they weeded out all the expired stuff, and the damned thing is now immaculate. No more jelly sticking the cheese drawer closed. No more tiny flecks of dried milk (that flaked off the neck of the jug) coalescing into a white coating over the main shelf. I was so happy. It felt like Mother's Day!
Bad Thing Number Two:
After finishing the cleanup (I helped do the dishes and stuff), we went downstairs and discovered that the Internet was down. The router had a very tiny glow in the Ethernet light but nothing in any other light. I launched into a VERY annoying conversation with Verizon. He made me crawl underneath and unplug the router, then plug it into a different outlet (after, of course, running me through a series of stupid questions and irrelevant tests that he had to do because he doesn't know that I'm not an idiot). His diagnosis? "Yep, the router is fried."
Other annoyances:
--The warranty had expired. No one is surprised by that, right?
--He could sell me another Verizon router. Yeah, 'cause the first one was of SUCH high quality. We could get one free if we had FiOS TV. Except they don't offer FiOS TV in our area, so that's not a very helpful offer, now, is it?
--We could buy any router anywhere. This, despite dire threats from Verizon when they installed it not to use any other router because it wouldn't be able to communicate with them for diagnostic purposes. Then again, that feature didn't exactly work out this time, either.
--I had to go shopping for a new router late on a Sunday. J made a joke about how we could save money and just go without Internet. HA!
Silver linings and other good things:
--It was only 4:00 on a Sunday, so the stores were still open.
--I had a Staples Rewards coupon card for $25 off a $50 purchase.
--I can expense the purchase, as it is impossible for me to do business if I have no Internet.
--The setup went pretty smoothly, with only a few difficulties. Like not being sure which cable went into the modem port on the router. And struggling to figure out how to get the other computers connected after I enabled encryption.
--The biggest silver linings are these:
**The security of the new router is MUCH better than the Verizon one.
**The signal is MUCH more powerful, so even in the far corner of the house, I get a
96 signal on my laptop (used to be lucky to get 60 with the Verizon one).
**I swear the service is faster on my desktop, which is wired to the router.
So I'm pretty happy.
Other things to make me happy:
Clips from Supernatural. OMG, do these two short bits make the next episode look made of awesome. The show will return April 24th for four episodes, which is less than any other show, but I'm just glad it's coming back at all. Unlike some other networks, though, they haven't yet announced renewals for fall. I'm trying to be patient.
So, how were your weekends? Got any silver lining stories?
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Finding Favorites
I love finding new authors/new books to add to my must-buy list. Usually, at least in the last few years, those books feature kick-ass heroines. Most recently was Suzanne Enoch, with her thief/millionaire series.
This week I found a new one. I never read Roxanne St. Claire before, but picked up Killer Curves at the library. I don't know why it caught my eye. I'm so not into NASCAR, so I wouldn't have bought it, but there's no risk with a library book.
NASCAR is much more interesting in a book than in real life. Whodda thunk it?
I already started the next book, the first in her Bullet Catcher series, and she's become a must-buy for me. KC's heroine was strong, though not technically kick-ass, but the heroine in the first BC book is ALL kick-ass. I'm excited to read it!
But now, I must go family clothing shopping. *groan* I'm such a guy when it comes to shopping. I save up all my errands to do all at once. I know what I'm looking for, and I like to get in, find it, and get out. The kids hate it and wish I wasn't going. I don't like to browse for no reason or windowshop for fun, and the mall is only beneficial if I need a lot of things (like at Christmas) or if it's likely I'll have to try several stores before I find what I want.
Today will be a non-Natalie-type shopping day. Feel sorry for me!
This week I found a new one. I never read Roxanne St. Claire before, but picked up Killer Curves at the library. I don't know why it caught my eye. I'm so not into NASCAR, so I wouldn't have bought it, but there's no risk with a library book.
NASCAR is much more interesting in a book than in real life. Whodda thunk it?
I already started the next book, the first in her Bullet Catcher series, and she's become a must-buy for me. KC's heroine was strong, though not technically kick-ass, but the heroine in the first BC book is ALL kick-ass. I'm excited to read it!
But now, I must go family clothing shopping. *groan* I'm such a guy when it comes to shopping. I save up all my errands to do all at once. I know what I'm looking for, and I like to get in, find it, and get out. The kids hate it and wish I wasn't going. I don't like to browse for no reason or windowshop for fun, and the mall is only beneficial if I need a lot of things (like at Christmas) or if it's likely I'll have to try several stores before I find what I want.
Today will be a non-Natalie-type shopping day. Feel sorry for me!
Friday, February 15, 2008
You Would Think...
...I'd have learned not to trust my computer.
Not too long ago, I started getting a message every time I opened Adobe Acrobat Reader that there was a known compatibility issue. I periodically clicked the button to check for a solution, to no avail. But then I lost the ability to print on my color printer. It would start, then stop and scream until I shut it off and pulled the paper out. I thought for a long time it was the printer, until I found that it printed other color things perfectly fine. After a while, I realized it was just AAR, so I went to the Adobe site, and guess what?
It's been lying to me for weeks. There was a new AAR, which I downloaded and installed, and viola, it prints fine now.
Can't trust anyone.
Now. How about the things I loved so much about last night's show? (That would be Supernatural, of course)
I'm going on memory, since I won't watch it again until later. But here are the things that stick out in my mind:
1. Sam's eyes, giant-sized, when he wakes up to Asia. Over and over again.
2. The excellency on the part of every actor in this episode, when it came to repeating their lines and actions exactly, every time, only modifying when forced to by Sam's or Dean's changes. The waitress's "oh, crap" was my favorite. The words and inflection were the same no matter whether the bottle was on the floor or already back on the table when she said it. I'm guessing Kim Manners' direction had a lot to do with it.
3. That they could take something so horrific--Dean dying--and make it so damned funny. "This taco taste funny to you?"
4. Of course, the simultaneous conversation in the diner. "Sam Winchester keeps a ruler next to his bed..." !!! I hope this episode gets a making-of on the DVD. I so want to see behind the scenes!
5. Jared Padalecki's acting.
6. Jared Padalecki's hair.
7. Jared Padalecki's abs, even though they weren't really his abs, they were latex put over his body so he could pretend to stitch his own side. Seriously, I loved that whole montage. They basically sped up all the changing he will have to do to "become" Dean, to be strong enough to "face what's coming," to fight the war on his own. I loved Bobby's comments about the vampires and stuff, showing us that Sam is continuing to hunt and being frickin' good at it.
8. His intensity and weariness after he'd been through a hundred Tuesdays, and the determination that is unflagging, no matter how exhausted he has to be.
9. The series where they're walking down the street and he's reciting everything that's about to happen. His tone and delivery are perfect.
10. The trickster. A lot of people seem to be unhappy with his part in all this, questioning why he would care about teaching Sam a lesson. I think it's pretty clear. First, that's what the trickster is about. He teaches people lessons. Usually they seem to be to more to amuse himself than to actually effect change in the person, granted, but Sam and Dean are a special case. They're the only ones who tried to do something about the trickster's manipulations. They're the ones who have a higher purpose, who are trying to do something ultimately good. That may or may not matter to the trickster, of course, but they are a different kind of challenge. I think Sam intrigues him, and he wanted to see what he was made of, how he would react to his biggest fear coming true. It's also possible (though there's no evidence as yet) that he's aware of the war and was doing his part to get Sam ready.
11. The HUG, OMG, the hug. Sam getting out of bed and practically bodyslamming Dean. And Dean just taking it, understanding, and not making a joke or deflecting.
Well done. Just very well done.
One thing confuses me. When they changed the airing dates, supposedly switching "Jus in Bello" and "Mystery Spot," the reason I read was that "Jus in Bello" was a better break point than "Mystery Spot." The listing on my TiVo says for "Jus in Bello" that the boys break into Bela's apartment (of which there was no hint that I could see in the preview for next week, but it does look maybe like they're arrested in Bela's apartment, so that part may fit). In "Mystery Spot," Dean says he'd rather go after the Colt than investigate this lame-ass mystery, and Sam says they have no idea where Bela is. So that seems to fit the timeline the way it's laid out now. Did they shoot a little extra when they knew they'd be changing things around, and insert that bit? Or would the break-in fit either time frame? I guess I just need to wait until next week to find out.
Jericho was offered free at iTunes, so I'm watching that tonight! Can't wait!
Not too long ago, I started getting a message every time I opened Adobe Acrobat Reader that there was a known compatibility issue. I periodically clicked the button to check for a solution, to no avail. But then I lost the ability to print on my color printer. It would start, then stop and scream until I shut it off and pulled the paper out. I thought for a long time it was the printer, until I found that it printed other color things perfectly fine. After a while, I realized it was just AAR, so I went to the Adobe site, and guess what?
It's been lying to me for weeks. There was a new AAR, which I downloaded and installed, and viola, it prints fine now.
Can't trust anyone.
Now. How about the things I loved so much about last night's show? (That would be Supernatural, of course)
I'm going on memory, since I won't watch it again until later. But here are the things that stick out in my mind:
1. Sam's eyes, giant-sized, when he wakes up to Asia. Over and over again.
2. The excellency on the part of every actor in this episode, when it came to repeating their lines and actions exactly, every time, only modifying when forced to by Sam's or Dean's changes. The waitress's "oh, crap" was my favorite. The words and inflection were the same no matter whether the bottle was on the floor or already back on the table when she said it. I'm guessing Kim Manners' direction had a lot to do with it.
3. That they could take something so horrific--Dean dying--and make it so damned funny. "This taco taste funny to you?"
4. Of course, the simultaneous conversation in the diner. "Sam Winchester keeps a ruler next to his bed..." !!! I hope this episode gets a making-of on the DVD. I so want to see behind the scenes!
5. Jared Padalecki's acting.
6. Jared Padalecki's hair.
7. Jared Padalecki's abs, even though they weren't really his abs, they were latex put over his body so he could pretend to stitch his own side. Seriously, I loved that whole montage. They basically sped up all the changing he will have to do to "become" Dean, to be strong enough to "face what's coming," to fight the war on his own. I loved Bobby's comments about the vampires and stuff, showing us that Sam is continuing to hunt and being frickin' good at it.
8. His intensity and weariness after he'd been through a hundred Tuesdays, and the determination that is unflagging, no matter how exhausted he has to be.
9. The series where they're walking down the street and he's reciting everything that's about to happen. His tone and delivery are perfect.
10. The trickster. A lot of people seem to be unhappy with his part in all this, questioning why he would care about teaching Sam a lesson. I think it's pretty clear. First, that's what the trickster is about. He teaches people lessons. Usually they seem to be to more to amuse himself than to actually effect change in the person, granted, but Sam and Dean are a special case. They're the only ones who tried to do something about the trickster's manipulations. They're the ones who have a higher purpose, who are trying to do something ultimately good. That may or may not matter to the trickster, of course, but they are a different kind of challenge. I think Sam intrigues him, and he wanted to see what he was made of, how he would react to his biggest fear coming true. It's also possible (though there's no evidence as yet) that he's aware of the war and was doing his part to get Sam ready.
11. The HUG, OMG, the hug. Sam getting out of bed and practically bodyslamming Dean. And Dean just taking it, understanding, and not making a joke or deflecting.
Well done. Just very well done.
One thing confuses me. When they changed the airing dates, supposedly switching "Jus in Bello" and "Mystery Spot," the reason I read was that "Jus in Bello" was a better break point than "Mystery Spot." The listing on my TiVo says for "Jus in Bello" that the boys break into Bela's apartment (of which there was no hint that I could see in the preview for next week, but it does look maybe like they're arrested in Bela's apartment, so that part may fit). In "Mystery Spot," Dean says he'd rather go after the Colt than investigate this lame-ass mystery, and Sam says they have no idea where Bela is. So that seems to fit the timeline the way it's laid out now. Did they shoot a little extra when they knew they'd be changing things around, and insert that bit? Or would the break-in fit either time frame? I guess I just need to wait until next week to find out.
Jericho was offered free at iTunes, so I'm watching that tonight! Can't wait!
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