Jeff Goldblum confirms the death of Jeff Goldblum.

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Hee!

BTW, I caught a recent L&O: CI episode with him on it and I have to say, he was awesome.

I present to you a photographic essay in 4 parts, titled, "I think I like this birthday cake stuff."

I think I like this birthday cake stuff., originally uploaded by gina64.

In the photo above, Lily gets her first taste of birthday cake.

In the next, she fills her cheeks with whipped cream and strawberry mousse, slowly savoring the new, tasty sensation.



Suddenly, she realizes, "Hey! I think I LOVE birthday cake!"



"Yes," she says, "I think I love it very much."



Happy First Birthday, Sweet Lily.

A glimpse into the last few months of Michael Jackson's life.

The Daily Mail UK is a ginormous tabloid, and so this article must be read with that in mind; still, it has the ring of truth about it:

Many in his entourage spoke frankly to me – and that made it possible for me to write authoritatively last December that Michael had six months to live, a claim that, at the time, his official spokesman, Dr Tohme Tohme, called a ‘complete fabrication’. The singer, he told the world, was in ‘fine health’. Six months and one day later, Jackson was dead.

I see that his mother has been given temporary custody of the kids. I hope she keeps them away from that monster of a father Joe Jackson.

How I like to remember Michael Jackson.

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

Michael Jackson |MTV Music

Amen, sistah!

Governor Sanford's wife:

"His career is not a concern of mine," she told reporters as she departed the family's vacation home in Sullivan's Island, South Carolina. "He's going to have to worry about that. I'm worried about my family and the character of my children."

Good for her.

The Plan and Virtuality

There's a new trailer for The Plan!



Ron Moore, the mind behind BSG, has a new television project called Virtuality, whose 2-hour pilot will air tomorrow night on FOX. Unfortunately, as of this writing FOX has not ordered the series and it is quite possible that the 2-hour pilot will air as a stand-alone TV movie. I say "unfortunately" because this thing has been almost universally praised. Check out what The Futon Critic has to say about it:

"Battlestar Galactica" in a lot of ways rewrote the book on what audiences could expect from hard science fiction. And as that series draws to a close there seems to be an unspoken feeling that it will be some time before the next "big" science fiction series adds a few pages to that book. Well, I hesitate to set the bar so high this early but... this just might be the next "big" show (and when I say big, I mean the astronomical number of fan web sites that will be devoted to it). "Virtuality" is brimming with joyously clever ideas and concepts, not to mention filled with decidedly unique characters and relationships - and I didn't see any of it coming. While "Battlestar" is mired in metaphors about the politics of 2008, "Virtuality" takes on our growing attachment to technology - how it's starting to define us and how we see ourselves.

Having been burned a number of times by FOX's itchy cancellation finger, I don't hold out much hope for a series to develop out of this; however, if it's as good as people say (here's Alan Sepinwall's review), perhaps there's a sliver of a chance they'll pick it up. Maybe?

Check out this collection of FOX promo clips:



My DVR is programmed and I have set myself up for a crushing disappointment when FOX declines to pick this up as a series. My work here is done.

Why haven't they fired him yet?

Governor Mark Sanford Resurfaces:

A South Carolina newspaper is reporting that Gov. Mark Sanford said he has been in Buenos Aires, Argentina, since Thursday, not hiking the Appalachian Trail, as his staff had told reporters.

Mr. Sanford’s staff had been unable to reach him for four days, starting on Thursday, and his wife had told the Associated Press that she did not know his whereabouts on Monday. But a spokesman for the governor told reporters on Monday night that Mr. Sanford had been reached, was hiking an unspecified portion of the Appalachian Trail and would return to the office on Wednesday.

In an interview with The State newspaper of Columbia, S.C., Mr. Sanford said he had taken an unplanned trip to the South American country to recharge after a difficult legislative session in which he battled with lawmakers over accepting a portion of the federal stimulus funding.

He had considered hiking the trail, he said. “But I said ‘no’ I wanted to do something exotic,” Mr. Sanford told The State. “It’s a great city.”

News conference at 2:00 PM EST. This oughta be good.

Update: Having an affair with an Argentinian woman is sort of 'exotic', I guess, but I'm disappointed. I was hoping he went crazy or something. They all have affairs. Big Whoop!

TV Talk: Vampires, Crabs and Big Red Balls

A few quick words about what I've been watching.

Big spoiler for True Blood, so if you haven't seen this season's first episode yet, be careful.

This season of Discovery's Deadliest Catch has been great so far, the immature grandstanding of the Hillstrands and their Time Bandit crew notwithstanding. Things got off to a rocky King crab start, with Captain Phil Harris still on the disabled list (blood clot issues), and the horrible loss of seven men on a vessel called the Katmai (not a regularly featured boat). Now the Opilio crab season just began on the show, and there have been some major equipment breakdowns and a so-called rogue wave that beat up the crew of the Wizard pretty badly. It's riveting stuff. From the previews of this week's show it looks like the Cornelia Marie gets caught by the ice flow and the Northwestern's Captain Sig falls ill. Oh no! And my favorite Captain, Phil Harris of the Cornelia Marie, is back in the wheelhouse for Opis, smoking like a chimney despite his serious health issues.

Wipeout, ABC's homage to Japanese game shows like Takeshi's Castle, is in its second summer season and yes, I actually watch it. We all do in our house. It's nowhere near as good as MXC, but you know what? It's pretty damn funny. Especially the Big Red Balls. And sometimes you just need to laugh until you start coughing.

I'm most excited about the return of HBO's True Blood! Last night was the second episode of the show's second season and so far, I have been loving it. Especially because Lafayette IS NOT DEAD. He may be undead soon, but that's better than dead! These two episodes have been really great, and I thought last night's was especially well-written. There were some really funny lines and the action is really moving along. I can't wait to see what happens next!

We're also still hanging in there with CBS' Harper's Island. It got off to a decent start, but then got really bogged down and stupid around the middle and we almost dropped it. Then, suddenly things got really good. It was the episode where the father got the head spade in the...well, in the head. Since then they've maintained a really good level of suspense and have been pretty consistently killing off characters. We're down to three remaining episodes, and there was a big reveal of who the killer is on Saturday. Now we wait to find out why and who his accomplice is.

I-80 on a beautiful day.

I-80 on a beautiful day., originally uploaded by gina64.

The weather was beautiful on the drive home from PA last Sunday.

There was a threat of rain in the distance all weekend long but it never made its way to us and we were able to get in some nice pool time.

She's getting big!

Sawyer gets his due, at last.

Josh Holloway has had an amazing season on LOST, with one big character development after another, and all of it capped by the heartbreaking scene in the finale where he loses Juliet. Readers of my LOST recaps will remember that I have mentioned on quite a few occasions how some of his scenes catch me off guard, he's that good. Well, someone has actually noticed that he is way more than just a (VERY) pretty face - Holloway is a potential candidate for a Best Supporting Actor Emmy nominee.

EW.com has posted a behind-the-scenes interview with Holloway, in the three parts. Unfortunately, I could't get the embed code, only links.

Ladies, keep the smelling salts handy.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Arrested Development Documentary Project.

Oooo! Let's watch some, shall we?

The way life should be.

Exactly one month from today I will be on my way to our place in Maine with my niece Hannah and the two pugs, and while I am sitting at my desk right now, my mind is there.

Here's a Flickr slideshow from the past few summer trips.

Week 24/52

Week 24/52, originally uploaded by gina64.

Part of my 52 Weeks for Dogs project at Flickr.

Keira Elizabeth

Keira Elizabeth, originally uploaded by gina64.

On her second birthday.

Cheerio Patrol

Cheerio Patrol, originally uploaded by gina64.

This is quite possibly one of the worst photos ever taken of me, but I wanted to share the typical morning scene in my bedroom. I bring in my bowl of Cheerios, sit at my desk and eat them while I put on my makeup. And the boys never take their eyes off the Cheerios. Never.

Poor baby.

Sweet, sweet Marty., originally uploaded by gina64.

Marty had to go to the hospital last night. He has bladder stones, and one was causing a blockage. He had his surgery today - I believe he had all of the stones removed - and he is resting comfortably at the vet's.

I can't wait until he comes home tomorrow!

Sneak Peek of BSG: The Plan, coming this fall.

A clip from the new prequel BSG movie coming to SciFi this fall, "The Plan":



I can't tell you how good it feels to have NEW content from that show, even if it's just the same tale told from a different point of view. It was an amazing show and I wish I had never seen it just so I could discover it all over again.

Dun-dun-DUUUUNNNN.

Just try to resist.

What the?

Did you see this? Really? They want him fired??

This "Fire David Letterman" campaign seems to be the work of someone named Michael Patrick Leahy, a self-described "Conservative Radical" who is getting ready to launch his "Bill of Federalism Debates Tour" on July 23 and his "Conservative Radical University", which his website says offers "certification and training in conservative radical techniques for political activists," on July 26. Uh-huh.

I've been away for a few days and so I missed the Letterman/Palin hubbub and haven't had the chance to form an opinion about it yet, but I really can't help but wonder if perhaps Mr. Leahy could really use some free publicity right about now.

"I thank the Good Lord I have a thick skull and I have a feeling this may have been my first and final curtain call at the Tonys"

Bret Michaels addresses his now infamous Tonys performance with an open letter on his website:

I had a great time at the Tonys right up until I got blindsided, I must admit it was a little blurry after that. In hindsight, there is no doubt I got my bell rung, unfortunately it has been posted and perhaps funny to watch, but I can assure you it has been painful to experience. In all honesty I had absolutely no idea what struck my head. Upon impact I thought a piece of the lighting rig had fallen out of the ceiling and as I fell back it seemed like my head struck the stage and I blacked out for a second. When I opened my eyes I noticed a large set prop coming down straight for me. I immediately pushed myself out of the way and amidst the chaos I laid on the floor and asked "what the hell just happened?"

Aw, now I feel kinda bad for laughing. Well, just a little.

I'm back!

Well, I've returned from a wonderful and relaxing weekend in central Pennsylvania, where I had a long overdue visit with my best friend from college, and we drank a lot of beer by the campfire and then we sweated it all out by the pool.

Dell hasn't come to fix my laptop yet, so I'm still without a home computer for now. I feel so disconnected! There's no way for me to upload and share photos I've been taking, and I haven't seen the new Pushing Daisies or True Blood episodes so I can't even talk about that. :(

So, expect nothing but more drive-by, random posts like this...

Here's a cute clip to tide you over, from Jimmy Fallon's show, Beer Pong with Betty White (who is 87 years old, btw):

Camping again. Kinda.

Our site, originally uploaded by gina64.

I'm hitting the road again this afternoon, this time heading for Central Pennsylvania and the Friendship Village Campground, where my best friend from college and her family have a seasonal trailer. There's cable TV, mini-golf and pizza delivery, so it's not exactly camping (like the picture above), but that's what we call it anyway.

I'm really looking forward to seeing them - it's been way too long and we have a lot of catching up to do. My back pain is flaring up again and I'm not too encouraged about how I'll feel during and after the 6.5 hour drive, but that's just the price I'll have to pay. Plus, I'm bringing a bunch of drugs with me.

See you early next week when hopefully my laptop will be fixed! Have a great weekend.

It's no wonder Phil Spector wears a wig.

Sweet Jesus. I miss the Hair Bear Bunch days.

Week 22/52

Week 22/52, originally uploaded by gina64.

This is a sad excuse for a 52 weeks photo, but it's the best I can do, and it will have to act as a placeholder for now.

Because of my current computer woes, I had to take this with my phone and e-mail it to my sister so I could upload it from her computer (wouldn't work from my phone for some reason). I felt I HAD to post something since I had missed the week before and I will miss this week, too (going away tomorrow for a few days).

What a face, huh?

Psyched!

Starbuck and Jack Bauer inhabiting the same TV space?

Won't that cause, like, a rip in the bad-ass continuum?

All together, now: Good News, Everyone!

Comedy Central has ordered 13 new episodes of Futurama!

Yay!

While I enjoyed (and bought) all 4 of the straight-to-DVD movies, I think there was a dip in quality in the longer format. The characters were still great, but the stories felt a little thin stretched out over 90 minutes. Here's hoping they'll be able to get back to form when they return to the half-hour episodes.

Yay again!

OK, so here's the laptop sitch:

I called Dell Tech Support on Friday night. Remote diagnostics indicated a failed motherboard. Fortunately, it is all under warranty and will be fixed at no charge to me. A Dell tech will be coming out to install the new board, but probably not until next week, since I'm going away AGAIN this weekend.

I'm really beginning to miss it now.

Whoops!

I have only one question: What in tarnation was Bret Michaels doing on the Tonys?!

The Summer Slump has arrived.

As usual, when summer begins things get quiet on this blog and I begin to post less. A lot of that has to do with the end of the regular TV season, but I'm also less focused during the summer and quite frankly, I'm just not around as much. Add to those things the fact that my laptop has been on the fritz for days - problems with the LCD screen and standby mode, it's totally unusable - and there hasn't really been that much going on here.

Just thought I'd let you know what's happening on my end. I may or may not be able to blog this weekend. It all depends on whether I can fix my laptop without having to send it out to Dell (I hope I can!).

In the meantime, I will start another book. It's amazing the amount of reading one can do when there's no Internet around. I read two books in as many weeks!

Wish me luck with Dell...

Anybody got about $13 million they can loan me?

I want to buy Flea's house.

I wonder if they just put all the funniest bits in the trailer?

If not, this movie will be awesome.

Poley poll poll poll.

poll by twiigs.com

What is your favorite Pixar movie?

Inspired by the release of Pixar's new movie, "UP", and by this EW PopWatch blog post, I started thinking about what my favorite Pixar movie would be - not an easy task, considering how really very good their movies are - and I came up with this list. Picking my favorite - "The Incredibles" - was pretty easy. I absolutely adore that movie and can watch it over and over. To me, it feels like it was Pixar's first movie NOT geared completely towards children, and maybe that's why it's my favorite. It also helps that it's a superhero/James Bond-ish spy thriller action movie, a genre I love.

The rest of the list, not so easy. "Cars" is definitely my least favorite, but "Ratatouille", "Wall-E"  and "Toy Story 2" are in the bottom half only because I've only seen each one once or twice, and a long time ago. And "UP" is not on the list because I have yet to see it.

1. The Incredibles
2. Monsters, Inc.
3. A Bug's Life
4. Toy Story
5. Finding Nemo
6. Ratatouille
7. Wall-E
8. Toy Story 2
9. Cars

What do you think?  How would you rate your favorites?

(thanks again to EW PopWatch)

I don't like popsicles but for you, sir, I'd make an exception

Licence to chill: Ice lolly shaped like James Bond star Daniel Craig goes on sale.

In England only :(. It's actually kind of weird, but I'd still like to try one. Just once.

I can't believe he couldn't get a better gig than this after BSG.

I watched some of it this weekend and, yes, it was as cheesy as it looks.

Maybe James Callis owed someone a favor? He is WAY too good an actor for this!