Holy Bucking Bronco.

I am not one to make fun of fat people, but I have to admit, the way she falls off is classic.

Big Lady Bull Ride - watch more funny videos

I thought I recognized her wretched writing.

Passages from a New York Times article about True Blood:

It seems like too much futile work in the heat of August — work bound to lead only to phony conclusions — to decipher how the sanguivorous have become the meat and drink of popular culture at the end of the first decade of the 21st century.

When “True Blood” appeared, it was easy to assume it was a metaphor for late-stage capitalism gone haywire, not simply because it began with an insolent store clerk reading Naomi Klein’s “Shock Doctrine” but also because the show seemed predicated on an interest in the retail addict’s belief that we’re made of what we buy.

The current season has set up a showdown between a psycho Christian cult called the Fellowship of the Sun, which runs a kind of conversion camp called the Light of Day Institute, and the vampires (and vampire sympathizers) the cult aims to destroy. At the same time it is libidinous women to whom bad things keep happening — and who make bad things happen...No one in the fellowship is quite as terrifying as Maryann (Michelle Forbes), a not-entirely-human Dionysian nut job, who cooks up pot pies made of dubiously acquired organs and poses the greatest threat to the moral foundation of Bon Temps with her penchant for hypnotizing the town into states of violent, orgiastic rapture.

OK, first of all: WHA?

Second: Maryann is not a part of the Fellowship!

As the title of this post suggests, I recognized this writer's "style" at once - she wrote that wretched LOST article I posted about last year. It is astounding to me that she has a job writing for The New York Times.

This looks really good!

I say it again: H-O-T.

So have you all heard about the big Gerard Butler dog fight that went down in NYC the other day? I hadn't until I came across this article. Apparently, Butler's pug was not leashed and it ran over to a greyhound who was, and then the greyhound attacked the pug and he had to separate them and the greyhound's owners are saying he assaulted their dog. Okaaaayyy. Yes, his dog should have been on a leash, but she spent 3 hours at the vet getting patched up, so I'd say he had no choice but to get rough with the dogs.

But none of this is important...What I want to point out is: Gerard Butler has a PUG, people. A pug!! Like he wasn't attractive enough already.

ETA: And one more thing. Do you really think he helped those people with their vet bill (bottom of article), or is that just a publicist spin job?

Awesome.

(Click image for larger version)



"In celebration of LOST's final season and as a project of fan appreciation, 16 top designers and artists, who are also fans of the show, were commissioned to create artwork celebrating one of the series' most memorable, and unforgettable, "water cooler" moments. This ultimate "fan art" was then turned into labor intensive, hand-pulled screen prints, limited to an edition of just 300, with less than 200 available to the public through our websites. Each beautiful poster tells its own different story, allowing the fan to relive memorable and influential moments in an artistic manner, as the show's storied run comes to a close. Once this limited edition print has sold out, they will never be printed again. Celebrate the fandom, community and family created by one of televisions' greatest shows by hanging a little part of it's history, inspiration and influence on your wall."

Pardon the pun, but this sucks!

They're skipping a week?! BOOOO.

The most touching testament to Ted Kennedy.

From a note written to him by Jackie after he gave Caroline away at her wedding:

"…you have always been there. Every graduation, every big decision, every trouble, every sad and every happy day. On you, the carefree youngest brother, fell a burden a hero would beg to be spared. Sick parents, lost children, desolate wives. You are a hero. Everyone is going to make it because you are always there with your love."

Rest in peace, Senator.

Really annoying Fringe sneak peek video!

Start chugging!

Beer prices are going up!

"The looming price hike comes as sales volumes in the brewing industry have declined. Anheuser-Busch InBev said earlier this month that total beer volumes were down 1.5% in the second quarter versus the same period last year."

Are people really drinking less beer? Hard times call for hard liquor, I guess.

True Blood - "New World in My View"

SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE YET

"We will un-fuck this situation later!"
~Terry Bellefleur

Because I watch TB off of my DVR and I'm blissfully unaware of what time it is when I do, I didn't realize this was such a short episode - at least not until I went to TWoP and everyone there was bitching about it - only about 45 minutes! That's a lot of time. I wonder if they're going to add 15 minutes to the finale? That would be cool.

Anyhoo, another fantastic episode! I am so glad that Sookie, Jason and Bill are back in Bon Temps. Now we can see through their eyes what exactly has been happening in BT, and that gives us a larger perspective than just the late night backyard orgies at Maryann's house.

Another reason I'm happy they're back at Bon Temps is I was starting to get bored with Dallas. This episode seemed to fix all the things I was not happy with:

• No more Bill and Sookie on a romantic vacation in Dallas. I don't like schmoopy Bill.
  
• The spell over Tara is finally broken (I hope!)
• Sam has essentially come out of the shapeshifter closet to a couple more people. Sort of. The less he has to be mopey about, the more interesting he will be, imo.
• My boyfriend Vampire Bill is BACK. He's a much better vampire when he's the only one in town. Side note: Someone took my advice and fired his hair and makeup person! He looked smokin' hot when when he was slow-mo walking up to the Queen's front door.
  

They've really set things up nicely for a MAJOR showdown in Bon Temps, especially with The Queen getting involved, and probably Eric, too. I can't wait!

Some of my favorite parts:

• "Jesus and I agreed to see other people. Don't mean we still don't talk time to time." - Lafayette. Poor Tara broke my heart, but I loved all of the scenes of her "intervention". I hope Tara plays a big part in taking Maryann down. She needs a little positive reinforcement right about now!
  
• Jason Stackhouse pulling a Dread Pirate Roberts and pretending to be the "God Who Comes". Perfect.
• Zombie Maxine Fortenberry was both horrifying and hilarious. I do not blame Jessica for biting her.
  
• Sam should wear an apron every day. Just an apron.
  
• The Sam/Andy/Jason team was priceless
  

I wonder what Sookie's new power is? I wonder what Sookie is? And when all is said and done, will the people of Bon Temps remember what they've been doing while under Maryann's spell? It seemed like poor Tara does.

Only two more episodes left!

"Cankles? What are cankles?"

We've heard about saddle bags, muffin tops and love handles, but it seems that some women and men of the 21st century are now focused on the chubby joints of their lower extremities...Far from being a medical term, "cankles" is slang for the part of the leg where the ankle meets the calf when there is no definition or indentation. In most cases, cankles are just large ankles -- what used to be called "big bones." But in society's quest for all things thin and shapely, big-boned ankles have taken on a name -- and a life -- of their own.

Is CNN really reporting on cankles??? Really?

Eddie Iz Running Video Diary #4

And this time it's legit. For now.



Sorry for flooding you with EI stuff, but I think what he's doing is amazing, and the more people know about it, the better. Plus, I like him.

Eddie's Video Diary #3, Bootleg version

Thank you to the Anonymous commenter on my previous post, whoever you are!

Eddie Iz Still Running

Today, Eddie Izzard will be running his 22nd marathon in less than a month. Wow! That's just fantastic. I wish I could be there to cheer him on or share a post-marathon pint with him. Unfortunately, I can't get to Scotland at the moment (boo), so I'll have to settle for cheering him on here and spreading the word as much as this meager blog can.

The Eddie Iz Running blog has been posting regular updates, at about 2-3 day intervals. Here's a snip from yesterday's update from his team:

The team delayed Eddie’s start today as it was torrential rain, really heavy. The rain was relentless and coming at him sideways! But the weather eventually cleared up and the surrounding scenery really picked up – they are by the coast and views over the water are great. There have been lots of people out and about, especially in Gatehouse of Fleet, where they had put bunting out for Eddie as he ran past. A holiday park campsite in Auchenlarie had been told Eddie was coming this morning and so put up posters in their reception. Kids had made banners too. When Eddie arrived they gave him sandwiches and donated a generous cheque to Sport Relief. Today he’s running along the A75, heading towards Newton Stewart on his 22nd marathon, go Eddie!

It must be such a great feeling to see strangers coming to cheer you on, and often running with you. Excellent.

For some reason, the BBC is being stingy now and not allowing people outside of the UK to view his video diary, so I can't post parts 3 and 4 for you. I guess I'll just have to resort to this:

GO, EDDIE, GO!!

(You can donate to Sport Relief - donate here)

TV Talk: The only good thing about the end of summer is the beginning of the new TV season!

OK, very briefly since I have to actually do some work...

The new Fall television season starts next month (for the most part), when your favorite shows return (for the most part) and the new shows bomb (for the most part).

As far as returning shows go, I am most looking forward to Castle (ABC, Mon, 9/21), Sons of Anarchy (fX, Tuem 9/8) and Fringe (FOX, Thu, 9/17). (LOST comes back in the winter)

Even though Castle had Nathan Fillion and his trusty bag of charm as a ringer, I'm still surprised it was renewed for a second season. Pleasantly surprised, but surprised nonetheless. And happy for NF. Sons of Anarchy and Fringe are also entering their sophomore seasons, and on very steady ground after finishing their first seasons very solidly.

There are only three new shows that have piqued my interest so far, and they are all on ABC: The Modern Family (Wed, 9/23), Flash Forward (Thu, 9/24) and V (Tue, 11/3).

How about you? What shows are you most looking forward to returning? Are there any new shows you're psyched about? To see when your favorite shows are returning, do what I do: refer to The Futon Critic's handy-dandy fall grid.

Road trip to Minneapolis, anyone?

Undead Frank Lives:

The stunning new interior comes straight out of a 1950s Las Vegas lounge (the classic part). The zombie stuff (i.e. the kitsch) is hilarious, and more nuanced than you'd expect from a bar named Donny Dirk's Zombie Den. In the corner, a small chainsaw sits inside a glass case that reads "In case of zombie attack, break glass." The bartenders all dress like Simon Pegg in "Shaun of the Dead" -- white button-up, red tie and blood stains. The friendly female servers wear long black gowns. Again: This is a classy zombie joint.

(thanks, io9)

"Yousa soulless bitch!"

SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS WEEK'S EPISODE

True Blood rocked again! Random thoughts about the stuff I loved this week:

** When Bill attacked that FoS guy after the bombing, I was like, THAT's the Bill I want to see. And just because it can't be said enough: Bill's hair and makeup person needs to be fired.

** The conversation Hoyt had with his Mama about how much of a hater she is was priceless. Transcribed here for your reading pleasure:

Maxine: Who do you think you're talking to?
Hoyt: My momma, who hates Methodists.
Maxine: I got my reasons.
Hoyt: And Catholics.
Maxine: Just priests!...And nuns.
Hoyt: African-Americans.
Maxine: Hush! That's a secret.
Hoyt: People who don't take care of their gardens and people who park their trucks up on their lawn and ladies who wear red shoes.
Maxine: It looks cheap!
Hoyt: Families with lots of kids and checkered curtains and cats...and dogs, and bait. Every girl that I ever liked, and the more that I like 'em the more that you hate 'em.

** Sookie's dream about Eric was hot. I guess I got my wish about Eric coming between Sookie and Bill. Unfortunately, I get the feeling that instead of getting a stronger Bill, he's going to wind up looking like a bit of a pushover, since there's not much he can do about the situation. He's already begun to lose her.

** Sookie and Jason made me cry with their talk about Gran. And then the Newlins made me LOL in their TV faceoff against Nan Flanagan and each other. Especially loved the faint paintball bruise on the reverend's forehead. Hee!

** How about how nonchalant Andy was when Sam showed up at his motel door naked? Hee again!

** Maryann's description of the ecstasy of mystics and saints - Michelle Forbes' amazing delivery - nearly had me convinced and joining up with her crazy Dionysian cult.

** Godric's death scene was beautiful, and Anna Paquin made me cry when she said she was scared for him.

** Oh no, he din't! Eggs deserves to get the crap beaten out of him for just suggesting that Lafayette take off his fake eyelashes! I didn't realize how much I disliked Eggs - no matter how AMAZING he looks with his shirt off - until Lafayette started beating the shit out of him.

IMO, this was probably the most well-acted episode of the series so far, on everyone’s part, but particularly for Anna P. and Michelle Forbes.

I cannot WAIT to see what happens next.

I half concur.

Which True Blood Character Are You?

More on True Blood. Created by BuddyTV

Drive Thru Reviews

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - Hands down, my favorite of the Potter movies. Maybe it's because they're older, and the story deals with more mature themes? Possibly. I just know that I was brought to tears more than once while watching HBP, and that has never happened to me during a HP movie. Highly recommend.

Watchmen - This is a tough one. There were parts of the story - or should I say, thematic elements - that I enjoyed, but overall, I thought it was a bit of a mess. And very violent. I don't think I'd recommend it to anyone unless they are a fan of the source material (which I haven't read).

Run, Fat Boy, Run - Saw this, at last! Not as funny as Shaun of the Dead, or Hot Fuzz even, but more of a sweet-ish romantic comedy mixed with your typical underdog in a sports competition movie, and I think it works.

Ghost Town - Nothing new under the sun here, but I would still recommend it. Ricky Gervais is perfect as Bertram Pincus, the nebbishy, perpetually annoyed dentist who falls in love with the widow (Tea Leoni) of a ghost (Greg Kinnear) who has asked him to break up her engagement to the perfect man. There are a few scenes - including one with a great dane, and another where Pincus has to answer some pre-op questions - that are downright hilarious. I definitely recommend.

thisisgina redecorating

I'm playing around with my template, and added an image to the header section. I also changed the format of the body of the blog from "stretchy" - which expands to fit your screen - to a fixed width. Let me know if you have trouble seeing things.

This is so stupid.

Universal Pictures has set Bryan Singer to direct and produce a feature version of "Battlestar Galactica."

It's not clear whether Ronald Moore, exec producer of the recent series, will be invited to write the screenplay, but Singer will clearly put his own creative stamp on the project, as the studio indicates that the film will be "a complete reimagination."

Glen Larson is aboard to produce.

So, they are going to remake a remake that just wrapped up about 6 months ago? And they're letting the guy responsible for the cheesetastic original be a producer? WHY?

My advice: Skip this. I mean stay VERY far away from it. Nothing good can come of this. Just rent the DVDs of Ron Moore's series and you will not be disappointed.

I'm back. I bet you didn't even know I was away.

I took my final trip of the summer this weekend and went camping with friends. We had a great site right on the Quinebaug River and spend most of the time either tubing on the river or playing dominoes (Or eating. Or drinking beer). Very relaxing.

And now I'm facing the last 4 months of the year with very little vacation time left. Poor me! Whatever will I do?

Eddie Iz Running Video Diaries

The BBC is posting video diaries of Eddie Izzard's SportRelief Run (30 miles a day for 7 weeks!) on You Tube:

Mary McDonnell should be the next President!

Check it out: Leoben has followed Starbuck to 24:

Battlestar Galactica vet Callum Keith Rennie, who played Leoben Conoy on the sci-fi series, will be joining his former co-star Katee Sackoff on the new season of 24, premiering in January 2010. Callum, who also had a recurring role on Californication and played Harper's Island killer John Wakefield, will be playing Vladimir Laitanan. Co-exectuive producer Brannon Braga describes the character as a Russian syndicate mobster who debuts around episode six or seven.

Weird! If he first appears in episode 6 or 7, I'd bet good money that he's dead by episode 8!

"The war has begun you evil whore of Satan!"

SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE EPISODE

True Blood just keeps getting better each week! Friends and I have been talking about Sunday's episode via e-mail, and here's some of the stuff I had to say.

1) I was reading the episode thread at TWoP and this comment made me LOL:

Could you imagine if you worked on True Blood and it was your job to hang out with ASkars all day while he's wearing that tank top? I'd be getting written up by HR everyday because I'd be sexually harassing that shit like he was a secretary on Mad Men.


Ha!

2) Jason coming to Sookie’s rescue was amazing – inspiring and hilarious all at the same time. I nearly died when he called Rev. Newlin a "white-suit-wearing motherf*cker" and shot him in the forehead with the paintball gun. I find it hard to believe that this is the last we’ll see of the Fellowship. There’s too much unresolved there. And I don’t want that to be the last we see of the Newlins. They are way too entertaining.

3) I’m not sure we got the whole story behind Godric’s “kidnapping” by the Fellowship. In fact, I wonder if he was kidnapped at all, or if he went willingly. If he could get out of his “cell” to save Sookie from Gabe, then there was no way he was being kept securely enough to prevent a vampire as powerful as he is from escaping altogether. And what's with the not eating? Maybe he's just given up and wants to die already. I'm liking Eric even more now that his devotion to and apparent love for Godric has been added to his character and he's more than just bored and brooding.

4) I do hope that was the last we see of Lorena. I felt sorry for her but she was BO-RING. And pathetic.

5) I’m having a really hard time getting a handle on what is going on with Maryann, despite being shown basically the same scene a million times over: Maryann makes people lustful/violent/slaves to their worst impulses...yes, we got that. But WHY? Just because she can? I guess that’s fine, but the story seems to have stalled. I’m hoping someone catches on real quick because this story needs a serious kick in the butt.

You may have already read about this, or know about it, but I thought I’d share a couple of paragraphs from Wikipedia’s description of a Maenad:

In Greek mythology, maenads were the female followers of Dionysus, the most significant members of theThiasus, the retinue of Dionysus. Their name literally translates as "raving ones". Often the maenads were portrayed as inspired by him into a state of ecstatic frenzy, through a combination of dancing and drunken intoxication.[1] In this state, they would lose all self control, begin shouting excitedly, engage in uncontrolled sexual behavior, and ritualistically hunt down and tear animals (and sometimes men and children) to pieces, devouring the raw flesh.

Cultic rites associated with worship of the Greek god of wine, Bacchus (or Dionysus), allegedly characterized by maniacal dancing to the sound of loud music and crashing cymbals, in which the revellers, called Bacchantes, whirled, screamed, became drunk and incited one another to greater and greater ecstasy. The goal was to achieve a state of enthusiasm in which the celebrants’ souls were temporarily freed from their earthly bodies and were able to commune with Bacchus/Dionysus and gain a glimpse of and a preparation for what they would someday experience in eternity after their resurrection. The rite climaxed in a performance of frenzied feats of strength and madness, such as uprooting trees, tearing a bull (the symbol of Dionysus) apart with their bare hands, an act called sparagmos, and eating its flesh raw, an act called omophagia. This latter rite was a sacrament akin to communion in which the participants assumed the strength and character of the god by symbolically eating the raw flesh and drinking the blood of his symbolic incarnation. Having symbolically eaten his body and drunk his blood, the celebrants became possessed by Dionysus.

Sounds about right. Too bad they don't include instructions on how to kill her.

6) That heart pot pie scene was the nastiest thing I have seen on this show. From the moment Maryann put it on the cutting board all the way to Tara and Eggs beating the sh*t out of each other. Wake up, Tara! PLEASE!

7) Why didn’t Sam tell the Sheriff that Andy wasn’t crazy and was telling the truth? I mean, the sheriff’s got half the town locked up for indecent behavior, he might be able to put two and two together and think there might be something to what Sam and Andy are saying. Sam has some bad sh*t happen to him, but sometimes he’s his own worse enemy.

8) I love it when Lafayette wears his makeup and doo rag.

9) Poor Jessica.

10) And one more thing: Bill's man-bangs have got to GO! Whoever does his hair, makeup and wardrobe should be fired.

More scenes from vacation.

IMGP0497, originally uploaded by gina64.

These should be the last ones for a while (and the crowd goes wild!!). Be prepared for more in near future, as I have some that I still haven't processed and uploaded.

More Pictures from Maine

IMGP0393, originally uploaded by gina64.

Today's theme, Kids on Vacation

It's time to pull out the vacation pictures.

08-01-2009 020, originally uploaded by gina64.

This is the first set of photos from my vacation. These particular shots were all taken in the front yard of our cabin.











It cannot be said enough: We are so lucky to have this place.

More pictures coming soon...

Don't you forget about me.

Sad news for those of us who came of age in 80s: Director John Hughes died yesterday from a heart attack at the age of 59.

His career definitely peaked in the 80s (I think Home Alone was the turning point for him, for some reason - he made crap after that), but what a legacy he left: Mr. Mom, Sixteen Candles, National Lampoon's Vacation series, Weird Science, Pretty in Pink, Some Kind of Wonderful, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, The Great Outdoors, Uncle Buck...the list goes on. He was one of the first writer/directors to take teenagers and all of their angst seriously, and he really used popular music to great effect.

His films probably seem tame by today's standards, but I think they still stand the test of time, even if I think Molly Ringwald couldn't act her way out of a paper bag.

I was really surprised last night when I went to You Tube and could find almost nothing there! So I had to really search, like the way you do at Marshall's for the good bargains, for these clips of some classic moments from Mr. Hughes' movies.

Enjoy.

poll by twiigs.com

The weather forecast for today is H-O-T!!

Run, Eddie, Run!

Eddie Izzard is running for charity, and get this: He's not just running for one day, or two days, or even three. Nope. He's running around the UK (yes, literally around) at a pace of 30 miles a day, for 7 weeks, for a total of about 1,100 miles! Holy Jammy Dodgers! That's amazing.

He's running for SportRelief.com (the "sporty" arm of Comic Relief), to raise money for Africa and other poor, developing areas around the world. You can follow his progess on his blog, Eddie Iz Running, and if you feel so inclined, you can support him at SportRelief.com. You know, now that I'm looking at that page, I'm not sure if you can donate if you live outside of the UK.

I never thought I'd say this, but today, I wish I lived in Wales.

Gives a whole new meaning to "Deadliest Catch"!

The story about the lobsterman shooting was all over the news when we were up there. Now they're sinking each other's boats! Jeez! Note to self: Never, EVER, piss off a lobsterman.

Prices for lobster are really low right now - we bought some for $3.60 a pound, wholesale is around $2.50, I think - and I suppose that could be stressing these guys out, but still. Damn.

TV Talk: Summer of Blood

I haven't posted much about True Blood since season 2 began, but I have been loving it. Has it been awesome, or what? All of the different story threads finally started coming together nicely in the past couple of weeks: Sookie, Bill, Eric, Jason and Godric are all converging on The Fellowship of the Sun; and Andy Bellefleur's drunken obsession with that pig saved Sam's life. Poor Sam, he just can't catch a break, can he? Will Maryann be killed, or will she just go away? It would be poetic justice if Andy was the one to ultimately get rid of Maryann, considering how the woman she killed was found in the back of his car.

As much as I'm enjoying this season, however, I must say that the bloom is somewhat off the rose as far as my boyfriend Bill is concerned. He's had his moments, but overall, he's just so BORING. Or at least his story is. I hope Eric drives a wedge between Sookie and Bill real soon. They are far more interesting when they are apart.

I was going to write about who the killer was on Harper's Island, but then I thought that perhaps I would be spoiling someone (you can watch it online here), even though the only people I know who did watch it were me and my sisters.

In the end, it was a fairly predictable person, but they made it a plausible (as plausible as this show ever got) and satisfying conclusion. It's too bad CBS dumped the show. It's a great concept for a summer series: a 13-episode murder mystery/horror story. It's perfect for the summer! Oh, well.

So, what's this I hear? Paula Abdul is really leaving American Idol?? Holy crap! Do I think that her departure will impact the show negatively, or at all? Absolutely not. Did I think she was going to be on this show forever, like Paul Lynde on the Hollywood Squares? Asbolutely!

poll by twiigs.com

Finally, a couple of quick notes: We had a blast watching Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game Show with the kids in Maine. (Hai, Majide!) And I watched one of the Warehouse 13 episodes I have on my DVR and I kind of liked it. I'll give it a couple more.

I'm Back!

08-01-2009 025, originally uploaded by gina64.

They should pass a law that requires all vacations to be 2 weeks long. The world would be a much happier place.

I have lots and lots of photos to post, and lots and lots of work to catch up on, and lots and lots of TV to watch. It's good to be back and I hope you didn't miss me too much!