Opinions, Observations & Other Oddities

Happy Thanksgiving

2009-11-26T15:19:00.000-05:00

Thought I'd try posting good thoughts instead of angry ones for a change. lol

So Happy Thanksgiving to all. I am actually quite grateful despite the ravings seen posted here. Let's start the list shall we?

I am grateful for my husband's health being much improved from last spring. Here's hoping he will continue to feel well for a long time.

I am grateful for my two lovely kitties who are still getting along marvelously. Oliver is growing fast and Leaper is taking good care of him. They play together and follow each other around the house.

I am grateful for my three lovely granddaughters who always want to come here for visits despite having a lot of other relatives they could visit with. My husband and I just don't get it. It's not like we're great with kids or anything. Still they all try to get an edge over the other ones to try and skip ahead in line. It's nice to know we are appreciated and loved.

I am grateful for the day off. We're doing our family Thanksgiving on Sunday with Jimmy, Staci 2.0 and the girls. Today it's just me and my sweetie and some ham, yams and corn. I have to work all day tomorrow so I am much happier having Thanksgiving on Sunday. Monday I only have half a day of work so I can sleep in.

I leave you with my precious little bundles of kitty joy. I know Leaper looks like a giant cat but it's just the odd perspective of the camera. lol They're waiting for the ham to be done.

Leaper & Oliver waiting for dinner

[NP: Flaming Lips - Assassination of the Sun]

Curious As A Cat Meme & Losing My Religion

2009-11-24T11:13:00.000-05:00

Week Number 194

1) Imagine you had a job interview today. What would you wear to it?

Black blazer and pants, white shirt and sensible shoes. Can't really go wrong with that.

2) If you could trade places with any of your friends, who would you choose?

Hmm....not that my friends have horrible lives or anything. But honestly I can't think of anyone. Seriously. My rich friends aren't exactly happier than me

3) Have you ever had something stolen from you or been the victim of a crime?

Yes, a VCR from my apartment when my husband and I were living in an apartment on Kuakini Street in Hawaii - or as my husband liked to joke, the Hawaii ghetto. It wasn't that bad but it certainly had some shady characters living in the neighborhood.

4) Show and Tell. What comes to mind first when you see this picture? Or, tell a story if it reminds you of one.

Madonna's Like A Prayer video. It was a great video. ;-)

Also reminds me of religion, which reminds me of the latest religious/political controversy over the separation of church and state with Patrick Kennedy vs. Roman Catholic Bishop Thomas Tobin. Generally I'm on Kennedy's side but quite frankly, I believe if you have that kind of disagreement with your church, perhaps you need to find another church. I don't agree at all with many of the positions the Catholic church takes but that's why I'm not a Catholic. Mostly I have a disagreement with all organized religion but I believe in their right to believe what they believe and my right to not.

Oh well, enough of that for now. If it bothers me more I'll probably rant later.

[NP: Tori Amos - Winter]

You Go Girl

2009-11-19T20:43:00.000-05:00

Since having been unceremoniously 'let go' from the cast of LOCI, Kathryn Erbe has been out and about, doing good works and apparently having fun. Good for her. It would be nice to see her in another series. I miss her already and they haven't even aired the final episode yet. Of course I am not watching the final G/E episode since I am already doing very well in my boycott of USA and NBC. I hope they both tank. Also not watching anything produced by Dick Wolf - who is the ultimate villain in all of this. I hope NBC pulls his L&O before it surpasses Gunsmoke as the longest running series. Wouldn't that just be awesome? I'd laugh and laugh. Yeah, I'm vicious when I'm pissed.

Oh well, it's nice to see Kathryn out and about. She was out at this event and looking as lovely as always.

Kathryn at the cast party for Starry Messenger

And she was out at this school event to help get children interested in literature. Love that she's an avid reader.

Kathryn at Watertown High School and

writer Thomas P. Kelly

(Photo by Justin Sorenson/Watertown Daily Times)

She kind of dresses like Eames in real life, too. lol

[NP: Elvis Costello - Watching the Detectives]

Why Couldn't That Mammogram Recommendation Come Out When I Turned 40?

2009-11-18T22:49:00.001-05:00

So, now it seems we're not supposed to get mammograms regularly until we're 50, unless you have a predisposition for breast cancer. My family has lung cancer, liver cancer, leukemia, prostate cancer (not a problem for me), skin cancer and generally a lot of heart problems. Yeah, I really won out in the gene pool, huh? Oh and lets not forget asthma which I got from my mother's side of the family. Oh and both sides are prone to Alzheimer's so I'm figuring if I have a heart attack and die it will be preferable to having Alzheimer's because having witnessed my mother's slow demise from the disease and hearing of an uncle and aunt and their experiences, I really think that's the worst way to go.

But I digress. I'm not sure if any kind of cancer makes me predisposed to breast cancer specifically or if I'm not predisposed since no one in my family had THAT particular form of cancer.

Either way, if they told me this 10 years ago, it would have spared my breasts a lot of torture. But now that I'm actually 50 I apparently have to go have one done.

So today I arranged my work schedule so I could have the afternoon off and drove my happy ass to Battle Creek to get a mammogram. The upside is that it's fast and efficient. The whole process took 15 minutes from sign in to walking out the revolving doors.

The downside is they still have to grab and press your breasts in those vise like devices. Twice each. In my case, apparently she needed to do my left breast a third time. Great. So now that my breasts feel like they're being treated like bread dough, I'm all done and ready to go.

Now that's done for the next two years - they did say every two years now apparently - so next month is the pap.

I hope by the time I have that done, the Palin-mania is done. The television in the lounge was all about Sarah and how she's in town to sign her stupid book. There were actually lines of people waiting hours in line just to meet her and have her sign their copy of her whiny ass book. The woman is such a bitch. How anyone can think she's so nice is beyond me. They're just easily fooled. She says some of the most disgusting things and is attacking other Republicans whether by blaming them for her ineptitude during the presidential campaign or claiming a Republican candidate is not 'pure' enough for their party. I hope they purify themselves right out of existence.

So not only did I have to have my breasts tortured, I had to endure news coverage of all those sickening people who were just gushing over the quitter. I did find it a little humorous to hear one woman say, "I like her. I don't think I would want her for my president but she seems nice...." Man, if even her faithful fans say that about her, I think she's a non-issue for the Democrats. Hell, she may even help them.

Never-the-less, I still just loathe that woman.

Letterman is doing a nightly list of things that are more fun than reading Sarah Palin's book. You know, get a root canal, getting hit by s semi-truck, etc. I can add one. Getting a mammogram is more fun than reading her book or hearing about her. By the time the tech came to get me for the mammogram I was so happy to leave the room I didn't even care about the boob torture - until I actually got there. lol

[NP: Green Day - Know Your Enemy]

Changes

2009-11-17T10:49:00.000-05:00

I'm sure by the time you get to reading this you'll notice the new adult content warning. Not really for porn - although if I can find any naked Vincent photos not found elsewhere I'll be sure to post them here. ;-) lol

Mostly it's because I cannot discuss politics without saying nasty things and have even been tempted to use the C-word. Mostly in regards to Sarah Palin and lately that former Miss California person. I hate the C-word but sometimes there's no other word available to use.

I may be starting a separate blog for politics to spare non-political friends my vitriolic rantings. I used to be able to discuss things objectively but as of late, my old prejudices about conservatives has pretty much flared up and I am incapable of giving them the benefit of the doubt. Democrats aren't helping as they are proving to be as inept as the Bush Administration. Somehow, despite having the majority in both houses and owning the White House at the moment, they are still allowing the Republicans to sideline them.

So we shall see how things progress. Wish I had more fun things to talk about. Maybe when the Palin-mania dies down, I'll be able to have rational thought again.

In the mean time, I'm going to try and ignore news programs.

[NP: R.E.O. Speedwagon - Riding the Storm Out]

Why The Modern News Media Sucks

2009-11-16T21:07:00.005-05:00

There are a lot of reasons. Just watch The Daily Show to learn more specifics. But right now, my main concern is the Palin-mania overtaking the national news media. It's going to be Sarah Palin all the time on all so-called news networks because the bimbo has a new book out called Going Rogue. Really? People are buying this book up apparently. Although I've been told it's right wingers buying them by the truckloads to help her make the best seller lists.

Whatever the case may be, people are so fascinated by this redneck's wet dream that I can't avoid hearing about her on EVERY news and even entertainment talk show I have come across since it was announced. The woman is like some weird circus freak show. You either love her or hate her. I'm in the HATE her camp, as I'm sure by reading this blog you have figured out.

There are actual real issues out there of importance. Health care, Afghanistan and the economy just to mention a few. Why does the media care about a thin skinned, empty headed, mean spirited, whiny voiced, hypocritical, quitter?

Apparently she is blaming the McCain campaign for her disastrous vice-presidential candidacy. It's not her fault. No, not at all. She doesn't take responsibility for ANYTHING. She's a fucking two-faced moron. She has no class. At least John McCain is not getting in the mud with her.

So the media is slobbering all over her because they seem to be fascinated by how someone as stupid as she is can actual gain support. It's also amazing that there are that many stupid people living in this country that she seems to be the darling of the right wing evangelicals. She loves attention and she loves being adored. She won't take the hard interviews because she can't answer any serious questions without sounding like a moron.

Apparently she also wants to purify the party. Moderates need not apply. So that means only stupid people will be left behind. That's they only good news I have from her week-long media blitz, which starts in my state. She's kicking off her stupid tour in Grand Rapids - the town that Amway built. Figures. I've never liked Grand Rapids and now I know why.

Look at the way intellectual conservatives like David Brooks and Kathleen Parker just don't like Palin. Parker took a lot of flack and got loads of hate mail from readers who were upset with her for asking Sarah Palin to step down from the vice-presidential campaign because Parker knew she was a disaster.

How anyone can want to be a Republican any more is beyond me. They're not the party of small government and fiscal responsibility. They want to be the party of small government and fiscal responsibility only when the other party is in charge. When they're in charge they ruin the country - like they did during the last eight years.

Now they're the stupid, crazy party. The gloom and doom, party of NO.

In a way I hope Palin manages to purify your party. If she does you will lose every major election and you'll never see the inside of the White House ever again. You'll only win the redneck southern states and small little enclaves of stupid people - like where I live apparently - but you won't win nationally because most Americans can tell you're all fucking crazy.

Oh and a final note on Republicans for the day. Those fuckers are angry at President Obama for bowing to the Japanese Emperor. Hey asswipes, it's called cultural understanding and respect. You fuckers don't know that bowing is the standard way of greeting to Japanese people? Not a handshake, a bow. Got it you cultural retards?

Oh and Eisenhower bowed to President De Gaulle of France and Nixon bowed to Emperor Hirohito of Japan. Were they wrong to do that? Was it an embarrassment that they did that? Or a nice way of showing respect? I suppose you don't think we should respect anyone else?

And I'm going to pull a Palin and lie. That wasn't the final note for the day. Here's another one for you. To any of you fucking idiots out there who got my email address after reading a blog post or something and started putting me on your right-wing nutjob mailing lists - CUT IT OUT!!! What on earth makes you think after reading my blog that I would want to hear anything from you stupid fuckheads? FUCK OFF and leave me alone. You know damn well I won't go near any of you.

For all the nice people who read this blog and suffered through that rant, here's a treat. It's Stephen Colbert and Woody Harrelson's head while they sing the national anthem in harmony. It's really cool and the set up is, Colbert asked Harrelson during the interview if he would prove his support for the troops by shaving his head. Woody said sure and so they did it. lol

It made me smile. Apologies to Val and others who can't access this video but hopefully you will get to see it eventually.

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Sign Off - Stephen Shaves Woody's Head

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

U.S. Speedskating

[NP: Tori Amos - Silent All These Years]

FAUX News Faux Pas

2009-11-11T16:18:00.007-05:00

While watching The Daily Show last night, I was reminded once again why this is the only current events show worth watching. Yes, it's a 'fake' news show. Maybe that's why they caught this and no one else seemed to. It takes a fake news show to recognize a fake news network.

I suppose they assume their audience is too stupid to notice. Guess they didn't count on anyone with brains to be paying attention. Thank you Jon Stewart and The Daily Show for due diligence.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Sean Hannity Uses Glenn Beck's Protest Footage

http://www.thedailyshow.com/

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

I've always liked Sean Hannity the least of all the FUCKED news crew. He's the whiny Bill O'Reilly wannabe. At least Glenn Beck has carved out the 'crazy' spot for himself. Hannity can't touch O'Reilly in obnoxiousness and never will. He's just lame.

[NP: R.E.O. Speedwagon - Riding the Storm Out]

Meme Time!

2009-11-08T17:54:00.004-05:00

Haven't done one of these in ages. Since it's Sunday and my attention is caught up in the NASCAR race at the moment - baseball is over the 'Evil Empire' won the World Series again so I'm DONE with baseball until next season - I thought I'd post this meme found over at Goddessdster's Livejournal.

Who sleeps in bed next to you?
My husband all the time and occasionally one or both of the cats.

What did you last eat?
Pistachio nuts.

What kind of books do you read?
Sci-fi, political, historical, mystery, classics, etc.

If you could be anywhere right now, where would it be?
I'm perfectly happy where I am at the moment - my den with my husband and the two cats.

What's really creepy?
Republicans

Name one odd item within five feet of you.
Well, I don't consider anything really odd - except perhaps myself. But I guess unusual as I doubt most people have instruments from an airplane cockpit on their bookshelves. My husband got some of them from an airplane he used to own and fly. The propeller is in the storage room. I kid you not. Yeah, of all the things to drag from Hawaii, eh?

What's your current fandom / obsession / addiction?
Still Goren and Eames but also I'm really getting into Oz. I think I may start obsessing over Dean Winters.

What did you really want to do today that you didn't?
It's Sunday so pretty much I didn't want to do anything.

What are you most excited for?
The new computers we're supposed to get at work soon. Now I'm told next week!!!

What websites do you always visit when you go online?
Yahoo mail, blogger, fanfiction.net, vincentdonofriofans, unofficiallykathryn, Rhapsody and various blogs. That's just as of late. I'm sure it will change again eventually.

What was the last thing you bought?
Yams - to go with the ham we're having today and grapefruit for breakfast tomorrow.

If you could have any pet, what would it be?
My two cats are perfect. :-)

Your past life: Tell me about it.
Past life as in reincarnation or past life as in my current past? Don't you hate it when people answer questions with a question? I do. lol

What do you want right this minute, off the top of your head?
Goren and Eames back on LOCI - yeah, I know, I'm still obsessing but it's hard to give up.

Where is the place you like to return to in order to calm down / relax / etc.?
My den where I am right now.

How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?
I don't know. I always cheat and bite it because I'm impatient.

What's something you'd like to say to someone right now?
Can't say I have one specific thing for any one specific person. Mostly because I'm pretty much at that age where I will say whatever is on my mind at the time to anyone. lol

Are there any bits of childhood that you miss?
Not having to worry about how things get paid and having my parents take care of me.

Say something to the person who tagged you.
I wasn't tagged but I did take this from Goddessdster so I'd like to say, I hope things are getting better and I'm always here if you feel like venting about anything.

So that's it. Think I'll start visiting the cat again. I like memes. :-)

[NP: 10,0000 Maniacs & David Byrne - Let The Mystery Be]

If I have to read one more Google Alert.....

2009-11-07T22:05:00.001-05:00

....about Mary Elizabeth Mastriantonio joining the cast of LOCI I will scream. No offense to the lovely lady. Like I said, I really thought she did a great job in Abyss and The Perfect Storm.

I'm just so tired of hearing how she's stepping into the captain's role. It just reminds me of the fact that the powers-that-be have fucked things up on what was once my favorite show. If they keep shoving these reminders in my face, I'm going to have to just turn off my alerts for a while. It's annoying to see it mentioned in Vincent D'Onofrio alerts, Kathryn Erbe alerts, Eric Bogosian alerts and LOCI alerts. :-/

However, I've ranted so much on this subject, I thought I'd just talk about other shows I've been watching instead.

Unfortunately Flash Forward is starting to annoy me. I don't know why. Started out strong but now the lead characters are behaving in ways that make me dislike them. Well, maybe not dislike but I'm annoyed with them.

I've tried watching Eastwick and it's okay for mindless, light entertainment. But it's not MUST SEE as it were.

ABC has the best new comedies. The Middle, Modern Family and Cougar Town.

The Middle stars Patricia Heaton (Everybody Loves Raymond) and Neil Flynn (Scrubs). Cute show about a family living in Indiana. For some reason I just love these people and can relate to them on so many levels. Financial problems, kids who annoy the hell out of you but who you love and adore because they really are sweet and good at heart, being so busy running around trying to keep it together. I guess I can relate. Especially about eating dinner - take out from some fast food place in front of the television set.

Modern Family is awesome. It's Ed O'Neill's new sitcom. Ed O'Neill as in Al Bundy from Married With Children. A show that had no redeeming social value at all but was hysterically funny because they were so awful it was just funny. This show, however, has some redeeming values. Ed O'Neill plays Jay, the patriarch of a modern family. That includes his new and much younger wife and her son from a previous marriage. His daughter and her idiot husband and their three kids and his gay son and his partner who have just adopted an Asian child. It's funny and touching and does all the right things comedies are supposed. Nice to see Ed O'Neill back in a strong comedy that this time actually has some socially redeeming value.

Cougar Town is Courtney Cox's new comedy. She is awesome. She's hysterically neurotic and portrays a newly divorced woman finding her own way. Her character is not stereotypical in the sense that she isn't the 'dumped wife.' Her husband didn't leave her for a younger trophy wife. She dumped her husband, who she supported and continues to support. They have a friendly relationship despite it all and she plays a deliciously funny character. Cox is the modern day Lucille Ball. She excels at physical comedy and really shines. I remember she used to be the character on Friends who stood out the least of the bunch. What a great discovery she has turned out to be.

Let's see...oh, I know. I have to tell you all that you need to sign up for Netflix and watch television programs that way. Especially dramas. Right now my husband and I are almost done with Oz. We're discussing what to move on to next. It's a terrific way to see it from beginning to end without interruption. You get a great sense of the show and the arc and no waiting on cliff hanger endings. lol

Speaking of Oz, it's not for everyone. But if you can handle it, it's a fantastic drama. It's a Barry Levinson production and deals with inmates and employees of a maximum security prison. There's a wonderful cast and intense story lines. The violence is very graphic and it's not for the squeamish. There's a reason it was on HBO and not network - which is neatly sanitized and bland for all.

And of course my latest obsession - or my latest reacquainted obsession. Monty Python on the Independent Film Channel. They had a Monty Python week and I was reminded of the brilliance of the Python crew and how they make everything that came after them seem amateur. Saturday Night Live at its best couldn't touch Python. The physical and verbal comedy set the bar so high I doubt anyone will be able to touch them. They have me laughing so hard I had to use an inhaler and I already know most of the dialog from their movies Monty Python & The Holy Grail and Life of Brian by heart. And of course their sketches from Monty Python's Flying Circus.

Independent Film Channel is a must have and if you don't have it, write to your cable company and tell them to get on the ball. They have the best films and they do the best comedy. They are running Arrested Development - a show that was doomed to fail on network because it wasn't bland and predictable. They have a great sketch comedy show featuring The Whitest Kids You Know. Quite hysterical stuff.

Oh and if that's not enough, for Vincent D'Onofrio fans, he does tend to have a fondness for independent films so you know they will show up there eventually. :-)

Anyway, it's a great channel. Hey, Henry Rollins had a show on this network. :-)

For grown ups who don't need fluff, go there.

Well, I leave you with one of the funniest Monty Python bits. It's short so if you don't like it and think it's stupid, you won't have to suffer long. 15 whole seconds and posted on YouTube by Dangerdan.

Another Off Year Election

2009-11-03T21:33:00.002-05:00

And yet it seems Democrats and Republicans keep slinging that crap. That creepy Eric Cantor, Republican House Whip, was on Hardball with Chris Matthews discussing how it's all a referendum on the Obama Administration. Of course he says that now that the Virginia governor's race went to the Republican jerk and not the Democratic dweeb. I swear, I don't know which is worse, the creeps on the Republican side or the boring wet blankets on the Democrat side of the aisle. Quite frankly, I side with the Democrats by default as of late.

The only solace I have is in The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. Here's a Daily Show clip. Apologies to those living outside this country who may have trouble accessing Comedy Central videos. It baffles me as to why they have blocked it. I sent an inquiry but so far have received no explanation.

In any case, here's Jon Stewart - the most trusted 'news anchor' in America. lol

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Indecision 2009 - Vote or Keep Going About Your Day

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Crisis

What gets me about off-year elections is that there is low turnout, which makes it better for conservatives. When more people vote, they don't do as well. So how can anything this year be a referendum against anything? Except it proves only a minority of the people in this country (9% I believe) consider themselves to be Republican and those are the ones who turn out to vote in off year elections. lol

[NP: The Kinks - Celluloid Heroes]

And Now the Transformation is Complete

2009-11-02T19:54:00.005-05:00

It's no longer Law & Order: Criminal Intent. It's just another cop show, which should have been a spin-off for Jeff Goldblum. To call it LOCI is criminal. And yes, I'm still harping on it because I'm THAT UPSET STILL.

So, let's recap here. No more Goren, Eames or Ross. Not even Wheeler will be returning. So we have the newest character, Nichols, introduced last year for eight- count them - whole episodes. We have a new female partner and a new female captain. Saffron Burrows (no offense personally to the actress as I do not know her and I'm sure she's just taking a job and has no idea of all the bullshit connected with it) steps into Julianne Nicholson's place as the newest nubile young woman to partner with the male lead detective (at least she's not a redhead). No idea what her name will be, don't care. She's a thirty-something actress so I guess they're looking for younger than Erbe who is now in her forties.

For captain, they needed maturity so they got Mary Elizabeth Mastriantonio (Sp?) who I last remember as a swordfish boat captain in The Perfect Storm (an excellent movie, IMO). Guess they wanted more women for whatever reason. Maybe they didn't like the way Ross and Nichols tended to clash a bit since Nichols pulls Gorenesque stunts and now we know why Ross kept telling Eames not to let her partner take her down with him because he sees Eames as his counterpart and Goren as Nichols from his own experience.

So what are they going for I wonder? Whatever it is, they really should have just ended LOCI and Wolf could have called this L&O: something else that's not LOCI. It's an insult to the collective intelligence of LOCI fans and especially to VDO fans.

Now, I happen to really like Jeff Goldblum. He's kind of an odd duck as a human being and he's rather endearing in most of his movies. I like odd ducks.

I loved Mary Elizabeth Mastriantonio in The Perfect Storm and The Abyss. Apparently she was Maid Marion in some Robin Hood movie, though which one escapes me as I think it may have been from the one that had that awful song by Bryan Adams, which marked the beginning of his power ballad phase and it made me want to puke. But that's what people are laughing at her for so I am assuming that was it. Oh well, one bad movie does not a career kill, IMO.

Saffron Burrows I have no clue about. I recall she was on Boston Legal as an Alan Shore love interest but apparently she wasn't memorable enough for me to remember. Again, nothing against her as I don't know much about her and she's just taking a job along with the other two.

Despite all this, I'm just so disappointed that they are reinventing the show and keeping the name in the hopes that the name of the show can attract an audience. And I hate the way they treated the departing actors. It's especially disturbing the way Kathryn Erbe was treated from the news that has been leaking out on the situation.

All of it is enough to make me hate the show. I'm not watching the season premiere. I feel sorry for the actors taking over as really, they're not at any fault here. An acting job is an acting job and if it wasn't going to be any of them, it would have been someone else. However they seem to be sharing in the animosity and it's too bad. All that hate should be directed at the network and Dick Wolf.

Let's certainly not forget Dick Wolf. A man who thinks actors and characters are expendable because he seems to view all his shows as the same thing and that is so not true. Maybe the mothership can lose characters left and right, but SVU and LOCI are more character driven. Especially LOCI. SVU has a larger base of characters so maybe it could survive the departure of either Stabler or Benson, but LOCI had Goren and Eames all the way through. That's it.

Now, not only do we not have our main reasons for watching the show, we don't even have any of the peripheral characters like an ADA Carver or a Captain Ross who has more history with the show than Detective Nichols. WTF???

This show is so dead. It annoys me that USA and Wolf Productions have the nerve to call it LOCI. Cancellation would have been painful but understandable. In one of my letters to USA, I did tell them if they couldn't afford the show, they shouldn't have renewed it. I'd rather see it canceled outright than bastardized into something unrecognizable.

So if I don't learn for sure who dies in the finale (and yes, despite the fact that it's called the season premiere, it really is the finale) before hand, someone who watches it needs to tell me. I won't watch them kill off Eames. It would break my heart just like it broke my heart to see Frank Pembleton have to arrest Tim Baylis for murder in the finale of Homicide: Life on the Streets. In my mind it never happened. Lt. Giardello didn't die in my mind either.

And just like Homicide ended for me with the departure of Frank Pembleton, LOCI will end with Goren being 'set free' by his insane mentor, Declan Gage, with Ladies Man as an epilogue to show us Detective Goren almost recovered and back to his old self. I'm really good at watching tapes and DVDs of my favorite shows without watching the bad parts.

Okay, hopefully this will be the end of the rant. It's just difficult when I see things to remind me of the change and sets off another round of ranting and raving and an incredible feeling of disgust through me. Just when I think I'm in full acceptance, another little news item hits and it reminds me of just how much I will miss this show.

Last week at work a co-worker mentioned Burn Notice - a show we both like - and I mentioned I wouldn't be watching. He asked why and I told him. Also told him not to get attached to the show because once it's been on long enough, if the actors cost too much they're going to dump them and bring in new ones. He was surprised they would even keep the title LOCI since - and he doesn't really watch the show - it seemed to be about that 'big guy detective.' lol He only sees promos and maybe watched an episode or two and even he knows what LOCI has always been about.

So, who is going to end up watching LOCI? Well, I don't know. I bet the season premiere will get big numbers because it's the departure of Goren and Eames. But after that if even casual viewers think the show is supposed to be about Goren, I bet they won't stick around for long either.

[NP: Foo Fighters - DOA]

A Break From the Angst

2009-11-01T21:15:00.006-05:00

Okay, I've had it with politics and LOCI angst. Thought I make a music post to change it up a bit and to placate my music friends who say they'd never know I was such a music fiend by reading my blog. lol

U2 had a live streaming concert on Oct. 25th from the Rose Bowl. I caught some of it but not all. This, however, is a huge favorite of mine from their newest album, New Line On The Horizon. It's a great song. This performance is full of energy and it makes me feel good. Kind of how I feel after all the angst thrown upon the LOCI fandom.

I love this band and I love their music. It makes me feel good and makes me want to jump around and dance. :-)

Here is the portion of the lyrics I love best:

Every generation gets a chance to change the world
Pity the nation that won't listen to your boys and girls
'Cause the sweetest melody is the one we haven't heard
Is it true that perfect love drives out all fear
The right to appear ridiculous is something I hold dear
Oh, but a change of heart comes slow

It's not a hill, it's a mountain
As you start out the climb
Listen for me, I'll be shouting
We're gonna make it all the way to the light
But you know I'll go crazy if I don't go crazy tonight

U2 is the best band in the world. Well, along side R.E.M. lol

It's Halloween

2009-10-31T18:19:00.011-04:00

And it's cold and I have a lot of candy but no trick-or-treaters. lol The thing is, I know there are hardly any kids trick-or-treating around her but I buy the candy anyway. And no, I won't be eating all of it myself....well, maybe a few. The rest I take to the office so these people:

I actually work with these people

...can eat it. ;-)

I'm sure it won't be a problem. The guy in the pink shirt and blazer and the one next to him are supposed to be Crockett & Tubbs from Miami Vice - in case anyone was wondering.

I'm not in this photo as I did not get dressed up for Halloween. The last time I got dressed up for Halloween was probably 25 years ago. That was when I was svelte enough to look good in something that isn't a 'blob' costume.

Besides, I don't do well in Halloween get up. I once got an awful rash on my face and hands after painting my face and hands silver - I was an alien. I once hit my head on the door frame of a car when I couldn't see out of my panda mask. I fell flat on my ass when I was dressed as a Can Can dancer in very high heels. I fell flat on my face when I was dressed as Morticia Adams in a ridiculously tight dress. I poked myself with a pin inside a Geisha wig when I tried to put it on before realizing there was a pin in there. Why was it in there? I have no idea.

So at the ripe old age of 50, I refuse to dress up. If I had done the vampire thing I'd probably have bitten my own lip or tongue or something.

My hubby and I and the cats are just hanging out. We were trying to get Leaper - the black kitty - to sit in the window as our Halloween decor but he's not cooperating. lol At the moment, he and Oliver have taken to napping on shirts I put out for them to sleep on in the living room.

Notice all the space available and yet...Oliver sleeps right
on top of Leaper.

Well, off to have some beef barley soup. Grilling time is over so it's crock pot and oven time.

For all who observe it, hope you're enjoying Halloween!

[NP: Lou Reed - Walk on the Wild Side]

Boycott NBC, USA and Wolf Productions

2009-10-30T17:50:00.005-04:00

They all suck. Why? Well, take a look at this post on Basric's informative blog and then write letters to the powers that be again to complain and to tell them exactly how you feel. If you're like me, you're pissed and hope they all tank.

All I know is, they're getting a new round of letters. I've hated NBC since they treated Letterman like crap. Now I'm just permanently going to stop watching anything they have to offer. Which means I may have to give up Morning Joe as MSNBC is still part of that horrid family. Not sure I can do that as it's the only political show I kind of enjoy because no one on it is a nut job - except maybe some of the guests once in a while.

Still, it's horrible the way they treat talent. And of course no wonder the Goren/Eames episodes were so weak. I think Dick Wolf would treat his actors better but why should I think so? He never thought they were important to begin with. So he covered his own ass and tossed out his best talent and doesn't care if the SVU actors get tossed either. Fine. I hope all his shows tank.

I hope NBC continues to suck. It's not hard to wean myself off of NBC shows as I don't watch any regularly at the moment and don't plan to now.

I'm sending out letters informing them I won't even watch reruns of LOCI with Goren and Eames because I can always just watch my tapes/DVDs. It's sad to know that Vincent would have considered staying with the show and that Kate also wanted to return but NBC made it impossible and Dick Wolf hung them out to dry.

Well, I hope they're happy. They finally killed LOCI.

I also feel sorry for Jeff Goldblum and Saffron Burrows who inherited a horrible show at this point. Horrible because the network doesn't want it to be good. They've been sabotaged before they even started.

Killing off Goren or Eames is NOT going to make me happy and as far as I'm concerned, LOCI ended with Frame in season 7 with Ladies Man as an epilogue to show Goren back to his old self, working with his partner and moving beyond his past. It was the only episode I enjoyed last season. And it is the only one I will recognize as being part of the LOCI saga.

I won't be watching the premiere even. No way I'm going to watch them kill of one of my favorite detectives.

I knew something was fishy when all the writers were let go at the same time at the end of season 7. Now I know what it was. They wanted the show to suck. Seeing how Walon Green is still the show runner, I'd say they really want the show dead.

So fuck you, NBC, USA and Dick Wolf. I know one show isn't going to make or break you but I hope it's the beginning of the end. You selfish, power hungry bastards.

[NP: Elvis Costello - Radio, Radio]

Kitty Pictures

2009-10-29T10:24:00.006-04:00

As promised here are updated photos of my two little bundles of kitty joy.

Oliver feel bored on a rainy fall day.

The weather is so ugly, Leaper decides to sleep through it.

Oliver finally got up and headed for his favorite spot in the
kitchen. He woke Leaper up in the process and now the two
of them are trying to share space.
(Sorry this one is blurry but I was rushing)

So Oliver is growing nicely as you can see. He's less gassy than he used to be but still has the ability to clear a room. That song Phoebe from Friends used to sing applies to Oliver - Smelly Cat. lol

[NP: Rolling Stones - You Can't Always Get What You Want]

Never Trust Anyone Named Dick

2009-10-27T19:47:00.005-04:00

No, I'm talking about DICK Cheney this time. Besides it should be common sense to all non-assholes that you shouldn't trust DICK Cheney. Considering the horrendous track record of the Bush Administration, you'd think he would STFU and go away instead of continuing to harp on how he thinks President Obama should fix the mess Cheney and company made.

Ah, but I digress....on to the actual DICK of the moment.

This time it's Dick Wolf. Rumor has it they will be killing off one of the three departing characters. Thanks to BobbyG for the link to this story.

So it seems just letting them go wasn't enough. Since Vincent has mentioned showing up from time to time on LOCI, I assume that means Eames or Ross will die. That's a crappy thing to do but what do I expect from someone named Dick?

The thing is, now that we will have no original writers, no original cast and crappy story lines, how can this be called Law & Order: Criminal Intent? It's really turned into just another cop show.

Sad to see them leave this way. It's even worse than Homicide: Life on the Streets. At least they had a majority of their original cast intact when it went out - granted it limped out but at least it didn't completely self-destruct like LOCI seems to be doing.

While I do like Eric Bogosian's Ross character, if someone has to die all I can say is, it better NOT be Eames. Goren I'm relatively sure will survive from what VDO said in regards to his departure.

Okay, with that little rumor out and about, I'm officially boycotting not only USA but anything Dick Wolf puts out in the future. I am certainly not watching anything he's putting out now. L&O was a great series but really needs to be put out of our misery. SVU has always been unwatchable for me. I had high hopes for it, too. Christopher Meloni, B.D. Wong and Richard Belzer have always been favorites of mine. Nothing they could do could salvage that mess for me.

LOCI was the best of the bunch. It stopped being watchable for me when they brought on that awful Walon Green as show runner for the Goren/Eames episodes. I guess they were hoping to kill off that half of the show at that time. Certainly it made the Nichols episodes look better. And that's not saying much. No offense to Jeff Goldblum. As with Vincent and Kathryn, they could only do so much with what they were given to work with.

I'm so disappointed. Nothing but bad news over at LOCI. I guess Dick Wolf has run out of good ideas.

[NP: Modest Mouse - Ocean Breathes Salty]

Miscellaneous

2009-10-25T15:21:00.003-04:00

It's a cold and rainy day and we're holed up in our house. Looks like H1N1 is really hitting our area now. Sadly, we're also short on vaccines for both the regular flu and H1N1. My husband already got his flu shot. I have yet to get one. I'm thinking I need to have my regular physician refer me to my husband's lung doctor so I can get a shot. Apparently they're not giving vaccines to internists. Only to pulminologists since our doctor said he was informed the supply is short so he wasn't getting any. Wonderful. We're going to just stay home - when I don't have to work that is - and not go anywhere. I've been using enough Purell to wish I owned stock in the company. Okay, it's actually Germ X, which is cheaper but the same thing.

On up side, not as much to cover in the school news department as they keep canceling events and in some areas closing schools due to illness. Not that it's a good thing but it's less places for me to have to be to catch something. In fact, I'm thinking of asking to be excused from covering anything that may expose me to H1N1. The local high school had it's first case last week.

Maybe I'm over reacting? You know, because if I get it, my doctor tells me I'll probably end up in the hospital because of my asthma. And of course I don't want to go into the hospital as we have enough medical bills to catch up with as it is and I don't think I can afford to be sick. Thanks to the "best health care system in the world" according to Republicans like Orrin Hatch, I am planning to just die if I ever get a terminal illness. Why? Because if I end up getting cured, I will owe so much money I will never be able to stop working. It's nice to know the Republicans and conservative Democrats have their heads firmly planted up their asses. Who the hell cares if we have such cutting edge medicine if WE CAN'T AFFORD IT??? Other countries can because their governments apparently give a shit if they are sick or not.

I've decided that the media is making us all hysterical. Not about health care but about politics in general. So I've been kind of trying to avoid the extremes. But then, the politically correct ones bug me, too. Like news pundits who feel they have to be nice and not call Sarah Palin a self-aggrandizing, thin skinned, selfish, obnoxious, idiot with a whiny ass voice.

Her book is on the best seller list when it was just announced that she was actually writing one. Right. I'm sure it's ghost written or heavily edited so those of us who actually speak English can read it and understand. Why is her book on that list? Because we love a freak show. That's why Glenn Beck is so popular. I have to confess I sometimes watch him but not because I think he actually has a clue. But because I'm hoping to witness the final nervous breakdown when he cracks up and needs to be carried off set by the men in white coats. Needless to say I usually watch with the sound turned off because there's only so much bullshit I can take.

Speaking of bullshit, lots of bullshit being flung on one particular LOCI forum I'm told. Personally haven't been there in ages but apparently, a lot of members are being driven away from ci-us due to the mean-spirited, assholes who frequent the place. I left a long time ago and deleted my account because it's so ill-managed. The mods favor members who share their POV and tend to treat the rest like crap. Or allow them to treat others like crap. Either that or they are just disengaged and not paying attention. Makes me miss Major Case a lot. Caring mods who treat everyone equally regardless of whether you're Rene Balcer or some troll who just like forum jumping under different guises just to make trouble.

Fall is in full swing here. The trees are beautiful. Reminds me of when my husband and I would take our Old English Sheep Dog Belle and hop in the Jaguar Mark II and go for a drive up to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan just to see the colors. I miss it. The dog, the car, the good health that allowed us to take impromptu trips.

Life isn't horrible or anything. It's just sometimes I get nostalgic. Just like I get nostalgic for Waiamea Falls before it became a tourist trap and stuff. I can live without it but I do look back fondly on all of it.

On the up side of life, word has come down from corporate that we will be getting new computers in January. I guess the new - what-ever she was - who came down to visit all the properties in the area was suitably horrified to see the horrible conditions we work under. She can't do anything about the waterfall in the front office but she can give us proper equipment. A little bit of good did come from their 20 minute stop at our decrepit old building.

Have some kitty pictures to post but will do it later. Have a good week!

[NP: R.E.M. - Imitation of Life]

I Like My Doctor But.....

2009-10-18T17:54:00.004-04:00

...I hate going to see him. Mostly I'm going because all I need to renew my prescriptions for Rhinocort and Advair. Having sinusitis and asthma I need to see my doctor at least once a year. But it always ends up being so much more complicated.

So I ran out of everything and I've gone through like six boxes of Kleenex in one month because my nose won't stop bugging me and I'm starting to develop a cough. Great. My husband lectured me about how I always lecture him about the doctor and yet here I am, like an idiot, putting off the inevitable.

I made my appointment and went Friday. I hate going to the doctor. My doctor is a great doctor. Very nice, and very NOT PREACHY. He's Korean and he's cute in that "I'm forty-something but I look ten" kind of way. My mom, who used to go to him as well, once spent the entire visit asking him if he was really a doctor because he looked like he was too young to be a doctor.

Despite being Asian and incredibly polite, my doctor reminded exactly why I loathe going to the doctor even just for a routine "I need my prescriptions refilled so please just take my blood pressure, listen to me breathe and I'll be on my way" kind of visit. Because it's never that simple. He always wants blood work done and he always reminds me of the weight I should lose. Then he reminds me of the mammogram I need and the pap smear and this time around, a lung function test. Oh and by the way, I'm 50, so he notes. Which apparently means I should I should consider having a colonoscopy.

Okay, so going to the doctor has been so good for my ego. I'm fat, I'm old and I need even more tests than the usual round of crap I have to endure. Got it.

Well, the mammogram and pap has been scheduled as has the lung function test. I've done those before when I first developed asthma. The colonoscopy is being considered. Probably it will continue to be considered until I think I have a problem. No blood in the stool, no stomach cramping and no irregular bowel movements. Oh, so maybe I could do an occult blood test then. Having worked in specimen processing at the local lab, I know that means those three little cards upon which one has to place a small specimen of crap. *sigh*

Suddenly, 50 doesn't seem like it's no big deal. Let's not forget the FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) test because I'm getting to 'that age' where one is about to hit menopause.

The menopause I have mixed feelings about. It means no chance I could ever get pregnant. It also means I'm going to have hot flashes and be even bitchier than I already am during my period. Woo hoo.

So to recap. In the next couple of months, I'll be having my boobs pinched and twisted in that awful torture device masquerading as medical equipment to have a mammogram. I will have to be poked and prodded by my doctor who tries to make polite conversation as I lay there just knowing God is NOT a woman because if God was a woman, men would be undergoing this yearly embarrassment. I will have to be poked by the vampires at the lab for a blood sample and submit an occult blood card.

I know I should have a colonoscopy. But honestly, even with insurance there are co-pays and unless I suddenly start having problems in that area, I'm not letting anyone stick anything else up me besides a speculum. There's only so much a person can take and afford at one time.

[NP: John Trudell - Rant & Roll]

Another Milestone

2009-10-14T19:03:00.002-04:00

Well, another milestone is here. My husband turns 60 years young today. Wow....that's kind of weird to think about. When we first met he was 33 and I was 23. Time flies when you're having fun. Even when sometimes it's not so fun. All in all it's been a great time. I still feel like I'm 23 in my head. The body feels 50 upon occasion.

We're having the kids over on Saturday to celebrate. Cake and ice cream. We'd do food but Jimmy and Staci 2.0 are vegetarians and the girls like only hamburgers and hotdogs and Jim wants barbecue ribs. Me, I eat any of the things listed - my hips and butt are evidence of that.

Probably will end up doing pizza so everyone will be happy and have ribs for dinner when it's just the two of us and the hoard have left. lol

Took the day off - not because of the birthday but because we had the carpets cleaned and the little kitty Oliver had to go to the vet. He's got some kind of allergy that's making him itch. He's got little scabs on his little kitty head and neck and he's always scratching. He got a shot to take care of the itching and we're going to see if changing his diet helps, etc. Oh and he's gained weight. Went from 3.0 pounds to 3.8 pounds. His scrawny tail is all filled out. I'd put up a new picture but he is pretty mad at me so he's hiding in the storage room and won't come out. I don't blame him.

It's been a mellow day over all. Got fed up with the news today and realized Jon Stewart is right that ALL the US news media seem to have their heads up their butts, not just FIX news. Here's a clip of his rant on CNN.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

CNN Leaves It There

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Ron Paul Interview

[NP: Foo Fighters - There Goes My Hero]

It's Going to be a Cold Winter

2009-10-11T14:44:00.003-04:00

At least that's what the local weather people are predicting. They have been known to be wrong but quite frankly it already feels like a cold winter. No more Vincent D'Onofrio or Kathryn Erbe and to make it even worse, even Eric Bogosian is leaving LOCI.

The Tigers LOST to the Twins so no more baseball for me - except to root against the Yankees. So far Minnesota is breaking my heart. I hope they rally and hand the Yankees their ass on a platter. Apologies to any friends who are Yankee fans. I just can't stand the obnoxiousness of Steinbrenner and this the way he treats people who work for him. Also am hoping Joe Torre's Dodgers will meet them in the world series and kick their sorry butt. I'd love to see Steinbrenner's ugly face enraged. lol

So it seems normally cooler weather makes me happy but with all the rain it's been damp and dark and makes it feel gloomy.

Health care reform is turning out to be a massive joke in this country. I doubt we will have anything good at the end. Either more of the same or worse. They're talking about making it mandatory for everyone to have insurance but they don't want to give us a public option to choose from. The insurance company dweebs are thrilled. Now we won't have to worry about some government bureaucrat making our medical decisions for us. We can continue to have some insurance company bureaucrat doing it as they have been thus far. This country is so totally fucked it's hard to continue being optimistic.

On the upside, the Republicans keep shooting themselves in the foot. They're in single digit approval numbers despite the Democrats taking a big dive in approval numbers. Just because people are mad at Democrats doesn't mean they're running to Republicans. How could they? They've got Rush "All the fat from my body is in my head now" Limbaugh and Glenn "I could have a nervous breakdown on the spot" Beck making these outrageous comments and only a couple of Republicans have bothered to call them on it without then rushing over to kiss their butts because they're afraid they're base won't re-elect them if they dare to contradict the disastrous duo.

Here's something I thought I'd share with those of you who don't get to watch The Colbert Report regularly. It's a thing of beauty what Stephen Colbert does. He's pure comic genius and is quite possibly the sharpest mind on late night television.

Here's my favorite of the week I just had to post here so I could have it on hand to refer to when the nut jobs get to be a bit much. I love Stephen Colbert. :-)

The Colbert Report

Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c

Bend It Like Beck

www.colbertnation.com

Colbert Report Full Episodes

Political Humor

Michael Moore

Good News, Bad News

2009-10-05T19:14:00.003-04:00

Some good news and bad news coming my way these days. Thought I'd share some.

Good news! The Tigers won yesterday against the White Sox. This means they're tied for first place in the AL Central and will have one more chance to win in the tie breaker game against the Minnesota Twins.

The bad news is they were leading by SEVEN games at one point and my feelings are that even if they win against Minnesota and take the division, they've got to play the Yankees and quite frankly, I just don't see them getting it done. Trust me, it's not like I want the evil empire to beat us, but hey, let's face it reality bites.

Good news! Seems the blogosphere is filled news of faithful fans flooding USA/NBC/Universal with letters protesting the exit of Vincent and Kathryn. So they know what they're losing - whether they rather not acknowledge the truth of the lost ratings or not. Someone said the people who post online and visit fan sites are a minority and most fans don't express themselves that way. Perhaps, but the ratings for this show need all the help it can get and it's not going to get any.

The bad news is, apparently Vincent's sister has stated that he is the one who has decided to leave the show to pursue other projects. Which means really, no matter how mad we get and how loudly we yell at USA, it's no longer in their power to bring him or Kathryn back. It seems she has also decided to move on instead of being the other half of the Nichols team.

Good news! I have found a way to make politics palatable.

The bad news is I have to ignore everything. Otherwise I get this uncontrollable urge to scream at the television screen, pick up a baseball bat and hit anyone who tells me they don't know if Barack Obama is an American because he won't show us his birth certificate. I've been wishing horrible things for Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck. If you all thought Wanda Sykes was bad when she wished Limbaugh's kidneys would fail, you'd be shocked at my thoughts of what I am wishing for Mr. Limbaugh and his lunatic cohort Glenn Beck. These people are so horrible even Dante couldn't imagine a level of hell horrible enough to punish them for eternity. I will throw in all the birthers, death panelists and well, Republicans who think those two actually have a point about anything.

Good news! Health care reform is moving forward.

The bad news is it's going to suck. Senator Max Baucus - a Democrat - is in the pocket of the insurance companies. He received over three million dollars from them and he was instrumental in killing free choice. He also says no way there will be a public option. So he's been bought and paid for and he's doing what his constituents want. His constituents are the insurance companies apparently.

For some lighter fluff, the good news is, our kitty Oliver is now sleeping in bed with us. He even curls up right by my head. The bad news? Well, yes, there is some bad news. He's a gassy cat and having a gassy cat sleeping on your head is NOT a good thing. :-/ Think we're going to have to have a conversation with the vet about our precious little bundle of kitty joy's diet. lol

Okay, so that's it for now. Hopefully I will get over my anger and stop sounding like Lewis Black when I talk about politicians and stupid people who actually think Barack Obama is NOT really a U.S. citizen.

[NP: R.E.M. - Ignoreland]

Express Yourself

2009-09-29T10:45:00.004-04:00

Saw this at Life and Vincent and got it through email from maherjunkie. Please follow through and express your displeasure.

Personally I think the loss of Goren and Eames is a done deal but we can express our displeasure and let Vincent and Kathryn know how much we appreciate them and their work on LOCI and how much they will be missed. As I said before, I love Jeff Goldblum but LOCI is nothing without Goren and certainly so much less without Goren AND Eames.

So write, express yourself passionately but respectfully and let them know what they will be losing when they lose Goren and Eames.

Though the Nielsen ratings will be the true test, I say that those who want to send a message to key NBCU executives should do so. In fact I urge you to write, for yourselves as well as the actors. If enough people (and that is, thousands) take immediate action I don't think the effort will be wasted.

Bonnie Hammer
President
NBCU Cable Entertainment and Universal Cable Productions

Snail mail address:
3000 West Alameda Avenue
Burbank, CA 91523-0002

I suggest a short, well-composed postcard (or multiple postcards) rather than letters. Clearly state your displeasure with the decision to dump Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe and your request that the decision be reversed. Three good, focused sentences will more likely be taken seriously than a lot of scribble. Try to stay polite. Don't make threats; don't say anything bad about Jeff Goldblum. ("Watch your back, bitch" is not an option-MJ) Definitely spell and grammar check before sending; and write legibly (or use a printer).

And don't delay. Also, if you post on other CI or VDO boards, you would do well to pass this information on ASAP. If Vincent D'Onofrio really has as many steadfast fans as everyone here thinks, a strong, grassroots effort should be fairly easy to mobilize.

Send your emails to all of these people:
bonnie.hammer@nbcuni.com
jeff.gaspin@nbcuni.com
andrea.epstein@nbcuni.com

Senior VP of Network Publicity Jean Guerin.
jean.guerin@nbcuni.com
212-664-8988

[NP: Mary Chapin Carpenter - Shut Up & Kiss Me]

Kitty Update

2009-09-27T14:53:00.003-04:00

Well, enough doom and gloom and gnashing of teeth. I have made peace with the fact that USA has killed LOCI. So thought I'd share an update on my Oliver and Leaper, who are still getting along marvelously. I've always wanted cats who cuddle and never had any - despite having three at one time once.

Oliver has grown and you can tell from the photo. Not surprising since he eats EVERYTHING. He was bugging me while I was cleaning breakfast dishes and since we had pancakes, I doubted he would want any. But just to shut him up (even though it's so cute when he meows) I took a small bit and let him check it out and he ate it. lol

So here they are all cuddled up and napping yesterday.

Leaper and Oliver, napping.
Just prior to this Leaper was grooming the little guy.

[NP: No music, just Tigers Baseball]

R.I.P. LOCI

2009-09-27T12:35:00.004-04:00

Well, I've decided it's probably a good thing for Vincent D'Onofrio and those who are leaving with him to go. The show really has gone downhill after season 7. Some say after season 5 but I liked the change up Leight gave us during season 6 and 7. By then I couldn't have cared less about the perps. I was so much more interested in the lead characters that the case file sometimes just got in the way. lol

I know it was supposed to be about the criminals and the cops were just supposed to be moving the story along. But when you have two superb actors such as Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe playing the lead roles, it's hard to not care about them. They're not over the top or really unlikable like the SVU leads. [This criticism is for the characters. The actors are just doing what they're expected to do. I love Chris Meloni. Am watching him (and Erbe) in Oz right now and he's superb, same for B.D. Wong.]

The irony of all this is that USA is supposed to be all about characters. And yet, they're just dumping three characters for financial considerations. Here's a post I came across last night by BASRIC. I will vouch for her as an honest person - not like some who claim to be experts on a certain forum I no longer frequent who are just pushing an agenda - who has been quite enlightening on the behind the scenes in the past.

What I come away with from this post is that it's nice to know that D'Onofrio and Erbe have a lot of loyalty to each other and to the integrity of their characters, who wouldn't abandon each other either. I know Vincent is the focus of most but the partnership of Goren and Eames has really taken on a life of its own thanks to the enigmatic nature of their relationship.

I also am a little less angry at Wolf Productions for saying no to killing off Ross, Goren and Eames. At least they have some kind of idea of the importance of these characters to the fans. USA - again, most ironically - apparently doesn't care about their so-called character oriented reputation when it interferes with the bottom line.

I wrote USA to complain. Wish I had stopped to save my letter but I was so angry and ready to just tell them what I thought - I didn't swear or froth at the mouth like Glenn Beck, I restrained myself and settled for sarcasm - but since apparently we have similar feelings on the matter, here's a post by BobbyG that pretty much said everything I said or wish I had said. I didn't tell them I'm no longer watching anything on that network - not even Burn Notice, which I love due to Bruce Campbell. I figure they'll dump all of them if they become too expensive anyway.

I encourage everyone to boycott USA. I know I will once my beloved characters are gone. With all due respect to Jeff Goldblum, LOCI was Vincent's show. He has created a good character but needs to be on a show NOT called LOCI. LOCI no longer exists once Goren and Eames are gone.

So good luck to Vincent, Kathryn and Eric. You will be missed.

Goren and Eames - a united front.

[NP: Roxy Music - Love Is the Drug]

Conflicted

2009-09-25T20:20:00.004-04:00

So it's the end. Vincent D'Onofrio, Kathryn Erbe and Eric Bogosian will all be exiting LOCI at some point in season 9. Found it in my Google Alerts - thanks to the heads up from BobbyG and maherjunkie. I suppose that means the season opener with all of them and then one by one they go? Goldblum is returning. Nicholson is not. So some new nubile young thing will join Jeff. Sad, isn't it? That LOCI should come to such an end?

USA can kiss Vincent's fans goodbye because none of us will continue watching the mess the show has become. Although Goldblum has done a pretty good job with what they gave him. I hope his fans are as loyal as Vincent's are.

I have mixed feelings about this news. On one hand, I'm going to miss seeing Vincent on a regular basis since he has a preference for indie films and while I love indie films as well, they aren't easy to come by and I'll have to wait to find them on the Independent Film Channel. :-/

On the other hand, I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off me as I no longer have to stress over what the awful writers will do to them next season. I am hoping the Goldblum crew are staying and the Walon Green crew will be leaving. Goldblum's writers were so much better.

So I suppose I can just watch and hope the exit is handled well. Once Goren, Eames and Ross have all exited, I'll be done. I am also a huge fan of Kathryn Erbe and Eric Bogosian so if they're on for an episode or two beyond Goren's departure, I'll watch. I like Jeff Goldblum and all but not enough to watch on a regular basis. It's no longer must see TV for me.

I'm sure most have heard the news but just in case, here is the full story. Read and weep or rejoice depending on your POV. I'd post photos but Blogger isn't cooperating so I'll just have to wait to do it later.

Having a weekend off from grandparent duties so will probably complain or rejoice more about this depending on how I end up feeling by the time I post.

I will probably post more on this later but wanted to mention that after a couple of years of not watching House because it was so formulaic and House was becoming more of a curmudgeon than even I liked, it came back with a powerful 2 hour season opener with Andre Braugher as guest star. Andre Braugher and Hugh Laurie gave performances worthy of an Emmy.

[NP: R.E.M. - Imitation of Life]