3.31.2007

thisisgina

I'm playing around with different template designs this weekend, so don't freak out if things look a little weird around here. I'll let you all know when I've settled on a new look.

3.29.2007

LOST: Episode 3-14



Expose

I had no idea that this episode was about Nikki and Paolo, and if I had, I probably would have been dreading it. As it turns out, it was an awesome episode! Razzle dazzle!

It functioned very well as a stand-alone episode, dispensed quickly with characters that served almost no function, and the story managed to fill in some blanks and tie up a couple of loose ends. It reminded me of an old Twilight Zone episode.

The Redshirts

(or, Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead)

I liked the way Nikki and Paolo were juxtaposed against our main core group of characters: People dying all around them after a plane crash? "Where are my diamonds?" Another plane crash to explore? "Nah". A sealed concrete tunnel to explore? "Nah". They just didn't care - they had more important things on their mind, I guess.

I was completely surprised by the twist at the end. I was wondering why they kept showing their dead faces and now I know why- they weren't dead! I loved the different things that Sawyer and Hurley thought Nikki was saying - "power lines", "plywood", "Paolo lies!" - when she was actually saying "paralyzed."

And now they are dead. The question is, will they remain that way? In the real world, there is no way that anyone could survive being buried under all of the sand. The weight alone would kill a person. (God, just thinking about it is freaking me out) And I hope they do remain dead. But what about what John said to Paolo: "Things don't stay buried on this island." That makes me think their story is not yet finished.

Razzle Dazzle

How weird was that opening flashback?! Weird in an awesome, cheesy way. Particularly awesome: Billy Dee! Another hint that we may see Nikki and/or Paolo again was given when, after filming "Corvette's" death scene, Howie told Nikki that they could always "bring her character back." Hmm.

Familiar Faces

I like the way they integrated Nikki and Paolo into past events and with characters who are long gone: in the airport with Boone and Shannon, at the scene of the crash, with Arzt, with Ethan, at the "live together, die alone" speech, etc. It was pretty well done. Watching the scene of the crash on the beach reminded me that I have seen every bit of LOST except for the first 20 minutes or so - the actual plane crash. I'll always feel like I'm not as authentic a fan because of that. I also LOVED the scenes relating the Pearl Station. Now we know why Paolo was so opposed to going along for the trip and why he had to use the bathroom. The scene that he overheard between Juliet and Benry was a nice little nugget, too.

Vincent

He knew they weren't dead.

Charlie Death Watch

I was proud of Charlie for telling Sun the truth. I love it when these people actually talk to each other. Desmond had better step up his Charlie patrols, though, just in case Jin finds out.

And speaking of Desmond...I can't find a screencap! My great plan of posting a picture of Desmond if he makes even the tiniest appearance in an episode is dashed before it can even begin. I will shall not be deterred, however, and will keep looking.

Questions

Did Paolo ever use that walkie-talkie?

Why didn't he warn Jack and the rest about Benry and Juliet? Maybe he didn't want them to find the Pearl Station and possibly the diamonds? Yeah, that's probably it.

Are Nikki and/or Paolo still alive? I hope not, but with this show, you can never tell.

3.28.2007

Idol: Top 10 Results

OK, let's break it down, quickly:

1. Ryan opens the show with a pony-hawk wig and I laugh because it's funny but I wish he didn't do that because the last thing that kid needs is encouragement.

2. Chris R. looks adorable in the Ford commercial.



Maybe he should stick around a little longer.

3. Gwen Stefani's shoes are the most interesting part of her performance.

4. The bottom 3: Phil, Haley,Chris S.

Phil is safe. Haley is safe. It's time to bring Chubby back home, Chris S. Chris R. is the last Chris standing.

Next week, it's Tony Bennett, baby.

Idol: Top 10 Performances

Gwen Stefani is tonight's coach and this oughta be good. I mean, weird, this oughta be weird. The theme is sort of bizarre: No Doubt songs and songs by artists who have inspired Stefani. I'm game.

Lakisha - "Let's Dance" by Donna Summer. She did a great job with an AI classic, and I really like that dress and those boots.

Chris S. - "Every Little Thing She Does is Magic", my absolute favorite Police song. Stefani mentions that he has trouble keeping up with the tempo and that's still his problem once he gets on stage. And he looks really uncomfortable up there, like he doesn't know what to do with his arms and legs or something. He deserves a vote for not saying "Fro Patro", but that's it.

Gina - Another song I really love, "I'll Stand By You", by The Pretenders. She sounds great, really good. It's the perfect song choice for her. Perfect. She really needed that after last week.

Sanjaya - I just don't have the energy. This kid is killing my enjoyment of this show.

Haley - "True Colors" by Cyndi Lauper. She's rockin' that bod again, but I agree with Simon - sweet but forgettable.

Phil - "Every Breath You Take", by The Police. I'll be watching you...with my dead eyes. This is a perfect song choice for him, though. I think he just saved his ass for another week.

Melinda - "Heaven Knows", by Donna Summer, I think. Oh man, what does she have on? She looks like somebody's mother up there, but Jesus she can sing.

Blake - "Love Song", by The Cure, yet another song I like. I've learned something new tonight: Gwen Stefani and I have similar taste in music. Who'da thunk it? Anyway, I like Blake's hair down. And I like the way he sang that. Nice job. No beatboxing! Yay!

Jordin - No Doubt's "Hey Baby". She should have sang "Just a Girl". Man who is dressing the girls tonight??? Is this really what's in style? Am I that out of touch? Anyway, she can sing, but this was not a good choice for her. Not melodic enough, or something to that effect. And I'm too distracted by the outfit, which makes her look like a Catholic schoolgirl field hockey player.

Chris R. - Another No Doubt song, "Don't Speak". He's a nice guy, so I feel bad, but I do not think he can sing. Am I wrong? Interesting that they didn't mention that he messed up the words there at the end. I remain unimpressed.

My favorite performance of the night: Gina



I am clueless as to who the Bottom 3 will be, but I'll hazard a guess: Haley, Chris R. and Chris S. Find out who goes home tonight at 9:00.

Otters. Holding Hands. What More Do I Need to Say?

3.27.2007

Ever have the feeling you're being watched?


The doggies., originally uploaded by gina64.

Mickey, Petie and Marty. My constant companions while Sheila is in Paris.

3.26.2007

2008?? Frakity Frak Frak Frak!

WARNING: HUGE SPOILERS!!



I have no idea what is going on. And I love it.

Are Tigh, Tory, Sam and Chief really Cylons? If so, why did they only show 4? Who would the fifth cylon be? And if Chief is a Cylon, that would make Nicky a hybrid baby, right? Where is the music (Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower") really coming from? Earth?

Why is Roslin sharing dreams with the cylons Athena and Six and, it seems, baby Hera? Is it because she has Hera's blood in her system? Or is she the fifth cylon?

What does the dream even mean? Are the Final Five benevolent? Or are they cruel?

Who are the women who grabbed Baltar and whisked him away to a "new life"?

Why did Roslin become dizzy when the power went out on Galactica as they reached the Nebula?

How did the Cylons track them to the Nebula?

And what the frak is going on with Starbuck?!

This is not a good day for the TWoP boards to be down, that's for damn sure.

3.25.2007

If all they showed was this promo for 11 hours, I would watch.

This is Planet Earth, Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah Bah

The BBC's 11-part series Planet Earth premieres tonight on the Discovery Channel at 8:00 P.M. (three hours air tonight). It looks to be incredible and I've got my DVR set to record.

And speaking of Planet Earth...

3.24.2007

3.23.2007

Gina, Haley and Sanjaya...You are...safe.

Phil: You are effin' KIDDING ME.

LOST: Episode 3-13



The Man From Tallahassee

Another great episode! I'm so happy that the show has recaptured some of its magic. When the third season started with the focus on Jack, Kate, Sawyer and the Others, I was still enjoying it, but I wasn't as excited about it as I used to be. After these past few episodes, however, the excitement has returned. Yay!

Jack

So I guess Jack was just pretending to be happy and cooperative to ease his way off of the island. I believed him when he told Kate that he was just trying to get off the island and get help for everyone else. It fits with his savior complex. That was a nice scene between them.

Otherville

They may have a sheriff, but they apparently don't have a jail cell if they had to lock Kate in the billiard room and chain poor Sayid to the swingset. (speaking of Sayid, every time I see that Grindhouse trailer - which freaks me out, by the way - I'm like, "Hey! Sayid!" I never remember that he's in that)...Anyway, I'm glad that Sayid told Alex about her mother and I liked the way he told her. Oh, and it was also interesting that Tom reminded Jack to be wary of people listeninng in. Is Tom becoming one of the disenfranchised Others?

Benry

Is it the writing, or the way a line is delivered that makes it so good? Because Benry had the best lines last night, especially the ones about the code for "there's a man in the closet pointing a gun at my daughter's head" and "we have two giant hamster running on wheels in our secret underground lair". Awesome.

John's Flashback

Finally we found out how Locke becamed paralyzed and the explanation was a doozy: His no-good con man father shoved him out of an eighth-story window. It's no wonder Locke is so desperate to find something to believe in and trust! The island gave him back everything that his father took from him. I think he feels he needs to "protect" it somehow and that's a big reason why he keeps destroying the things that would lead to contact with the outside world. The scene where his nurse puts him in the wheelchair was so heartbreaking. I liked how what the nurse said to him - something along the lines of "you fell eight stories onto your back and survived - don't tell me what you can't do" - echoed what John has said to other people in the past ("don't tell me what I can't do").

John and Benry

I think Benry was being straight with John when he told him that he was interested in John because he had a connection with the island that Benry doesn't have. What did John mean when he said that Benry was "cheating"?

I wonder what this metaphorical "magic box" is - does the island conjure up anything you want? It can't be that simple, or a rescue boat or plane would have come by this point, simply as a result of the castaways praying for one. I think that the things that come from the "magic box" have to be somehow linked to a person's emotional or psychological distress: Jack's father, Kate's horse? And now we have the Man from Tallahassee himself, Locke's father, brought to the island and wrapped in a pretty bow for John by Benry. I think. What in the world is going on?!

Hey, here's a question for you: Why was John soaking wet after placing the C4 charge on the sub? When last we saw him he was inside the sub - why did he end up in the water? Is it even significant?

Interesting Tidbits from Around the Internets:

"Anthony Cooper, Adam Seward" (Locke's father's 2 names in the flashback) is an anagram for "Sawyer, the con man, a poor dad". The prevailing theory out there is that Locke's father is the real Sawyer, the one who conned our Sawyer's parents, who then both died as a result.

In Sawyer's prison flashback, he mentions having been in Tallahassee - looking for the real Sawyer, perhaps?

Locke fell 8 stories and was paralyzed for 4 years. And speaking of the numbers, in the episode where Hurley is in the institution ("Numbers"), this is what Leonard tells him after finding out that Hurley used the numbers in the lottery: "Well, you shouldn't have done that. You've opened the box."

Finally, speaking of boxes...I'm not sure if we've had confirmation of this yet, but its seems that Hurley was definitely the owner of the box company that John worked for. In "Numbers", Hurley is told, "you are now the majority shareholder in a box company in Tustin." Locke's address in The Man From Tallahassee is 168 San Juan St, Tustin, California.

Next week: back to the beach!

Idol Top 11: Results

I was too sick (prone on the couch) to bother taking notes, so this is a quickie.

Stephanie??

There are at least 4 singers who should go before her: Sanjaya, Haley, Gina and Phil. But the "diva" vote is spread too thin, I think, and one bad night is enough to get you the boot, apparently.

Also, watching Peter Noone sing was like watching one of those guys from The Wiggles. He's an awfully happy guy.

Tuesday's show: The Top Ten (Sanjaya is going on the tour) perform from 8:00 to about 9:15 PM - Make sure your respective DVRs are set accordingly! Also, I hear that Gwen Stefani will be on, but I can't confirm that yet.

3.21.2007

It's OK, Honey. He Makes Me Cry, Too.

Idol Top 11: Performances

It's British Invasion night, with Lulu and Peter Noone of Herman's Hermits as this week's guest coaches. I'm looking forward to some of these performances because I love this music, but I must warn you: I've got a bad sinus infection, I'm hopped up on drugs and I'm not feeling very generous tonight.

Haley - "Tell Him" - I just don't like her style, and sorry for the cliche but she's really cabaret. She does have a killer bod and legs, which she uses to her maximum benefit. Passable.

Chris R. - (my ears are bleeding already) - "Don't Let the Sun Catch You Cryin'" - I appreciate the effort but I just don't think he can sing, I'm sorry. He's just way too much up in his nose when he sings. I agree that it's his best performance so far, but in my eyes that ain't sayin' much.

Stephanie - "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" - God, I love this song. She did alright, but she seemed really detached from the song. Simon's right, she needs to recapture some of her edge.

Blake - "It's the Time of the Season" - I just love the way he sings. When he sings. The beatbox crap actually fit the song, but I could still do without it. Best performance so far tonight. Does he seem to be getting a little cocky? Or has he always been so and I just haven't noticed?

Ryan - stop! the dancing! my eyes!

Lakisha - "Diamonds Are Forever" - She does Shirley Bassey proud, but it felt a little old for her. Technically, it was very good, but it was too dated and old-fashioned.

Phil - "Tobacco Road" - Why don't you try singing a song that more people know? God he's trying his little heart out, isn't he? Bluesy is one thing that Phil is not. Just a weird song choice for me.

Jordin - "I Who Have Nothing" - Gotta give it to those Brits - they made some super-dramatic songs in the 60s, didn't they? She's doing a very good - very good job. (who is Simon winking at?)

Sanjaya - "You Really Got Me" - I have no words. I feel like that little girl crying in the audience, but for a completely different reason. She is who is voting for him, America, her and old people. (and maybe India, too, right Hol?) He ain't goin' nowhere.

Gina - (I still love her hair) - "Paint It Black" - Does her rocker chick thing and it's a bad song choice. She was all over the place, I thought. The end notes were good, and she needs to pick a rock song that reflects that. Something by Queen, Heart, Janis Joplin, Pat Benatar...

Chris S. - "She's Not There" - Great song choice for him and he sings it really well, but I just wanted him to get on that stage...he's out of breath by the time he gets up there. But a perfect song for his voice.

Ryan is making an obscene hand gesture! He's going to be so embarrassed when he sees that played back.

Melinda - "As Long As He Needs Me" - The judges are running out of superlatives. So am I, so I'll say the only negative thing I've said about her so far: it was a teensy bit boring.

My guess for tonight's Bottom 3: Phil, Haley and Stephanie. Like I said, if the little girls are as crazy about Sanjaya as the one in the audience is, he's not going anywhere for a very long time.

3.20.2007

Google Homepage Just Got Better

Do you use Google's personalized homepage? I do, and I love it. Starting today you can personalize it even more by choosing a dynamic theme. Choices include Beach (seen below),



City Scape, and Sweet Dreams, among others. The themes are dynamic because they change according to your time zone and geographic location. Very cool. In the screenshot above (my homepage), the sun moves across the sky as the day progresses.

If you already have a personalized Google homepage, there should be a link in the upper right quadrant of your page that will allow you to select a theme. If you don't have a personalized Google homepage and are interested, try clicking here.

Phil Spector Gets A Makeover For His Murder Trial

And comes out looking like somebody's lesbian grandma:



I think I actually prefer the 'before':

3.19.2007

LOST: Episode 3-12



Par Avion

Wow, another great episode, I thought.

Claire

Her flashback didn't feel superfluous to me, for some reason. Probably because the theory that Jack's father was also Claire's father was finally confirmed. I mean, we all suspected as much, but it's good to KNOW it. I also thought it added some much-needed depth to Claire. And man, she's pretty with black hair, isn't she?

Charlie Death-Watch

Poor Desmond. He must spend all of his time now skulking around, trying to prevent Charlie from the various death scenarios that keep cropping up. You know, I think this calls for a Desmond photo op.



In fact, from now on, if Desmond appears in an episode, no matter how peripheral to the main story his appearance may be, it will merit a photographic appearance here. Because I say so.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised that Charlie and Desmond actually told Claire the truth about what was happening. Someone on the island actually conveyed important information to someone else on the island! And while I understand that Charlie can be very annoying, I'm hoping that this information will keep the bickering between Charlie and Claire to a minimum.

Locke

I don't know what he's up to, but dude has a plan, that's for sure. Oh my God, he's a Cylon! (they have a "plan"...get it?...nevermind) We discovered that he knew the Flame station was rigged with explosives, so I'm betting that he knew exactly what would happen if he entered "77". But why would he want to destroy the castaways' only chance of contact with the outside world? Good question. Hmm. I think they made it pretty clear in this episode that John pushed Mikhail into that sonic fence to kill him (gross!) because he knew of John's life before the island and how he was paralyzed. Is John acting in this way because he doesn't want to lose the identity he has gained after the crash, or is there something more that he is hiding? I'm not sure, but I can say that I'm glad to see that he is not just being "dumb".

Fake-Out at the End

Awesome! I really thought that Jack was running toward the jungle in an attempt to escape the Others' compound. To see him catch that football - from Tom, of all people - with a big, fat smile on his face was just trippy. For the first time in a long time, I'm interested in Jack's storyline.

This Wednesday's episode: we are supposed to finally find out how Locke was paralyzed. And maybe even what his plan is...

PS Sorry for the late post - I didn't watch it until late Thursday and I've been sick (again!) and lazy all weekend long.

3.17.2007

Happy St. Patrick's Day!


After a LOT of beer., originally uploaded by gina64.

Me, my brother Tommy and sister Sheila, after a LOT of beer and a day full of parade day shenanigans last Sunday.

For more photos from that day, click here.

3.15.2007

WTF is wrong with people??

Girl finds missing dog's head in box on doorstep: "Two weeks ago, a gift-wrapped box was left at the house Crystal shares with her grandmother. The box had batteries on top, and a note that said 'Congratulations Crystal. This side up. Batteries included.' Crystal opened the box and found her dog's head inside. The box also contained Valentine's Day candy."

I know there are a lot of horrible acts perpetrated against people and animals every day, many more horrible than this, but Jesus! What kind of sick, twisted freak would do something like that?

3.14.2007

Idol Top 12: Results

You know what? I'm going to make this short and sweet.

Bottom 3:

Brandon, Phil and...Sanjaya!! DialIdol was WAY off, thank God.

Brandon was the one to go home last night. No surprise there, but I am so happy that Sanjaya was actually in the bottom 3!

Next Episode: Tuesday, March 20 at 8:00 PM, when the remaining 11 contestants will perform. Does anyone know what the theme is? Or who the coach is? If I find out, I'll post it in the comment thread.

TV Talk

I have finally started watching this season of 24! It sucked me in almost instantly and I watched 6 episodes on Monday. My crush on Bill Buchanan is still going strong and I love that he and Karen Hayes are married now. Were Biscuit's (Peter MacNichol's) eyes always half-closed like that? And I can't believe that Leonard Betts is Jack's brother! The bad guy from last season! This is going to be good.

A new episode of LOST is on tonight at 10:00, don't forget! I'm not sure I'll be able to see it tonight (I have am early start to the day tomorrow) but I will definitely have watched it by tomorrow night. I hope it's a good one!

3.13.2007

Idol Top 12: Performances

We're live on the big stage at last. There's a sign in the audience that reads, "Fro Patro". God, I hate that. HATE. Tonight is Diana Ross night - she's the coach this week and the gang will be choosing a song of hers to sing. I was sort of wanting her to be all diva-y and standoff-ish and not wanting people to touch her or something, but she turns out to be pretty nice. Hugs and good advice for everyone. And she looks great.

OK, here we go.

Brandon - "Can't Hurry Love" - It's gotta be so tough going first but even so, it's quite the mess. And what's worse is that despite his weird Elvis move, the way his voice cracks and the fact that he forgot the words, it's a forgettable mess. Not good.

They just showed Chris S. He's freaking me out without his glasses.

Melinda - "Home" from The Wiz - Before she gets to sing, Ryan accuses Simon of wearing high heels and Simon in turn tells him to come out of the closet. Awesome. Anwyay, I don't know this song at all, but it doesn't matter - I get chills when she sings. She just KNOWS what she's doing. Oh my God, Paula is bawling her eyes out! I don't know how she recovered in time for the next singer. If I was crying that hard, I would have been done for the night!

Chris S. - "Endless Love" - Dude messed with the arrangement big time and it was not good. Vocally he was alright, but that Coldplay version was way too distracting. Simon's right, he needs to keep the glasses, image-wise. He also needs to just sing, and not overthink the thing.

Gina - "Love Child" - I love this song. She did a good job, but sort of boring. Her choices were limited as far as finding a Diana Ross song to fit her style, and I think she picked the one that suited her best. I just love her hair.

Sanjaya - "Ain't No Mountain High Enough" - He chose THIS song? What the hell is going on with his HAIR? And the earrings?? God, I can barely watch. He's completely overpowered by the band, and he has barely enough breath to make it across the stage. The word that comes to mind? Limp. Oh, and horrible.

Haley - "Missing You"- It's a good song choice for her but then she forgets the words and things fall apart after that. Simon makes her cry by being nice to her. I didn't think it was as bad as Randy and Paula thought and I'm glad Simon gave her some encouraging words, if only so it gets her more votes than Sanjaya.

Phil - "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me"- He still looks like he wants to eat my brains, but he's sounding better in his lower register. It's a trade-off, though, because he gets way too shouty on the power notes. Better than last week, I though.

Lakisha - "God Bless the Child" - Wow, just fantastic. She didn't oversing it and did a remarkable job. God it would be so awesome if it came down to just her and Melinda.

Blake - "You Keep Me Hangin On" - Another one who did his own arrangement. It sounds like a disco remix version of the song, with some Michael Jackson/Timberlake thrown in. He seems really nervous and vocally weak, I thought. He's a better singer than that.

Stephanie - "Love Hangover" - It was okay, but sort of boring. She sang well, it just wasn't the best choice.

Chris R. - "The Boss" - God if I had a gun I would have shot my TV! I just wanted him to stop the noise. Please.

Jordin - "If We Hold On Together" - First Mulan and now Land Before Time. She really is young, isn't she? And really beautiful. I don't think it's bad, but I wasn't as impressed as the judges were. She was sort of all over the place and seemed to be searching for the right note.

Tonight Ms. Ross sings and one of the 12 goes home. It should be Sanjaya, NO question, but I think it will be either Brandon or Haley. Thank you Jesus, the results show is only a half hour tonight, from 9:00 to 9:30!

3.10.2007

Irish and Proud of It.


Irish and Proud of It., originally uploaded by gina64.

Marty got a new t-shirt today.

3.08.2007

Idol: Top 16 Results Show

Tonight we get our Top 12, Carrie Underwood, and the big announcement.

Before we get to the important stuff, there's the Group Song, "Stuck in the Middle with You". Could they have picked a song that would make them ALL sound any worse! I think I can honestly say that was one of the worst things I've heard on this show. And that's saying a lot.

Alright, I won't drag this out:

Your Top 12

Lakisha
Blake
Chris S.
Jordin
Phil
Melinda
Brandon
Gina
Chris R.
Stephanie
Haley

and

SANJAYA.

Antonella and Jared are both sent home, as they should have been, but so are Sundance and Sabrina and that is just not right. I don't think either Sundance or Sabrina would have won the whole shebang, but they should have had a shot at going on tour.

If either Sanjaya or Haley stays at the cost of any of the other contestants now, well, I won't not watch but I will be really mad!

Also last night, Lynne Anderson sang her hit "I Never Promised You a Rose Garden" -



- wait, I'm sorry, that was Carrie Underwood, who apparently hasn't eaten since she won the competition a couple of years ago.

Finally, the big announcement. It's a charity project called Idol Gives Back, and you can read all about it here. With all of the money they've all made from this endeavor, it's good to see them give something back, no matter the motivation.

Idol will drop down to two nights a week next week (yay!), with the performance show on Tuesday from 8:00 to 10:00 PM (2 hours??) and the results show on Wednesday from 9:00 to 9:30 PM.

LOST:Episode 3-11



Enter 77

No John, don't!

So what did you all think? I really enjoyed it and it felt like a return to the old days. It wasn't perfect by any means - none of them are - but it was a strong episode. A few thoughts:

Ping Pong

When Sawyer ever said, "But I thought the hatch collapsed [not exploded]?", I let out an audible thank you. I've been bothered by that since the season 2 finale: If the hatch "imploded", then how the hell did all of its contents, including people, get scattered all over the island? Now that someone (Sawyer of all people) is also asking that question, I'm hopeful that I'll get an answer.

Sawyer's "who the hell are you" was a little too meta for my taste, but it still made me laugh.

And no more nicknames! Awesome! If Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon were his last ones, I'd say he went out on a good note.

Sayid

So good to have him back, front and center, and actually acting like an Iraqi Republican Guard/Torturere/Interrogator. The backstory was solid, but did we really need it? It was just another retread of his guilt about being a torturer. I think it may be time to dispense with the flashbacks - unless they get really creative (like with Desmond's) or limit them to showing something very specific, they will become nothing more than a distraction to me. Stop dragging me away from the interesting stuff on the island!

Flame Station



So, the Flame Station is/was the communications center for DHARMA. And DHARMA and the Others, or "Hostiles", are not the same. Am I correct? That would make sense because Benry said he'd been on the island all of his life, and I wouldn't think he'd have any reason to lie about that. So there was some kind of battle ("purge") between the Others and DHARMA and only the Others were left standing? So what does that make the Others? Have they been there for generations? Was that statue's foot some ancient relic of their civilization? Does Benry have 4 toes?

But how does Juliet fit in? Ah, she worked for DHARMA but was kidnapped by them? Maybe? But Ethan was a DHARMA person and he worked with Benry, too. Then again, if Benry and the mythical "Jacob" are running some kind of cultish society (as some have theorized), maybe Juliet, Ethan and other DHARMA personnel (like Mikhail) were recruited by them before they wiped out, or "purged" DHARMA?

Brain. Hurts.

Speaking of Mikhail, do you think that was his glass eye that was found with the bible at the Arrow station?

Locke

Oh, Locke. This was not your day, was it? First, Sayid makes fun of your wacky Jesus Stick Compass. Then you take forever to come out of the computer room to aid your friends in the tussle with Mikhail. You're so obsessed with the computer chess game (I know how you feel) that you leave the prisoner in the other room so you can continue playing. And then you go and blow up a DHARMA station filled with communications equipment, DHARMA manuals, slabs of refrigerated beef and pitchers of iced tea. I'll bet you never want to see another computer as long as you live.

A lot of people are saying that they can't believe how stupid Locke was, but think about it: he didn't know about the explosives and do you all remember what happened the last time he didn't enter numbers into a computer? Yes, the Great Implosion. Should he have maybe consulted with his compadres before hitting enter? Yes. But I don't think the act was completely out of character for him.

One last thing for now: I was kind of hoping that Sayid would take Nadia the cat along with him. She was cute.

3.07.2007

Idol: Top 8 Girls

We're live and Paula is missing! Uh oh! And I really, really never thought I would say this, but Ryan looks hot in that turtleneck. And I don't mean overheated.

Ah, there's Paula.

OK, on to the girls, and more "things we didn't know" about them...

Jordin is a big football fan, and wanted to play (like her dad, former NY Giant Phillipi Sparks). She sings "Heartbreaker" by Pat Benatar. It's a little too much song for her, I think, but she does a pretty good job. And she looks really pretty.

Sabrina was a cute and dorky reporter on her high school's television show. She shouts her way through En Vogue's "Don't Let Go". When she sings softer she sings really well, but I don't like the way she screams when she gets higher on the big notes.

Antonella plays violin (about as well as she sings) and teaches violin lessons when she's home from college. It's a Corinne Bailey Rae song for Antonella, and this is more within her range and not too "big", but I'm sorry, UGH. Simon tells her she's gone as far as she can go. In a nice way (for him), Simon mentions the flack that she's taken in the media and commends her on the way she's been handling herself, but points out that that doesn't add up to much when she's surrounded such good singers. Instead of being gracious, she starts feeling entitled again and blows whatever good will Simon was trying to build for her. Will that translate to a loss of votes? Probably not.

Haley was a gymnast - so that's where that killer bod comes from. I have no idea what she's singing...If My Heart Had Wings?...but man it is so LAME. So saccharine and lackluster and really Disney. Simon pulls out the old "ghastly high school talent show performance" critique and then really gets out the big guns and makes a point of how un-memorable she is by telling her that he doesn't even know her name. I understand his point but damn, Simon! That hurts.

Stephanie has been singing since she was 3 years old and that's interesting because...? Oh, and she used to be really shy. OK. She sings "Sweet Thing", by Chaka/Mary J. Blige and she sounds really good, I think, better than last week. I probably like it because I actually know the song. And the judges liker her, too (with a proviso about her "copycat" tendencies).

Lakisha is terrified of animals. The girls really do have far more interesting "secrets" than the guys (for the most part). She looks very pretty, and sings the hell out of Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing". Sings it almost exactly the same as Whitney, in fact, yet no warnings about being a copycat. Hmm. Anyway, she brung it. She also brung her Auntie and her Mommy, who embarrass the heck out of her by "acting out" in the front row.

Gina - Her secret is that she carries around lucky charms - not the magically delicious kind, although that would cool - but a tiny troll doll and some little green stuffed thing called Pickle. She makes a VERY smart move and sings an Evanescence song, and sets herself apart from the divas, which I think guarantees her a spot in the Top 12.

Melinda has OCD. Aren't all the great artists a little crazy? She sings that song from the Enjoli ads of the 70s, "Because I'm a Woman". How many ways can you say great? Well, however many ways there are, you could apply them all to Melinda and it still wouldn't be enough to describe how freakin awesome she is.

Tonight, 8:00 P.M., 2 guys and 2 girls go home, leaving us with our Top 12. Oh, and the big AI announcement, too.

Huh.

It's not every day you see a nun in full habit standing in the Target shoe department and talking on a cell phone. But I just did.

The LAST thing I would ever, EVER want to watch.

Nancy Grace to be on L&O: SVU: "One of Grace's co-stars in the episode will be Star Jones Reynolds, who will also be seen giving legal commentary. "

I'd rather listen to Sanjaya sing for an entire hour than be subjected to those two harpies at once.

3.06.2007

Idol: Top 8 Guys

As Simon would say, that was ghastly. This week's theme: each contestant tells us something we didn't know about them. I can't imagine Antonella will have anything left to tell.

Blake - Loves Halloween and likes to make believe he's someone called Jimmy Walker Blue. It's scary and I think he just lost the southern white trash vote. He sings some 311 song. I love the way he sings, but not the beatboxing. Whenever he does that he sounds that guy from the Police Academy movies and that's not a good thing, in my eyes. The judges love him.

Sanjaya's secret is that he can hula...I'm sorry, I'm not going to take the bait. He sings John Mayer's "Waiting on the World to Change". Better than last week but still really lackluster and BORING and bad. But he'll be back next week.

Sundance is actually thin in real life and wears a fat suit on American Idol. Huh. He sings "Jeremy" by Pearl Jam and he sounds awful. And so did the band. I don't think it suited his voice at all.

Chris R. used to be a fat football player (could these "secrets" be any duller?). He sings the same Keith Urban song that Ace sang last year and God, I HATE his voice. The judges love him.

Jared - His secret: played college basketball but quit to be a singer. *yawn* God, he's singing Stevie Wonder's "If You Really Love Me", prompting Sheila to say, "He's going home." It's actually not that bad vocally, but he's so pointy and graspy and, well, white.

Brandon - Finally, an interesting secret: He's a classical piano player, and seems to be quite good. His song is "I Just Wanna Celebrate", which I think is a great song choice, and he sounds good, but he looks uneasy and doesn't have much of a stage presence. Methinks Brandon was born to be a backup singer.

Phil's big secret? He used to have long hair but then he shaved it off. Good God, these guys! Anyway, dude needs to grow it long again because between the bald head, the eyes, the hats - it's just not working. He sings Leann Rimes' "I Need You" and whoa! The beginning is freaky! "I Need Brains" is more like it! Very odd song choice and it's kind of weird all around. He hits some good notes but overall it's not very good.

Chris S. - His secret: he used to have very short hair. Fine, whatever. He thoundths awethome but I think he made a mithtake picking a thong that no one knowth.

So, all in all, pretty awful. Tonight at 8:00 we get the Top 8 girls and Carrie Underwood is performing on tomorrow night's results show. Oh, and there's supposed to some big Idol accouncement made tomorrow night, too, so you won't want to miss that.

Heroes: Parasite - BIG SPOILERS



Is it my imagination or does this show just keep getting better and better? There was almost more plot crammed into this episode than a mind can absorb! My God, where to start...

How about with the fact that Simone is really dead! Yay! And the psych-out was so cool, with a new hero, Candace, using her shape/reality-shifting power to fool the police into thinking Simone was still alive. It wasn't until at least halfway through the show last night, though, that I realized that Candace was different than Hana, the wireless computer girl. I was so confused!

I was gobsmacked when Mrs. Bennett told Mr. Bennett that she was just pretending to have forgotten what happened! I wonder what's happened to her - do you think she was just out and about with Mr. Muggles when Candace took her place, or do you think the Company has her? I hope they haven't killed her- she's just beginning to get interesting.

The flawed Nathan has been secretly working with the FBI to bring Linderman down (good!), but just a whiff of the "White House" and the vice-presidency and he lets his chance to take Linderman down pass him by (bad!). That's what I love about him, that he's good and bad. And that he's cute.

Oh, and his mother! Mrs. Petrelli, as it turns out, is who the Haitian has been taking his orders from to protect Claire! Is she evil? Is she in cahoots with Linderman, or the Company? Whatever she is, she's known what's been going on all along.

Speaking of Linderman, his face was finally revealed last night and it belonged to Malcolm McDowell. Perfect. And he had my favorite line: "Now you can't have any of my pot pie."

Hiro finally got Kensei's sword, Ando returned (yay!) and they teleported to New York, in the future and post-nuclear explosion. And, interestingly enough, they materialized on the roof of Deveaux's building. What's so important about that building? Did anyone else notice the skyscraper that was under construction? If I saw what I saw, then Hiro and Ando arrived in New York quite a bit of time after the blast.

Here's a question: who was that in Isaac's painting? Isaac?

I was so happy that Mohinder finally figured out who Sylar was and that he actually shot him. Or shot at him. A lot of good it did him, though, now that he's been nailed to the ceiling. I think it's safe to assume that Peter will survive (now we know how he gets his scar that Hiro mentioned); but I wonder how he will handle being so close to someone with so many powers? At the very least, he will be able to see better now that he won't have his stupid hair hanging in his eyes!

Nikki/DL/Micah...just not all that interesting to me right now.

OK, so, the show's heading into a 7 week hiatus (returning on April 23), leaving us with cliffhanger overload:

Mohinder's nailed to ceiling while Sylar is cutting open Peter's head
Thompson and The Company have come for Mr. Bennett
Nikki is unconscious in Nathan's hotel room
Ted and Parkman are still being held by The Company
Claire is in New York, hiding from The Company with her newly discovered grandmother
Nathan seems to have fallen under Linderman's spell
Hiro and Ando are in FutureNewYork

and

Simone is still dead!

Sawyer who?

Desmond, from the cover of this week's TV Guide.

My God that's hot. So hot that I actually brought the TV Guide into work so I could scan this in and post it here.

Add the Scottish accent and his undying love and devotion to Penny and it's almost more than I can bear.

Mickey would kick your butt in a staring contest.


Gazing, originally uploaded by gina64.

He just loves watching the neighborhood out the window. And barking at anything that dares make a move.

Begging for a Kiss.


Am I done yet?, originally uploaded by gina64.

Actually, he's begging to be taken out of the kitchen sink.

Marty has to soak his feet twice a day for 10 minutes in Selsun Blue shampoo, to help combat an itchy fungus he has in between the toes of two of his feet.

I could just eat him up.

3.02.2007

Comscan has detected a smarta$$.

If all commercials were as good as this one, I'd never use my DVR.

That Voodoo That He Do

WARNING: Brief but prominent shot of a statue's thingy so make sure the kids aren't looking.

3.01.2007

Idol: Top 20 Results Show

It was a night filled with a copious amount of tears that ended with two very memorable singouts.

Before I get to the eliminations, I just wanted to mention the best part of the group song ("Joy to the World"): AJ singing "You know I love the ladies." Mhm. Suuuure you do.

The eliminations:

Nick is the first to go and he goes out with class. I knew he wasn't long for the competition, so no surprise there.

Alaina is the first of the night's girls to leave and she's so emotional she just gives up on the sing out and hugs it out with the rest of the girls instead. I don't think that's ever happened before, has it? And I can't say I blame her. What's she got to lose, right? I'm not surprised with her departure, either.

Then we get the return of Kellie Pickler. Damn, is that her?! She's gone old school country, and looks like the love child of Tammy Wynnette and Dolly Parton. And the boobs! Oh my God, the boobs! Ryan, bless his little heart, asks Kellie if she's spent her new money on anything special - HA!

OK, it's time for another guy to go. It's down to AJ and Sanjaya. And it's AJ who is voted off and that is so, SO wrong. Even Sanjaya is stunned. And shunned, too, as he's left standing on the periphery of the group hug.

And last, but certainly not least...Leslie is going home. I knew Antonella was going to stay, dammit! There was no way that Leslie was going to get anywhere near to winning this thing, but she certainly deserved to stay longer than Antonella. She leaves her mark on American Idol, however, when she improvises during her singout, asking, "Why did I decide to scat?" Hee! I told you she was a goofball.

Next week we're down to 16 singers and only an hour each night! Yay!

LOST Love Has Returned.



I was surprised by how much I loved last night's episode! No great mysteries were answered, no new puzzles were introduced, there was almost no suspense, no one died, no one saved anyone's life, there was no big cliffhanger...pretty much NOTHING happened. Yet I loved it. Huh.

I loved how Sawyer was an actual human being, sweet and funny and not a caricature of himself. Unlike the scenes they had together last week, I thought the "Little House" scene between Kate and Sawyer was awesome, really well done. But I don't understand what it is that Kate needs him to apologize for - can anyone tell me? And speaking of Kate, I really noticed last night that Evangeline Lilly is no longer wearing makeup (and I don't think she's plucking her eyebrows, either), and I think that adds a little reality to the situation.

I loved seeing everyone on the beach again...Sun and Jin! I remember them! Sayid! Locke! Oh, and Desmond was just burning up the screen for the 30 seconds that they showed him. Well, in my eyes he was.

I loved how they were all actually talking to each other and not suspicious of or accusing one another of some perceived slight. They acted not only as if they knew each other but also as if they actually liked each other. How refreshing.

It was fluff, but it was cheerful, sweet fluff that made me smile and love this show again.

Idol: Top 10 Girls - Dedication Night

The girls got a little wobbly last night.

Gina - Dedicates "Alone" to her boyfriend Joe. This was Carrie's AI breakthrough song, and I wonder why the heck she would invite that comparison. She's a little rough to begin with but I thought she did a good job and this song suits her more than last week's. And I like her personality more this week.

Alaina - Sings the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice" and dedicates it to her mother. This is a better song choice, she looks very pretty, and things start off alright; then she starts to run out of breath and things go downhill from there. She's just not a great singer.

You know, Paula's scaring me with how lucid and put-together she's been so far this season. Am I right? And Randy is even more useless than ever. Instead of paying him, they should just write down his worn out phrases ("I don't know dog", "it was kind of pitchy", "you started out a little rough", "I'm not feelin' it", "that was really weird", "that was da bomb") on pieces of paper, mix them up in a hat, and when it would be his turn to judge, draw 3 of them out and read them in any random order.

But I digress.

Lakisha - Her dedication goes out to her grandmother and her walker. She does a great job with the AI standby "Midnight Train to Georgia", by Gladys Knight. She just comes alive when she sings. She's tough to criticize, so Simon has to reach for something and decides that her shirt is too orange.

Melinda - Dedicates her performance to her stylist and her vocal coach. She sings "My Funny Valentine" and she's gives me goosebumps; that was just beautiful. Or as Simon said, "That was incredible."

Antonella - I don't envy her having to follow Melinda. God, I'm afraid to look. After being told last week that the Aerosmith song was "too big" for her, she chooses to sing, of all things, a Celine Dion song. WTF? Does she really think she's that good? She dedicates it to her brother Vincenzo and it's just ear-crushingly bad. Ironically enough, she's the only singer who has chosen a song that's fit for a dedication. We muting the judges on and off, so we missed her Jennifer Hudson remark.

Jordin - Another dedication to a younger brother, filled with emotion. She wears a very pretty dress and sings that Christina Aguilera song from Mulan. I don't care for the song, but it's an appropriate choice for 17-year-old girl. I preferred her performance last week, and I think the emotion of the dedication interfered with her singing.

The special guest tonight is Kellie Pickler?? Kellie Pickler? I they're going to have someone from last season who didn't win, we want Elliot!

Stephanie - She dedicates her song to her parents, blah blah blah. Apparently it's a Beyonce song, and it sounds like a bit of a mess. She can definitely sing, but that arrangement was all over the place. That may be the way it was supposed to be, but I found it very un-melodic, if that's a word.

Leslie - She sings a Nina Simone song (which I found out later is the same song that AJ sang the night before - is that right?) and dedicates it to her late Grandpa Bob. She's a complete goofball, but I think I like her and I hope she stays around for a while longer. This competition needs a little more goofiness. And she brings out the sour pickle juice in Simon.

Haley - Her dedication goes out to her fiancee Bobby. She tries to "rock out" with Whitney Houston's "Queen of the Night", but it's really corny. She definitely went in a different direction but I don't think she pulled it off. Simon brings her to tears by telling her that's she's one of the vulnerable ones tonight.

Sabrina - She sings another Houston song (when will they ever learn?) and dedicates it to her Grammy (hey, that's what we called our grandmother!). It's very shouty and she bobbled a few notes here and there. Not as good as last week, and she knows it.

I think Leslie and Haley are going home. Antonella has at least another week in her - she's the current VFTW contestant.

The results show is on tonight, from 8:00 to 9:00 PM.

Driving to work on a wintry Connecticut morning.