They call it "emotion-free crisis management".

Romney's Cruel Canine Vacation - TIME: "The incident: dog excrement found on the roof and windows of the Romney station wagon. How it got there: Romney strapped a dog carrier — with the family dog Seamus, an Irish Setter, in it — to the roof of the family station wagon for a twelve hour drive from Boston to Ontario, which the family apparently completed, despite Seamus's rather visceral protest."

I call it inhumane.

Billy Campbell wants to be on BSG

I hope they make room for him: "'He was trying to do whatever he could to bribe me, to bribe [executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick] to create a character arc for him on 'Battlestar Galactica,'' Hammer said. 'That is the only show he said he ever wanted to be in, and he would do it for free. It's very hard to get away from that.'"

What's wrong with this picture?

For the past couple of days CNN has been loudly promoting Larry King's interview with Paris Hilton tonight, as if it was an exclusive on the par of, oh I don't know, the first interview with Jesus after the Second Coming or something. Whatever.

So I was flipping channels last night and Larry's on and his guests are Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr...Yoko Ono, George Harrison's widow...Wait a sec. Isn't this kind of a big deal? At first I thought it was an old interview they were running but no, it was live. Now I can't stand Larry King but I think that if I had heard that what remained of the Beatles was going to gather for the show, I would have tuned in for at least a peek. Now THAT'S a coup worthy of promoting.

And there Larry was, with the Beatles sitting right in front of him, asking them if they knew who Paris Hilton was and shilling for tonight's interview. Jesus save us.

After your interview with Larry, of course.

In honor of the upcoming holiday.

Star Spangled Banner
|Funny Jokes at JibJab

This guy keeps unfolding like a rotten, decomposing flower.

Court: Slaying suspect Cutts abused his children: "Months before an Ohio police officer was accused of killing his girlfriend and her fetus, a California court suspended contact between him and his 9-year-old daughter based on evidence that he was emotionally and physically abusive, court documents show."

D'Oh!

D'Oh!, originally uploaded by gina64.

How sad is it when your Simpsons' avatar is better looking than you are? Ha!

Make your own!

The Firmest Pillar of Good

The Firmest Pillar of Good, originally uploaded by gina64.

New York County Supreme Court Building.

You know all those shots of people on the stairs of the courthouse in Law & Order? This is where they film them.

Company 6

Company 6, originally uploaded by gina64.

This tiger is painted on the door of the Company 6 Firehouse in Manhattan. Engine 6 was one of the first responders on 9/11.

Under the bridge.

Under the bridge., originally uploaded by gina64.

Taken near South Street Seaport

Masts

06-23-2007 002, originally uploaded by gina64.

At South Street Seaport

New York Photos

Brooklyn Bridge, originally uploaded by gina64.

So my weekend in NYC was a blast! The weather was perfect - so perfect on Saturday, in fact, that I couldn't stop pronouncing it a beautiful day - Accomplice: New York was amazingly fun (more on that in another post), and the eatin' was good.

I tried to take pictures when I could - I had to choose between taking photos during Accomplice or actively participating and I ended up putting the camera down about halfway through - and I have a few good ones to share.

I'll start off with some NY shots for you. This one, as you can see, is the Brooklyn Bridge.

Just because.

I came across this video on the YouTubes and thought I'd share. I've always loved this song and I remember when the video first came out thinking that I had never seen anyone as beautiful as her.

Watch out for that hole in th--

Every picture tells a story.

The Ref, originally uploaded by gina64.

I'm always trying to improve my picture-taking skills. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes not so much. I think I've gotten better at composition, but I can't do a macro shot to save my life. Part of the reason for that is I haven't taken the time to really learn what my camera can do.

And I don't see that happening real soon, so in the meantime, I like to read things like The 10 Most Common Photographic Mistakes (And How to Fix Them) for some quick and easy pointers. I don't always remember to do things like crouch down for a better perspective, or watch for background clutter. It's good to remind myself once in a while.

Maybe these can help you, too. If you need help, that is.

Accomplice: New York

Ever hear of Accomplice: New York? I'm not really sure what it is myself, but I'll be participating in it tomorrow. The website says it's part interactive theater, part scavenger hunt and part walking tour. Friends and I had originally bought tickets for April 15 (the last time I was in the city), but that of course was the day of the Storm of the Century or the N'oreaster that Ate Manhattan or whatever you want to call it. It was way too wet, so we were rescheduled for tomorrow. The weather is supposed to be beautiful - should be fun!

So, I'll be gone all weekend. I'll hopefully have some decent photos to share when I get back. Have a good one!

It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

The first photo of Harrison Ford as Indy 4 (taken by Steven Spielberg, btw).

I don't care how old he is, or how silly he'll look fighting Nazis and swinging his whip and running from natives. I'm in.

(via defamer)

Drive Thru Reviews

I've got some catching up to do.

Pan's Labrynth - Brilliant and creative, beautiful and horrifying. This is a very good movie. And in case you're wondering, it is definitely not for children. (in Spanish)

The Vicar of Dibley - (3 series (that's seasons to us) and specials on DVD)This is not a movie, but a BBC television series from the late 90s and early 2000s (how do you say that?). Dawn French plays a female vicar in the small village of Dibley. She is a lone beacon of sanity surrounded by a sea of complete nutters. My favorites (Besides Geraldine): Alice and Owen. It's a very funny show, quite possibly my favorite British comedy. Maybe.

The Queen - Helen Mirren was of course very good in this, and the movie was pretty good; mostly, though, it just made me kind of sad more than anything else. It was like living through Diana's death all over again.

Children of Men - I can't believe this movie didn't get more attention last year. It's a bit of a downer, yes, but it's so very, very good. It takes place in the not-so-distant future, where civil unrest and terrorism have spread across the globe, and women can no longer conceive. Clive Owen (I love him) plays a former activist, now weary and numb to the desperation and violence surrounding him, who agrees to transport a miraculously pregnant young woman across the country to people who can aid and protect her. It's a grim trip, with moments of beauty and grace. See it if you can.

Archangel - I was in desperate need of a Daniel Craig fix after seeing Casino Royale, so I did a little search and this is what I came up with. It moves kind of slowly, but if you're in the mood for a decent spy story, this should do the trick.

Me, too.

Missing woman's mom suspects cop boyfriend: "When Porter was asked Friday by NBC's 'Today' show if she considered Cutts a suspect, she replied: 'Yes, he's a suspect.'

'I still pray that it's not him,' she added. 'That doesn't mean that I don't think he's a suspect, as well.'"

Giving in. Almost.

Giving in., originally uploaded by gina64.

I love it when you whisper sweet nothings to me.

Whisper Sweet Nothings to Me, originally uploaded by gina64.

Indulge me.

I need more cute.

Sorry, I want to look at cute things today.

I just saw images from the CBS video of the starving children found in that Baghdad orphanage.

Just so I din't completely break down at work, I went looking for nice things for my eyes. And I found this.



One day I'm gonna get me one of those.

More Otter Babies!

I think I suffer from NADD - Not Another Disorder Disorder

Getting Lost in the Great Indoors: "Coining the term 'nature deficit disorder,' Louv has argued that indoor kids are more prone to a range of childhood problems, including obesity, depression and attention disorders. He contends that they miss out on the spiritual, emotional and psychological benefits of exposure to the wonders of nature, including reduced stress and improved cognitive development, creativity and cooperative play."

I know there are a great deal of contributing factors when it comes to kids spending too much time indoors - safety, two working parents, the environment - but I think there is one factor more prevalent than the others: parents who let their kids stay inside.

Children would rather play video games or IM their friends or watch a DVD? So what! I would rather have lied on the living room floor and watched soap operas or game shows all day in the summer (shut up, I grew up in the 70s, alright?) but could I? Noooo. Why? Because my mother, who was single for the much of my childhood - and worked - made me go outside and play. Unless someone was bleeding, we couldn't come back in until lunchtime. The same applied when we visited my father. I hated having to stay outside but you know what? I'm thanking them now.

Am I goin crazy...

...or was this a CSI episode: "Prosecutors said Mr. Braunstein dressed as a firefighter and set off a smoke bomb to trick his 36-year-old victim into letting him into her Chelsea apartment on Oct. 31, 2005. Once inside, he knocked her out with chloroform, stripped her, tied her to her bed and sexually molested her for 13 hours."

Pigeon Hill Bay

Pigeon Hill Bay, originally uploaded by gina64.

Three and half weeks and counting... ;-)

I just canNOT keep my eyes open.

I just canNOT keep my eyes open., originally uploaded by gina64.

He was sleeping standing up. Poor Marty.

A new friend

A new friend, originally uploaded by gina64.

Kick!

Go, Zachary!, originally uploaded by gina64.

Zachary winds up to kick the ball.

Hey, quit pushing!

Go Hannah!, originally uploaded by gina64.

Get it Zach!

Go, Zachary!, originally uploaded by gina64.

The view from my seat.

Go Hannah!, originally uploaded by gina64.

She looks so tall there!

Go, Zachary!

Go, Zachary!, originally uploaded by gina64.

Soccerlicious Saturday

Go Hannah!, originally uploaded by gina64.

So I finally saw my niece and nephew play soccer this weekend. Sheila and I, along with the pugs, drove to Rhode Island on Saturday to watch Zachary and Hannah each play in their respective tournament games. It was a great day. Zach and Hannah both scored multiple goals and their teams won their games. And we had a nice cookout at their house afterward. Marty and Mickey had a blast, too. They're so worn out that they're still wandering around like little zombie pugs.

I took a massive amount of pictures, of the kids playing, and of the dogs, and I'll be posting a few of those now. Enjoy!

I'm one year old today.

Mickey, originally uploaded by gina64.

Happy Birthday, Mickey.

LOST without your love, life without you isn't worth the trouble of...

It's going to be a loooooong 8 months. Click here to read a pretty good AP article on the latest LOST news, including some efforts to keep viewers engaged during the long hiatus:

Cuse said the mobisodes, about 90 seconds each, will give hardcore "Lost" viewers more information that they probably weren't going to get through the show itself. What it won't be, they said, was a mini version of "Lost."

"It needs to be interesting enough and well produced enough that people feel they're getting enough bang for their buck, even if it's free, the bang for their time," Lindelof said.

Lindelof said the negotiations for the talent took a long time, but they wanted to make sure that all of them were involved in the mobisodes.

"Nobody wanted to see two people sitting on a beach that we've never heard of talking and saying, 'Hey, did you hear what Jack and Kate did today?' You want to see Jack and Kate. It's taken us three years to get those deals in place," Lindelof said.

Is that pronounced like "moe-bisodes" or like "mob-isodes"? I don't think I like either pronunciation. It's kind of a stupid word. Anwyay, I wonder if they'll be available via iTunes?

And just because it's been way too long since I've seen his pretty face...

Otter and Baby.

Two of the cutest things ever. Put them together and what do you get?

(AP Photo)

From Yahoo: "Mother Russian sea otter 'Meel' floats on water as she holds her newly-born baby during a press preview at Sunshine International Aquarium in Tokyo Wednesday, June 13, 2007. The baby sea otter was born on June 2."

The Case of the Judge's Pants

Judge Tries Suing Pants Off Dry Cleaners: "Later, while recounting the day he says the cleaners tried to pass off a cheaper pair of pants as his, Judge Pearson began to cry, asking for a break and dabbing tears as he left the courtroom."

This one's a keeper.

Fashion Designer Anand Jon:"When you get to my level of importance you are allowed to have feelings, but not while you are trying to get there." His spirituality embraced all religions, he told her, and he was so advanced there were few others on his level. He didn't have to worry about being polite to those less evolved. That would take time away from using his God-given talents to help the world.

He is facing at least 32 charges involving 12 victims, some as young as 14 years old.

Just one more Sopranos post.

David Chase speaks: "No one was trying to be audacious, honest to God,' he adds. 'We did what we thought we had to do. No one was trying to blow people's minds, or thinking, 'Wow, this'll (tick) them off.' People get the impression that you're trying to (mess) with them and it's not true. You're trying to entertain them.'"

Drive Thru Review

Jesus Camp - Riveting, eye-opening, heartbreaking and terrifying. Please make a point of seeing it.

What it means to be "Made in America"

Besides a near heart attack at the end, I got two things from last night's series finale of The Sopranos:

1. The decline of the Family business from the heyday of the good old days, a theme we've seen the show return to, time and time again. Little Italy has been reduced to little more than a block of restaurants - Butchie didn't have to walk far while talking on the phone with Phil before he was in Chinatown. Tony's crew has been whittled down to just him, Paulie and a few young thugs (and a hysterical cat that just kept staring at a photo of Christopher on the wall. Maybe she was Adrianna reincarnated). Uncle Junior is wasting away in a state mental hospital with no memory at all of his prior life as head of the NJ family. And the next generation of Leotardos literally runs over and crushes the prior one. (that was so gross, and I only heard it)

2. I also think Chase really drove home one of his main themes last night: that no one ever really changes, especially these people. You go through life and then you die and nothing changes and life goes on. How many times was each member of Tony's family confronted with an opportunity for growth and change, only to revert to the status quo? The only changes in the show from the very first episode in 1999 to the very last one were the losses of the characters who died. Think about it. Otherwise? Tony went through 7 years of therapy and came out of it with nothing but an excuse for his sociopathic behavior; Carmela is a little more world-weary, but she is still as materialistic as ever, even though she more openly acknowledges Tony’s ‘business’; Meadow is still smart, still Daddy’s little girl, and will end up probably being a mob lawyer, if there’s a mob left to lawyer, and won’t completely escape the life the way Tony had wanted her to; and AJ’s depression, suicidal tendencies and anger at the state of the world all disappeared in the blink of an eye with a cushy, meaningless job and a cool BMW that his parents got for him. Christopher was the only character who made any real changes in his life, and look where that got him.

I understand the anger that people are expressing about the way the episode ended. I was shocked at first, too, but then, I thought it was brilliant. I thought I was going to have a heart attack at the end and that was before the screen went blank. That final scene in the diner was like a master class in creating suspense. The music, the editing, everything. There was no way for David Chase to come up with an ending that would be satisfying to everyone. So, life goes on for Tony, et al, and from that scene you can see what it’s going to be like for him for the rest of his life – if he doesn’t end up in jail - always looking over his shoulder, waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or, maybe the guy that went to the bathroom came back and shot Tony in the head, who knows? In the end, Chase just pulled the plug on the TV and left it to us to figure out.

Personally, the choice of Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing”, and the line “The movie never ends it goes on and on and on and on...” as the song on the jukebox was perfect. For a perfect ending.

In my opinion.

Born Under a Bad Sign With a Blue Moon in Your Eyes

It all ends tonight. Will Tony survive NY's hostile takeover? More importantly, does Tony deserve to survive it?

Remember Your Cup

Memorial Day in the woods.

Memorial Day in the woods., originally uploaded by gina64.

Holly picked up a little flag at the Big Y grocery store on stuck to one of the porch columns on the cabin.

Shorry, Juniah.

Mishter Connery is enjoying retirement too much:

"I get asked the question so often, I thought it best to make an announcement. I thought long and hard about it and if anything could have pulled me out of retirement it would have been an Indiana Jones film. I love working with Steven and George, and it goes without saying that it is an honor to have Harrison as my son. But in the end, retirement is just too damned much fun. I, do however, have one bit of advice for Junior: Demand that the critters be digital, the cliffs be low, and for goodness sake keep that whip by your side at all times in case you need to escape from the stunt coordinator! This is a remarkable cast, and I can only say, 'Break a leg, everyone.' I'll see you on May 22, 2008, at the theater!"

Classhy.

This makes me unreasonably happy.

Paris Hilton may return to jail: "Hilton, who is serving her jail sentence from her Hollywood Hills home, was headed for a courtroom showdown that could put her back behind bars, as prosecutors sought to hold sheriff's officials in contempt for releasing her early from jail."

I just don't get it.

What planet is he on?:

"In an exclusive interview Thursday with CNN, Gen. David Petraeus, commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, said some areas have seen 'breathtaking' improvements, thanks to a push launched in January to pacify Baghdad and surrounding provinces."

Apparently, he didn't read the blurb at the top of the page:

I think 'Sweet' might be stretching it a little.

Murder suspect's likely MySpace page: "He calls himself 'Jack' and considers himself a 'Sweet Troubled Soul' on his MySpace page. His interests include 'eating small children and harming small animals.'"

Spoiled. BRAT.

Paris Hilton out of jail: "He (Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman) said privacy rules prohibited him from giving details about the medical issues, but celebrity Web site TMZ.com earlier quoted sources saying Hilton was refusing to eat much of the jail food served her."

So now it's house arrest. It'll be tantrums next.

If I had kids, this would be me.

‘omg my mom joined facebook!!’: "I have reached a curious point in life. Although I feel like the same precocious know-it-all cynic I always was, I suddenly am surrounded by younger precocious know-it-all cynics whose main purpose appears to be to remind me that I’ve lost my edge."

Only 5 and a half weeks 'til I'm there.

This way to the beach., originally uploaded by gina64.

And this year I'm going for 2 weeks.

LOST: Season 3 Fi-F*ckin-ale

Through the Looking Glass

I am so back in total love with LOST. Even when some aspects of the storytelling this season had me frustrated, and my faith in the integrity of the story had its shaky moments, I knew I would never abandon the show. But I had no idea that LOST, in the second half of its third season, would not only reward me for my faith in it but would just blow my socks off and re-establish itself as one of the absolute best shows on TV.

Let me ask this straight out: what the bloody hell do you guys think is going on? I have no idea, but I was thinking...

The flash-forward is another way to play with the timeline, isn't it? But did we see what could just be a possible future? Or do the writers have some serious cajones and is that the point at which the story will resume in the fall? According to the newspaper, the flash forward took place in April/May of 2007, or present time. Imagine if the show came back and was now told from the perspective of them trying to get back to the island!

I don't think that will happen, though. And that's because you would lose the majority of the cast. I think what happened in the flashforward timeline is that, like Ben said, the people on the ship are bad guys and very few people made it off of the island alive. And it's guilt over that loss of life that makes Jack turn into a drunk and drug addict. If that's the case, and the show picked up the storyline next season where the flasforward left off, the cast would have been decimated and we'd be left with just Jack and Kate and maybe one or two others. Nah, not happening.

So, will Jack, or possibly Desmond, get a glimpse of what we saw in the flashforward and realize that leaving the island is not what they should do? And who are the people on Naomi's ship, anyway? If Penny is to be believed, they are not there working for her. Perhaps her father, Widmore, has sent his own people to intercept Desmond before Penny can get to him?

I was absolutely convinced that Desmond was going to die. Convinced and very unhappy about it. What a relief it was when he didn't! Charlie's death, on the other hand, was very satisfying. Not because I particularly wanted him to die, but because we actually got a payoff for the season-long story thread of Desmond's premonitions of Charlie's death, and the writers didn't gyp us with a cop-out resolution. It also provided a satisfying emotional payoff, with Charlie finding meaning in his life by dying a brave and purposeful death and Desmond catching a fleeting glimpse of his beloved Penny.

I was amazed at the body count! Let's see...Tom, Pryce and various other Others in the beach raid, Bonnie, What's -Her-Face and Mikhail down in the Looking Glass, Cholly, Naomi...did I miss anyone?

Hurley crashing through the beach camp in the VW bus and saving he day was da bomb.

We got the much anticipated reunion between Rousseau and Alex. I love that the first thing Rousseau says to her daughter is "Will you help me tie him (Benry) up?" Hee!

So, Juliet kisses Jack, who loves Kate, who is possibly pregnant by Sawyer, who loves Kate, who loves Jack. Tune in next season for more of The Young and The LOST!

And oh my Gosh, Locke and Walt! I almost forgot! What a great holy crap moment that was.

Things to Think About Over the Long Hiatus

Why did Jack refer to his father as if he were still alive in the flashforward? Was he so wasted that he didn't know what he was talking about? Or were we looking at a different timeline? Or is there another explanation?

What was Walt? Was it really him? Was he a projection of the Island? Did the smoke monster manifest itself as Walt? Did Jacob have anything to do with it?

Penny's transmission was an "incoming transmission" - is it safe to assume that Penny just happened to be sending out a transmission just as Charlie disabled the signal jammer?

If that's "Not Penny's Boat", then whose is it? If they are "bad" people, how does Benry know they're bad?

What temple did Richard and the remaining Others head off to? Who or what is worshipped there? Does he/she have only 4 toes?

Then there's the obituary.



Who do you think died? Is it John? Is it Ben? Or is someone we have yet to meet? You can get a closer look at the clipping here.

Who was Kate referring to when she told Jack she had to leave because "he'll be wondering where I am"?

Will we see more flashforwards next season, or was this a one-time situation for this finale?

I guess my final question would be: What the Hell is going to happen next?! It's going to be a looooong 9 months, so let's take the time to appreciate the hotness of Sawyer and especially Desmond.





I'll miss you!

This post brought to you by Diazepam.

The Cold River

The Cold River, originally uploaded by gina64.

We just plunked our chairs in the water and sat with our feet dangling in the cool river.

Frog

Frog, originally uploaded by gina64.

The Friday before Memorial Day was exceptionally hot, so after lunch we all grabbed our chairs, snacks, towels and drinks and spent the afternoon hanging out on the Cold River (which actually wasn't nearly as cold as I had expected it to be).

It was an awesome way to spend the day - we barely noticed the heat - and adding to our enjoyment were these cool frogs who surrounded us and were surprisingly unafraid. And they were very cooperative models.

Tracks

Tracks, originally uploaded by gina64.

Waiting on a train

Waiting on a train, originally uploaded by gina64.

There's a new gnome in town, and he needs a name. We already have Bertie the Traveling Gnome. What do you think this little guy should be called?

Kayaker

Kayaker, originally uploaded by gina64.

How about a few pictures from my Memorial day trip? Posting those doesn't require too much brain power!

This was taken from a railway bridge over the Deerfield River in Massachusetts, near the Hoosac Tunnel.

I don't like Mondays.

I don't like Mondays., originally uploaded by gina64.

But Valium helps.

Here I am, apologizing again for being absent. I had every intention of catching up on things this weekend, after a wicked crazy week at work (with one person on vacation and another out sick with a newly discovered lesion on her brain), but then I came down with a MOTHER of a headache on Friday that unfortunately is still with me. I couldn't do much more than lie on the couch all weekend.

I went to the doctor this morning and the diagnosis is a muscle spasm in my neck that's causing a tension headache. So it's a Valium and 4 Advil, 3 times a day, until I feel better, which will hopefully be within a couple of days. Right now, I can barely lean over or turn my head side to side.

Actually, truth be told, right now I can barely type and I'm staring to feel REALLY good. I guess the Valium is kicking in. Time to go to bed.

Please hang in there and I'll be back soon with a LOST post, photos from my camping trip and various other random things. I love you guys!

OK, I'm getting sloppy now...

ETA: All of this was likely the result of a massage I had on Thursday night. Word to the wise: don't let anyone touch your neck!