Law & Order: Criminal Intent on Bravo = TV Crack.

Finally!

Makeover, cont'd.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

I finally finished painting my bedroom this weekend. Hallelujah. I'm really happy with the way it came out. There is still some decorating to be done - hanging pictures, new bedding - but it's amazing what a coat (or 2) of paint will do for a room.

Bored.

Bored.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Where's your fuggin' father?

Oh that's right, your fuggin' father is Rod Stewart: "'Hey, Paris? Paris? It's Kim. Kimberley. Kimberley STEWART. Dude, I'm getting married! MARRRRRRIED! To Talan. Talan! Talan Torisisisisisisisisisico, or something, I don't really know what his last name is exactly, but whatever. "

"Everything's un-Godly!!"

The talking bobblehead of the Crazy God Warrior. I don't watch Trading Spouses, but I have seen the clips and OH.MY.GOD. Comedy gold (even if I do feel sorry for who am assuming are her daughters in the clip).

Make sure you click on the pictures for some audio.

Perpetual Motion.

The child cannot sit still.

I'm so LOST without you.

On last week's episode, in just under the wire.



Ah, the joys of remaining spoiler-free and the benefits of having no memory to speak of.

I thought the episode was really good.

~ I was so glad that Sayid saw Walt. That at least takes the possibility that Shannon was crazy out of the mix. I think Walt has certain telepathic abilities and he’s using them to try to warn people. So I think he’s alive. One of the things they studied on the island was “remote viewing” (“remote viewing is the alleged psychic ability to perceive places, persons and actions that are not within the range of the senses.") and I wonder if that plays into things, too.

~ I guess some people thought that the “telegraphing” of Shannon’s death was really heavy handed – finally getting it on with Sayid, the sympathetic backstory, the “I love you and believe in you” from Sayid – but I swear I did NOT seeing it coming. I had even forgotten that they said something about one of the castaways dying in the previews a few weeks ago. My jaw was just hanging open in that scene. The look on Michael and Jin’s faces was so sad, and that was some awesome acting from Naveen Andrews. I really want Sayid to go all Iraqi Republican Guard on Ana Lucia’s butt. At the very least, if AL did kill Shannon, it sets up an interesting dynamic when the two groups merge. I say "if" because there is some (supportable) speculation out there that Shannon's wound was clearly not from a bullet but is a long slash mark (possibly from a machete?) and that she was killed by one of the Udders and AL shot that person.

~ Speaking of losing a castaway – what the hell happened to Cindy?! That was scary.

~ I liked Locke and the baby. He’s totally right about the swaddling (although how he knows that is beyond me), too. They love to be wrapped up like little burritos, don't they? Anyhoo, I’m glad Claire told Lock about Charlie’s Virgin Mary stash. I’m not sure where they’re taking Charlie’s character, though. Sometimes I like him, sometimes he’s a bit irritating.

~ Maggie Grace (Shannon) really had a very good swan song, acting wise. Her face when the doctor was telling her and her stepmother that her father had died just killed me. I was never a big Shannon (or Boone) fan, so while it was a shock to see her killed, I’m shocked in a good way, if that makes any sense, lol.

~ So now we know why one of the Udders was dragging a teddy bear – they took children from the tail section group. Creepy. Maybe that’s the reason for taking Walt – nothing to do with his special powers or anything – they just want children for some reason?

~ No Kate or Jack (except for that quick pass-by in the hospital hallway), and that was fine.

~ I liked the little scene between Sawyer and Michael, just before Sawyer slipped into unconsciousness.

~ Mistereko is a very cool character. They had better not kill him off any time soon.

~ Boone’s wig was horrifying.

~ I wonder why, when Shannon had Vincent smell the shirt and go find Walt, Vincent led her to Boone’s grave? Or did she just stop there?

~ And finally, I went to the TWoP board to find out what it was Walt was saying backward: it was “They’re close, and they’re coming.” Or something like that. Oh, and there are some bitter people there. There’s a reason I stay away from that board.

Tonight's episode looks to be a good one, much better than I was anticipating when I heard it was going to be about the Tailaways first 48 days. I’m looking forward to seeing what happened to them. Oh, and don't forget - this episode is 65 minutes long, so set your VCR and/or Tivo (if you can) accordingly.

RUN AWAY!

China confirms first human bird flu cases - Nov 16, 2005: "China on Wednesday reported its first three confirmed human cases of bird flu as the government raced to vaccinate billions of chickens, ducks and other poultry in a massive effort to stop the spread of the virus."

My rational side is well aware of the scare tactics employed by the news media, but this scares the shit out my irrational side.

Separated at Birth?

You decide.

Fuggin' Funny: "Omarosa appears to be taking great, fiendish joy in wearing a denim frock whose wash is forcing our eye toward that prickly cave of danger she calls a crotch."

Calling Bill Kurtis.

Kidnap Suspect Scrutinized: "When a Connecticut salesman was charged with trying to kidnap a New York teenager from her school parking lot Halloween night, police believed it was a random, isolated abduction attempt...Two weeks later, the Waterbury man is being investigated in at least three states for unsolved sex and murder cases. When police searched his work van following his arrest in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., they found a tarp, a noose and other things in his van. "

Yeesh. For those of you who don't know, I live in Waterbury. If they've got the right guy, he's been at it for almost 20 years. I'm dying to hear more about it.

LOST for good: "Fans never like to see their favorites go. Cuse remembers that before 'we killed Boone last year, Jorge's (Garcia) mother called up and said, 'I hear they're going to kill a character on the show.' And Jorge was like, 'Yeah, Ma.' And she goes, 'I hope it's not Sawyer.' '"

Thanks, Ma.

frankenglasses - this may be my next purchase, if I ever have money ever again.

I hate FOX.

I guess I knew it was coming: "The Bluth clan of Fox's ratings-challenged 'Arrested Development' is also headed for the exit after Fox cut the third-season order on the Emmy-winning comedy to 13 episodes."

Former FEMA chief Brown off payroll: "Former FEMA chief Michael Brown is no longer on the agency's payroll, the Homeland Security Department said Wednesday, ending nearly two months of compensation after he resigned under fire."

And what were they paying him for?

"Last month, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said he extended Brown's contract for an additional 30 days, until mid-November, to help the agency complete its review of the response to Katrina."

Huh? Wha? I can't even.

Doubts Raised About Toilet-Seat Case: "A man who sued Home Depot last month claiming a prank left him glued to a toilet seat made a similar allegation about another restroom more than a year ago, an official told a newspaper. "

But he's sticking to his story!

The fight against the Evil Wal-Mart Empire takes to the skies.

The Man with Two Brains.

OK, so on last week's Alias...



~ Hip hip hooray! Evil Sloane is back. Kinda. It’s so nice to see Ron Rifkin able to do something besides beg for forgiveness. He is SO good when he’s evil. And subtle in the way he showed just a twinge of regret when he walked away from the Senator. But damn, when he was smiling at that girl and telling her she "skated like an angel"...just...EW.

~ I like Rachel and Marshall facing off over the tech. She seems to be able to pull off the intelligence, which surprised me. The scene between her and Syd at the beginning, about being a mother, was nice. There has been a lot of speculation on various message boards that Rachel is gay - the whole "he's not your type/no competition when it comes to men" conversation she had with Peyton - and I wonder if they're setting up a crush on Syd. They seem to be steering away from a romantic relationship between her and Grace, which I'm happy about. I think if Rachel was gay and she was crushing on Syd, it would be a great storyline.

~ Getty was good, but there’s something about his inflection, the way he talks – he seems to end all of his sentences “up”, with the emphasis on the last word. Other than that, I'm liking his character. I think the scene between him and Jack at the firing range was the best of the episode, and it had my favorite line: "Sorry I never met her, she sounds like my kind of woman." Ha!

~ So, the guy in the box. Am I crazy, or was DeSantis’ brain transplanted into Renee’s father’s body? They did mention the presence of that drug used to fight off organ transplant rejection. The guy playing him was in Carnivale and was creepy in that, too. If I remember correctly, he was shacked up with the bearded lady.

~ So, Sloane knows Dean. From way back? Has Sloane known about "The Shed" all along? Is Dean former SD6, or Alliance? Jack totally knows that Sloane is up to no good and I like that Dixon is in on that with him.

This week, Rachel goes solo.

Weekend in New England.

Cape Neddick Light (color)
Originally uploaded by gina64.

So yeah, I went away this past weekend, to York Beach, Maine. Plans to go with my mother had fallen through and since I had the reservation already, I decided what the heck. I'd go by myself and enjoy some solitude and relaxation.

It turned out to be nice weekend, in spite of the foggy and rainy weather. Saturday was nice for most part, and my friends Holly and Krys made a road trip up for some geocaching. I finished the Firefly boxed set and was sad to be done with it. Serenity, the feature film that picks up where the cancelled show left off, comes out on DVD on December 20. *hint hint*

Anyway, this is a photo I took of Cape Neddick Light, or Nubble Light, just before I left on Sunday. It was very foggy and misty. I wish the sky wasn't the same color as the lighthouse, but I'm not an advanced enough photographer to solve those types of problems. Yet.

It's Aquama - - !

Fine physical specimen, I agree. But here's my question: Why wear a shirt at all? Seriously, I thought he was painted green. And what's with those "shorts" (and I use the term loosely, which is OK because that seems to be the way he likes his shorts)? Purpose? Anyone?

Publisister No More.

Cruise Hires Publicist to Replace Sister: "Bloch replaces Cruise's sister, Lee Anne DeVette, who took over as his publicist in March 2004 after he left longtime representative Pat Kingsley."

Who apparently deserved every last dollar she got for the outstanding job she did shielding us from Cruise's complete bat-shit craziness.

TV a la carte.

It's getting closer to reality every day:

NBC, CBS to offer shows on demand for 99 cents: "The two latest TV deals add CBS and NBC shows such as 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation' and 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' to the mix of programs networks are scrambling to deliver outside of traditional broadcasts. "

Snopes completes the glue-attack trifecta for me (sort of): "Although this story has frequently been reported as true in the media and has existed as a legend since at least 1984, we know of no verified cases of superglued penes occurring before 2000. That year saw two such cases. "

("penes" - heehee!)

One of which I linked to below. Had she heard the legend and felt inspired, or was it just a coincidence? I don't really care, especially now that I have Lionel Ritchie's "Stuck on You" stuck in my head.

Actress breaks arm performing 'Accident': "Actress Sutton Foster was rehearsing a number called 'I'm An Accident Waiting to Happen' earlier this week when she fell and broke her arm."

Hee!

Too sweet.

Tsunami Hero Girl Sees U.N., Meets Clinton: "Tilly Smith, just 10 years old at the time, put her geography lessons to good use: By quickly recognizing the warning signs of a tsunami, the English schoolgirl saved about 100 people from near-certain death at a Thai resort."

Man Sues Ex-Girlfriend Over Glue Attack: "Slaby contends that O'Toole invited him over to her home on May 7, 2000, where he fell asleep. He woke up to find that O'Toole had used Super Glue to stick his genitals to his abdomen, glued his buttocks together and spelled out a profanity on his back in nail polish."

Oh, man! One more and we'll have a glue attack trifecta.

Federline Rap Posted on Internet: "Over an industrial beat reminiscent of Kelis' 'Milkshake,' Federline represents himself as a brash, newsworthy figure ahead of his time. 'People always asking me when's the release date / Well, baby you can wait and see, until then all these Pavarottis followin' me,' he raps, nicknaming paparazzi after the Italian opera singer."

Oh, my ears are bleedin' already.

Why do they do this to me?

Why do they do this to me?
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Poor Marty on Halloween. The excitement was more than he could bear.

Glued to toilet, man sues Home Depot.

And that's all that really needs to be said, isn't it?

'Can I quit now?' FEMA chief wrote as Katrina raged: "A Louisiana congressman says e-mails written by the government's emergency response chief as Hurricane Katrina raged show a lack of concern for the unfolding tragedy and a failure in leadership."

What a weasel. Isn't he still on FEMA's payroll, as some kind of consultant? Inexcusable.

Don't take away my sky.

I'm 5 episodes into the 14-episodes season (the one and only season) of Firefly that I rented on DVD, and I'm hooked. I'm sort of glad that I missed the boat on this show the first time around. I would have hated to have FOX rip the rug out from under such a good show while I was watching it. Now I'm really looking forward to seeing "Serenity".

Special Prosecutor Indicts Scooter: "The indictment of the 43-year-old muppet — long the right-hand man to Muppet Show host Kermit T. Frog — sent shockwaves through both Washington and the Muppet Theater, as the investigation moved closer to implicating other muppets, including Dr. Teeth, Sam the Eagle, and George W. Bush."

Cast off.

Cast off.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Boo!

Boo!
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Oh, my eyes!!

Oh no, he didn't do it. Certainly not.

Sweet Jesus.

Guilty!

I've got Firefly on deck right now.

He's gay, Jim.

Not a big surprise, really. I LOVE the photo they used with the story, though.

Bad Week for Bush.

Who will be indicted today?

Looks like Scooter is the only one likely to take a bullet for the administration at this point, but I'm glad to hear that Rove is still under investigation.

These paragraphs in particular caught my attention, since they could have been written while reporting on any time of trouble during Bush's administration:

"Officials said that Mr. Bush, who traveled to Florida on Thursday to view the damage from Hurricane Wilma, would keep to his planned schedule today, including a speech on terrorism in Norfolk, Va., if indictments were announced.

Administration officials said that the White House would seek to keep as low a profile as possible if indictments were issued; Scott McClellan, the White House press secretary, did not schedule a briefing today, and Mr. Bush plans to leave in the afternoon for a weekend at Camp David."

When things start getting a little dicey politically, Bush loves to whip out that terrorism card and wave that flag. And go on vacation.

It's that gruesome time of year again: "The apparent suicide of a woman found hanging from a tree went unreported for hours because passers-by thought the body was a Halloween decoration, authorities said."

Don't Go In the Light!!

This is just under the wire, but I wanted to comment on last week's Alias before tonight's new episode.

I liked it. Actually, I think it was my favorite so far this season. Good writing, good acting, good action.

I really enjoyed the Sloane parts. It was great to hear someone say that they weren’t going to believe his lies this time. I am so happy he is out of jail and especially that he had to sell his soul to the Devil to do it. Come to think of it, he must have had to buy it back from the Devil a few times since he’s done this more than once.

Both of the new guys were good and I didn’t find myself wishing that they would just go away, which is progress. And I like Sydney in the take charge role. I think it’d be really interesting to see her develop some of her mother’s characteristics (in terms of strength), and maybe not succumb to tears as she has so often in the past. That said, I had a huge smile on my face when she was stuck up in the car and Dean told her she had a half hour to produce Mockingbird and she said, “I have to call my dad!”

I was pleased that Dixon had a larger role and Marshall a smaller one. A little bit of Marshal goes a long way and that dice scene was hysterical.

For the first time this season, I'm looking forward to a new episode.

Embattled Supreme Court nominee Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination.

Her nomination was tearing apart the Republican party, or so it seems. I wonder which old friend and crony Bush will nominate next? He is in a pickle, though, isn't he: If he chooses someone who is outwardly anti-abortion, such a candidate would satisfy his largest consituency but incur the wrath of the entire Democratic party and some moderate Republicans; if not, his pro-life, right-wing support will be ripped away, leaving a gash in the fabric of the Republican party.

Drive-Thru Reviews - Halloween's a Comin'

Carnival of Souls - 1962 cult horror that I bought at Target for $1 last year. You know the movie's not going to be so great when the editor and sound guy have roles. It's really quite bad, but the director does a pretty decent job of conveying a spooky atmosphere and delivers a couple of pretty good frights.

Arsenic and Old Lace - An old (1944) favorite that I highly recommend. A screwball comedy about serial killers and family insanity.

Friday the 13th - Watch Halloween instead.

Lost Rhapsody.

Freakin' hysterical.

A politician to the end. I'm surprised he's not kissing a baby in that picture.

LOST "...And Found."

I really enjoyed last night’s episode, again. The actress who plays Sun is just amazing. Her reaction to finding the wedding ring almost had me in tears.

Random things:

• I liked how they intertwined the “lost and found” theme throughout the show. Locke said something about how he didn’t feel lost anymore, and that you find what you’re looking for when you stop looking – Sun and Jin found each other (what a sweet scene that was) after they both failed in their respective searches; Sun found her ring (and hope) after saying that she knew that Jin and the others were not alright; and this doesn’t exactly fit, but Jin and Echo found Michael after...stopping to get a drink of water?
• I liked how they had Sun interacting with everyone separately. Nice character interplay, especially between her and Hurley. He said something that made me laugh out loud, and now I can’t remember it. Something about the "good Korea or the bad Korea", I think.
• The scene where Jin and Echo (oops, it's Eko) hide and watch the Others walk by was very well done. So was that Walt walking with them carrying the teddy bear?
• I thought the actress who plays Sun (Yunjin Kim, perhaps?) did a great job of playing her younger self. Even the way she walked, in the first flashback, across her bedroom when she was getting ready for the matchmaker date, was very much like a young girl. I’ve always loved the Jin and Sun flashbacks.
• Why is not saying goodbye to Sawyer a reason for Kate to be rifling through everyone’s personal bottle messages? I've read speculation that that was just a lie Kate told Sun to cover her real reason for going through the messages - that she was looking to retrieve hers because it had damning information in it. Remember, though, that Sawyer was reading through everyone's messages while on the raft, so if she is trying to hide something, he knows what it is. Or maybe she was hoping that Sawyer had left a message in the bottle and wanted it as a memento? But why would he do that? He was on the raft and could deliver his message himself. Hmm.

There's the usual great discussion going on over at TMFT, in the comments thread. Check it out.

Season 4 premieres tonight! Nine PM on SpikeTV.

Heeehee.

I don't watch The Amazing Race, but I still thought this was funny.

Pretty.

Oh My GOD, Y'all, Now I'm a Mom!: "I mean, didn't you sort of suspect that I might just totally start showing up places wearing like a muu-muu and one of those old lady rain hats made out of old plastic bags and chain-smoking or something? Like I would just decide that I was totally going to just give up on all that exercising they used to make me do and start living on, you know, fiery Cheetos and Jolt?"

Fantasiaslies.com.

They do kind of have a point. They also have way too much time on their hands.

I'm thinking I might need to give country music another chance.

Wilma.

I keep hearing Fred calling her name.

This hurricane season has been unbelievable. Is the result of a more permanent climate change, or just a fluke? Either way, if you're in Florida, get the hell out of there as soon as you can.

Drive-Thru Reviews

Flight of the Phoenix - Really just a wisp of a movie. Don't bother.

Sahara - Another desert movie, but this one I liked. Outrageous action, but they pull it off. Steve Zahn steals the movie, I think. And great soundtrack.

Monster-in-Law - A romantic comedy with inconsequential romantic leads. Jane Fonda (and Wanda Sykes) STEALS this movie. Some good laughs.

Million Dollar Baby - (no link because there's a spoiler on the imdb page) Incredibly good, emotionally powerful film. Really, really good. Did I mention how good it was? With a beautifully spare soundtrack by Eastwood. I cried for the last half hour.

Couch Pug-tato

Couch Pug-tato
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Marty watches some old movie with me.

Listening.

Listening.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Soaking up the rays.

Soaking up the rays.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

I thought I'd blog a few photos I uploaded to Flickr today.

TV on the download: "Think of it this way: Apple boss Steve Jobs believed that if you priced music cheaply and made it easy to download and store, people would pay for it. He sold 28 million iPods and 500 million songs on that belief. If you think the same strategy can't work with TV programming, you're not seeing the big picture. "

I completely agree with him.

James Blonde.

Daniel Craig Unveiled As New James Bond.

My first pick would have been Clive Owen, but I think Craig is a good choice and he has a nice, rough edge that I think today's Bond needs.

Bye-Bye VCR

And it's probably cheaper than a DVR: "In addition to music videos, the iTunes Music Store also features select Disney and ABC television shows, ready to download. For $1.99, you can own the latest episode just one day after it airs. With full seasons of Lost, Desperate Housewives and That's So Raven, plus episodes of new shows like Night Stalker and The Suite Life of Zack & Cody at your fingertips, you'll never miss your favorites. Plus, you can sync shows to the new iPod and watch them on the go. Just try that with your big-screen TV."

I'm a lazy bastard and I would definitely be willing to shell out $1.99 to watch LOST or Alias again and not have to deal with taping it and making sure I have a blank tape, etc. Just sit down in front of the computer and watch. Awesome.

ETA: I downloaded iTunes last night and opened an account. I purchased Wednesday's LOST episode this morning. It took about 20 minutes to download and the file size is 191 MB. Not too bad. I watched a small portion before leaving for work, and the quality is decent, too. I can archive it to CD and keep it forever, too. This is great. Now if Apple can strike up deals with the makers of Alias, Arrested Development and Battlestar Galactica, I will be all set.

Awesome.

ETA: This is obviously a mistake. I do not think it's awesome that this woman just had her 16th baby (although that hairdo is pretty awesome in a WTF kind of way). This is what I thought was awesome.

Anderson Cooper does 'Jeopardy': "They tape a week's worth of shows in just one day, and by the time I got to the set Tucker Carlson had already creamed Bob Woodward and Peggy Noonan. The green room was abuzz because Woodward had missed a question about Watergate."

Drive Thru Review

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Extremely silly, extremely British, had me laughing out loud quite a few times and really kind of sweet. I am not acquainted with the book(s), radio or television show, and that did not hamper my enjoyment of it in the least. Oh, and the answer is 42.

Extras - Very similar in style and substance to The Office, but Gervais is more likeable in this one. Very, very funny.

Loss.

It seems to be surrounding us lately, doesn't it: the earthquakes in Pakistan and Kashmir, the mud- and landslides in Guatemala, the losses from Katrina. It's almost too much to bear. Then this morning I come in to work to find that Peter, one of our partners, lost his mother this morning. She died after a long battle with cancer, and her death was expected, but that doesn't make it any less of a loss. She was one of the good ones. A truly good person. May you rest in peace now, Joyce.

Now, this is not a loss to compare in any way to those listed above, but it still sucks: Fire destroys 'Wallace and Gromit' warehouse: "The company behind the new 'Wallace and Gromit' film said Monday its 'entire history' has been destroyed in a fire at a warehouse containing props and sets."

Gossip!

Hookin' up and breakin' up.

The best and worst character names on television
: "No wonder so many TV shows fail at it, and miserably. It's hard to beat the successes of the real world. Rep. Zach Wamp already had a pretty awesome legislator name. Now if he succeeds in becoming Majority Whip, he'll be Whip Zach Wamp, which is not only a title and a command, but also a pretty awesome onomatopeiatic phrase in the grand old style of 'Batman.' (Whip Zach! WAMP!)"

Guess who made the 'best' list? Bob Loblaw!

God, that never gets old.

Bob Loblaw Speaks.

Baio Feedback: "Thirty-four years in show business has made Scott Baio a little...weird. He comes off as a bit fed up, a little paranoid - even entitled. In other words he's a perfect addition the hilariously dysfunctional Bluth family on Arrested Development. "

Conan to Turn Entire Show Over to U2.

This is Thursday's show, 12:30 AM (which is actually Friday morning). I'll have to remember to put in a tape, since that's about as close as I'll get to seeing them in concert this time around.

Oh, that's champion!

"Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit": "There may be greater moments of pleasure at the movies this year than watching...a spiral of bunnies swirling around in the transparent canister of an ultra-humane bunny-rabbit-sucker-upper known as the Bun-Vac 6000. But I have yet to encounter them. 'The Curse of the Were-Rabbit' is animator Nick Park's first full-length 'Wallace & Gromit' feature, 85 minutes of bliss with a script that holds together better than those of most live-action pictures. "

(viewing of ad required for site pass)

Oh man, they HAVE to do this: "Hungering for new cash, the three major networks might start selling on-demand viewing of hit shows next season for $1 a peek - without the commercials. "

Or just .50 if they leave the commercials in. I saw just saying to Sheila that I would love it if the broadcast and non-pay cable-channels offered On Demand, but as long as advertisers were a part of the picture, they never would.

Hopefully I was wrong.

In other AD news...

Ricky Gervais will be appearing in an Arrested Development episode.

I hope it's not cancelled before that.

Bob Loblaw. Bob Loblaw. Bob Loblaw.

Last night's Arrested Development was awesome, and I'll let freakgirl from Too Much Free Time take over from here.

A month for new episodes?! Stupid baseball.

Oh my.

Nicolas Cage gives Superman's birth name to son.

I always thought he was a freak (and an overrated actor). This just confirms it. That poor kid!

Progress.

Progress.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Top: Shortly after I got the braces put on, July 15, 2005.

Bottom: Today, October 3, 2005.

I can't believe the difference. Only 2 more years to go!

Courthouse Evacuated After Attorney Tries To Enter Explosive Evidence: "A county courthouse was evacuated Thursday after officials said they found a possible explosive device -- one brought in by an attorney. Officials said the item brought into the Carroll County Courthouse in Berryville was an undetonated firecracker that Cindy Baker intended to enter as evidence in a trial."

A little perspective here, people! It was a firecracker for crying out loud!

Adieu.

To Monsieur Vaughn, who's not really dead, and to you all, as I take off to Kennebunkport, ME for the weekend.

Have a good one, and I'll see you on Monday.

1-800-GOT-HUNK: "1-800-GOT-JUNK? is proud to present the 2005 Hunks of Junk! For years our men in blue have been dubbed the 1-800-GOT-HUNK's?. Now you can vote for your favorite Junk Hunk and the most popular hunks will be featured in our upcoming Hunks of Junk Calendar with all current proceeds going to the Salvation Army's Hurricane Relief Effort. "

I've used these guys twice, once for a big job at work and the other for a small job at home, and I would recommend them to anyone who asked. They were prompt, professional, really nice and the guy that was supervising both jobs had the most incredible blue eyes.

Go vote.

Paint Job.

Paint Job.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Before.

Hmm.

'Night Stalker' on the prowl again.

Maybe I won't watch CSI tonight.

Last night's LOST, among other TV things.

Quickly, because I should be working.

LOST, 2 episodes into the season, has been quite good. A few thoughts on last night's episode:

• Even though, plotwise, we are at the same place at the end of last night's episode as were last week, I liked that they backtracked and showed us what transpired down the hatch before Jack got there.
• Michael was sort of annoying me last night. I wanted to smack him and tell him to stop being such a baby and be nice to Sawyer. He did just save your life for crying out loud. A "thank you for resuscitating me", perhaps? His flashback didn't really do anything for me, either, but the toy polar bear was a nice connection.
• Even though I felt bad for Sawyer because of the way Michael was treating him, I have to remember that they have only been on the island for 44 days, not the year that we have been watching them, and Sawyer was pretty much a dick to all of them until just recently.
• Speaking of '44 days', what was that expression on Desmond's face when Locke told him that's how long they've been on the island? It looked almost like an "oops-I-guess-I-shouldn't-have-pushed-that-button-44-days-ago" look. Did he bring down the plane? And who is the "him" that Desmond thought Locke was? His replacement? And he's wondering if the world is still out there, huh? What does he think would have happened to it? Nuclear holocaust? Alien invasion? Human extinction from a disease or bio-weapon? That's the theory I'm favoring right now - because of the quarantine sign and his injections, him asking Locke how many of his people had gotten sick and how Rousseau said all of her crewmates got sick. His hidey hole definitely looks like a bunker of some kind.
• The computer - is the well-worn "execute" button on the computer keyboard the button that Walt was talking about that was bad? What's going on when Desmond enters the numbers? At first I thought those beeps were an alarm because Jack had come down the hatch, but then I remembered that the beeps are what woke Desmond in the premiere. It seems like those flipping numbers are a counter of some kind, and when they reach a certain number (236 or so last night), you have to enter the magic numbers to reset them to 108 (the sum of 4 + 8 + 15 + 16 +23 +42). What is it counting down to? Or what else could it be?
• I liked Kate last night. The candy bar scene was great.
• Every scene with Michael and Sawyer on the rafts, I was distracted with the thought, "But where's Jin?!!" and "Jin better not be dead, so help me God!" I can't tell you how relieved I was to hear him yelling on the beach, even though he was bound and running from the "Udders". I was pretty sure I heard him yelling in Korean in the scene where Michael and Sawyer find each other in the water in the beginning. But then when they didn't find him in the water, I figured I had mis-heard. I've taped it so I'll check on the rewatch.
• Finally, I read at TWoP that the shark had the logo that's on the items in the bunker tattooed on its tailfin! They say it says "DHARMA", the hindu word, not Greg's wife. I'll be checking for that on a rewatch, too.

Whew, that wasn't really all that quick, was it?

As far as other TV goes, I just wanted to mention that I checked out a couple of new shows, How I Met Your Mother and Invasion, and neither one has really grabbed me. HIMYM was just way too corny and the laugh track was distracting, especially immediately following Arrested Development. I skipped Invasion last night, but that was mostly because I was tired and had a few things I had to do before bed. It did interest me last week, so on another night, with LOST as a lead in, I will probably check it out again.

And don't forget -- Alias premieres tonight at 8:00 PM (EST) on ABC!

ETA: CSI also premiered last Thu (and there's a new episode tonight), but the only noteworthy thing I have to say about it is Warwick is married?? NOOOO!!

OK, I know I'm asking for it by saying this but, putting politics and ideology aside, am I the only one who thinks he's kind of handsome? I like his eyes.

God I'm getting old.

Nojo on the rojo, Reynaldo!

Hidden Elegance.

Hidden Elegance.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

I took this photo last night, right before bed. My camera was set to auto and I turned off the flash. I'm really please with the way it came out.

I wish it looked that nice all the time!

If you missed it the first time around...

ABC to repeat 'Lost' season premiere: "ABC will postpone Wednesday's scheduled premieres of 8-9 p.m. comedies ' George Lopez' and 'Freddie' for one week to make room for a rerun of the season premiere of 'Lost,' which will lead into the drama thriller's second episode at 9 p.m."

Now's my chance to tape it and the new one and scour both for clues. Geek!

When sci-fi and real events collide.

Battlestar Galactica's season 2 finale airs tonight at 10:00: "But with each passing week, it becomes increasingly obvious how right they were. 'Galactica' feels like an outer space version of a dark, philosophically inclined war movie like 'Platoon' or 'Saving Private Ryan.' It shows humanity in a struggle not just to survive but to understand itself, and it consistently challenges viewers to examine and defend their own beliefs. Aside from 'Deadwood,' it's the least complacent show on TV -- a reminder that the medium can illuminate as well as entertain. "

Smiling through the tears.

I had the best laugh in the car this morning. Larry David was being interviewed on NPR (his show is Curb Your Enthusiasm on HBO and he's a Seinfeld creator). I never intentionally watch CYE because his character is such a complete a$$, and he makes such an idiot out of himself, that it can at times be almost unbearable to watch. But when I do stumble across it and actually sit and watch, it is ­always funny. Well, they played a clip this morning that had tears coming out my eyes, I was laughing so hard. He was telling the interviewer about how he’s really influenced by his parents and where he grew up in Brooklyn – everyone knew everyone’s business and everyone was always yelling. I don’t know what the episode was about, or who the woman was, but the clip had something to do with Christmas and they’re all yelling:

Woman: “Larry! Did you eat the cookies?!”

Larry: “Well, yeah, yeah, I ate the cookies, so what?”

Woman: “Larry! They were for the manger scene! You ate the Baby Jesus and the Virgin Mary!!”

Larry: “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! What can I say? I thought they were animal cookies!”

Woman: “Animal cookies??! Larry, you ate the Baby Jesus!’’

Larry (sort of sheepishly): “Well, I thought he was a monkey.”

That was a good way to start the day, and I’m going to try to keep in that mood in spite of just reading about the evacuee bus carrying 45 elderly passengers that exploded in Texas, killing 24 of them.

And now this.

Maybe someone really did eat the Baby Jesus, because he sure seems to be among the missing.

Clarification.

For those of you who had problems reading the article this post refers to, here's the copy from the NY Post:

September 21, 2005 -- TOM Cruise shouldn't wait by the phone for his old "friend" Steven Spielberg, who directed him in "War of the Worlds," to call.

Reports from Budapest and Paris, where Spielberg is filming "Munich," say the director is still steamed at Cruise for ranting, during what were supposed to be promotional appearances for the Martian-invasion film, against the widespread use of Ritalin to treat unruly children diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder.

One source said: "Steven and his wife [Kate Capshaw] have five children themselves and know some children for whom Ritalin does a lot of good. They took exception to what Tom said about the drug."

Spielberg was also said to be annoyed that Cruise played up Scientology more than the movie during press interviews.

In August, when PAGE SIX started researching this story, we received a letter from Cruise's lawyer Bert Fields, noting:

"We have received word that you are planning a report that Steven Spielberg was upset with Tom about Tom's speaking out about his views on children's use of drugs . . . and that now they are not speaking to each other."

The letter stated: "Each of these statements is absolutely and demonstrably false. Steven is not upset with Tom . . . Tom and Steven remain close friends and are looking forward to working together again. The idea that they are not speaking is not only false but absurd. Actually Steven is shooting a movie in Budapest and Tom is shooting one [in the States]."

But maybe Fields should have talked to Spielberg before writing this letter.

Another source, a close friend of the director, said: "They will not be working together again and Steven will never call him his friend."

When we faxed Fields' letter to Spielberg rep Marvin Levy and asked for comment, Levy first wanted to settle the score about another item picked up from a Web site claiming the director insisted on being called "Maestro."

Levy said: "Whoever fed you that ridiculous item about Steven Spielberg wanting to be called 'Maestro' with no eye contact must have had a bad serving of goulash. The only person in our film community who might be called 'Maestro' is [conductor] John Williams and only when he's on the podium holding a baton. I will get back to you on the other item after I talk to Steven."

Levy called back to "decline comment."

Ready now...Ooooooo.

The 2005 TeeVee Awards

Forget the Emmys: "Why waste your time with an award show that has to jostle with the inconsequential likes of the People's Choice Awards and ESPYs for relevance? Instead of a program where the honorees are selected by rote, devote your attention on awards that are handed out by people who actually bothered to watch television sometime during the past 12 months."

LOST

Heads up, people:

LOST premieres tonight on ABC at 9:00 P.M. (EST). There's some kind of special airing before it at 8:00, called "Destination Lost" described at Yahoo thusly:

"Survivors of Oceanic Airlines Flight 815; an exploration of the island and how it has changed the lives of the crash survivors."

Recap, I guess.

I'm not George Bluth, Sr.

imoscar.comn: "It's been a week since my last entry. I can explain. Last Thursday, I was counting ants in the prison yard and it was a scorcher but I remember, I started killing the ants with my feet, yelling "Die you little black bastards, die!" I got stabbed - a whole lot. When I woke up in the infirmary, I was surprised to find out that my stabber was the leader of an equal rights gang called: RAVIOLI or Rapists Against Violence Against Insects. When I went to apologize for killing the ants, I pointed out that ravioli doesn't work as an acronym and they stabbed me again. Please God get me out of here! I think that's blood on the keyboard. Yep, it is. I'm Oscar Bluth and I need medical attention! "

Awesome.

Oh, no no no no no!!

*fingers in ears* La la la la la la

(Holly, see my comment below about Chesney)

Is Oprah a Secret Scientologist Already?

Yeah, yeah, this is Star magazine, but I do not lie when I tell you that I wondered this very same thing just a few days ago. There's the whole Cruise thing, the whole Travolta thing and she's pretty darn chummy with Kirstie Alley, too. I'm just sayin'.

Oooo.

"They will not be working together again and Steven will never call him his friend."

Drive-Thru Reviews

Sin City - Wow. Certainly not a movie for everyone - the dialogue and action are virtually ripped from the pages of a comic book and it is extremely violent. I mean extremely. Did I mention how violent it was? Regardless, it's a movie like no other I've seen and is one I won't soon forget.

Dodgeball - I admit it, seeing people get hit in the face with a big red rubber ball is funny. So sue me. It's barely a wisp of a movie in terms of story, character, etc., but seeing Ben Stiller, who I hate with the intensity of a thousand white-hot suns, get the sh*t kicked out of him was worth the hour and a half. And watching people get hit with a big red rubber ball is funny.

Shark Tale - Nothing new under the sun, but entertaining. A bit too busy and loud, but I really like the Martin Scorcese puffer fish.

This is unbelievable.

Good luck to everyone in its path, and if you are in its path please, please get the hell out the way.

(Frozen) Chicken truck burns.

A mess, yes, but damn that must have smelled good.

What a bad auntie I am.

Quiet time.
Originally uploaded by gina64.

Happy 6th Birthday, Zachary.

I love you!

Katrina Timeline

Timeline to disaster: "Salon's hour-by-hour account of the worst natural disaster in U.S. history -- and how our government failed."

It's a long one (7 pages) but worth every word.