Welcome to the 7th year of media-list-keeping on LJ! Will this be the year I don't exceed the post limit? I BET NOT. Anyway: Bold means I absolutely loved it, italic means I greatly enjoyed and would recommend it, plain text indicates a wide range from average to mediocre, and strikethrough is what I want to punch. * = a reread/rewatch. I also maintain a Goodreads account and sometimes have longer reviews there. Friend me!
[ETA: When LJ "clusters" went kablooey, it deleted this post. I was still able to view the original, so I replaced it and added a couple of books in a new post. Then that post disappeared (but again, I can still view it) and this one came back. So there may be a double post in the future.]
~~~~~~~
( and moviesCollapse )
* Deep cleaning the fridge (ACHIEVEMENT!!)
* A 1-hour walk
* 80 pages of reading (what is wrong with me that I can't finish books in a single day anymore??)
* An episode of NCIS, 2 of the Simpsons, and a pair of That 70s Show reruns
* ...a lot of sloth
* But then 2 loads of laundry, clearing all my random crap off the bed, and now this post!
I haven't had the time to sit down and catalog it all in weeks, so I might have made some duplicate posts and/or I might have missed some stuff. I have just been cleaning up WILDLY at bargain basement prices lately, so even though I have spent, um, kind of a largeish amount in total, it's all just so...great? And lots of it is useful, too! Great AND useful. Most of the things aren't even books.
Inexpensive and Awesome Things I Have Acquired In Roughly The Last Month
( with picturesCollapse )
-----
Prior to this week I'd been hearing doomy-sounding rumblings of predictions about Castle's finale, which I was trying to ignore as the delusions of paranoid people who don't watch enough TV to realize that Castle-the-show's romance arc is a rare and special breed, so as soon as it aired I lost my self control and cracked open the TV Line recap.
Flicked my eyes over it without taking in much detail, waiting for the dreaded bad news at the end...
HE ASKED HER TO MARRY HIM?!?!?!
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??
HEYYYYYY, I AM PRETTY OKAY WITH THIS! Also I am going to assume that this blatant ripoff of the season 5 Numb3rs finale cliffhanger means they are going to open season 6 all shiny and happy and engaged, like there was ever a doubt (possibly after spending 95% of the first episode making you doubt the end result).
I mean, Castle is basically Numb3rs' full sibling. Married showrunners who interact a lot with fans, an OTP fated to be, actors who love their characters with a passion, a crime drama exploding with cute personal moments everywhere and a strong focus on family. The Numb3rs proposal was also presented at a time where you thought she might not say yes due to extenuating circumstances. In conclusion, I expect to be proven right. There is so much story to tell, and Numb3rs got cut off long before they finished. Backtracking here would only waste time and not add anything relevant.
HE ASKED HER TO MARRY HIM?!?!?!
WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT??
HEYYYYYY, I AM PRETTY OKAY WITH THIS! Also I am going to assume that this blatant ripoff of the season 5 Numb3rs finale cliffhanger means they are going to open season 6 all shiny and happy and engaged, like there was ever a doubt (possibly after spending 95% of the first episode making you doubt the end result).
I mean, Castle is basically Numb3rs' full sibling. Married showrunners who interact a lot with fans, an OTP fated to be, actors who love their characters with a passion, a crime drama exploding with cute personal moments everywhere and a strong focus on family. The Numb3rs proposal was also presented at a time where you thought she might not say yes due to extenuating circumstances. In conclusion, I expect to be proven right. There is so much story to tell, and Numb3rs got cut off long before they finished. Backtracking here would only waste time and not add anything relevant.
---------
NON-TV THINGS:
I may have mentioned to you that I tend to type up my random thoughts each day in a Notepad file or two. What you may not realize is how many of these I create, especially since after I close one, I tend to just open a new one, thinking it'll be temporary, until there's something I need to save in THAT and it's faster to scribble a random new file name than to open my document library and copy/paste into an existing file. Let me show you what kind of digital pack rat's nest I am hoarding - just a taste of it, just documents that were edited sometime in the past 4 and a half months:
The reason so many of them have angry names is because I have anger issues. And also because I usually start my document for the day copying info I need for shopper contacts for work, and usually they're doing something irritating, either by being dumb or being stubborn, and usually the reason I end up saving that document the first time is notes for future coaching that I don't want to write at the current moment.
My goal this year is to weed through my endless number of .txt files and try to purge or at least condense some of them. Part of that goal is that I would like to just throw them out in "Grab Bag Livejournal" posts, where I'll have like 20 short topics. It wouldn't be any more organized, I suppose, but it would FEEL that way. Most of the content is stuff I planned to post here for discussion anyway, but then it got outdated before I had a post that had room for random comments, so I gave up. At this point, instead of merely "late," it can quality as "charmingly retro. Here's one to get us started:
1. Working Families Flexibility Act: What...is the rationale behind this?
(please explain the actual Republican rationale, and not 'BECAUSE EMPLOYERS THINK IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS TO SEE POOR PEOPLE STARVE.' I assume it's somehow a cost-cutting measure but I can't see how they're trying to sell it as simultaneously beneficial to workers. Are there any theoretical advantages to comp time vs. overtime pay?)
Because frankly this just seems like a bizarrely terrible idea to even be brought up; how did it ever pass anywhere? Like, this is a summary I found, and it's not neutral but it sounds as plain as a news article instead of carrying the usual overtone of liberal hysteria. My comments in italics:
What this bill really means is more work and less pay for workers, not flexibility:
-Workers will not get paid for hours that exceed 40 hours per week. That pay will instead go into an employer-controlled pot to be paid later.
(because...why?)
-An employer can refuse to allow a worker to take time off to deal with a family member or attend a parent-teacher conference. This is not real flexibility for workers.
(frankly that's a fair refusal on the employer's part, since you agree to work certain hours, but NOT when your time off is being offered as the incentive to delayed wage payment)
-Employers could schedule excessive overtime hours and only offer overtime work to workers who agree to take comp time instead of overtime wages.
(right? Like that seems like the very most obvious thing that would happen here)
-Since unused comp time will not be paid to workers until the end of the year, this amounts to an interest-free loan out of workers’ pockets to the employer.
(seriously. There is no clear benefit to hoarding the salary, but a clear way to hurt the worker having less in their pocket each month. And based on my experience as a student worker, when you get paid in a lump sum, aren't you taxed at a higher rate? A couple of times I would forget to turn my time card in on time, and no taxes were taken out when I made like $300 a month, but with 2 months' worth in one paycheck it bit into it.)
Because frankly this just seems like a bizarrely terrible idea to even be brought up; how did it ever pass anywhere? Like, this is a summary I found, and it's not neutral but it sounds as plain as a news article instead of carrying the usual overtone of liberal hysteria. My comments in italics:
What this bill really means is more work and less pay for workers, not flexibility:
-Workers will not get paid for hours that exceed 40 hours per week. That pay will instead go into an employer-controlled pot to be paid later.
(because...why?)
-An employer can refuse to allow a worker to take time off to deal with a family member or attend a parent-teacher conference. This is not real flexibility for workers.
(frankly that's a fair refusal on the employer's part, since you agree to work certain hours, but NOT when your time off is being offered as the incentive to delayed wage payment)
-Employers could schedule excessive overtime hours and only offer overtime work to workers who agree to take comp time instead of overtime wages.
(right? Like that seems like the very most obvious thing that would happen here)
-Since unused comp time will not be paid to workers until the end of the year, this amounts to an interest-free loan out of workers’ pockets to the employer.
(seriously. There is no clear benefit to hoarding the salary, but a clear way to hurt the worker having less in their pocket each month. And based on my experience as a student worker, when you get paid in a lump sum, aren't you taxed at a higher rate? A couple of times I would forget to turn my time card in on time, and no taxes were taken out when I made like $300 a month, but with 2 months' worth in one paycheck it bit into it.)
2. (bonus) For no reason at all, I'm having a day where I feel very emotional about Taylor Swift's "Long Live." I think it's my all-time favorite of hers, actually. (it maybe doesn't hurt how proud I am of the way I used its lyrics for two of my season 3 Glee review post titles/cut texts)
Double-episode catchup on the following below.
( Revolution 1x16-17, The Love Boat & The Longest DayCollapse )
-------
( Criminal Minds - last two before the finale. 95% focused on the second one.Collapse )
-------------
Aside from that, I left the internet for 36 hours and came back to find the pre-upfronts cancellation bloodbath in full swing. AXES EVERYWHERE! I was in total shock to see that Go On won't, until I investigated with that highly tactical tool Wikipedia to see its ratings had been cut 33% after Christmas, and kept sliding down until they were averaging around and under 3 million viewers by the last few weeks. I wish I'd been paying attention, because THAT SHOW IS NOT READY TO BE OVER, SORRY, IT'S JUST NOT. The Mindy Project is an example of a show that had a cute little run but is ready to be over with no ill effects. (So of course that's the only new comedy coming back. I'm happy for Kaling, but not as a viewer.)
CSI: NY is apparently over too. Sighing that Grey's Anatomy won the 2004-2005 Last Show Standing crown after all, but otherwise I can't really have feelings about it until I get around to watching this season. Which I am totally looking forward to this summer.
Pretty excited to see Whitney go down, but pretty WTF??? about Community, which honestly, I don't even understand its renewal, no matter how massive its social media credit rating. What is season 5 even going to look like?
Also super excited to watch The New Normal die. That's another one I just assumed had staying power, but HAHAHA NOPE. Granted, this just gives Ryan Murphy license to focus on his newer and far more horrible show, and my Tumblr was mercifully TNN-free once I blacklisted the show title, but any day I saw Andrew Rannells' face was automatically a worse day. So I am glad that little experiment is over and done with.
OR CAN I.
Because I was wandering strange Glee blogs, as I do, and one of them apparently watches Smash because the next thing I know
"THEY FUCKING KILLED OFF KYLE."
And I'm sorry, WHAT?!??!?!?!?!?!
RAGE BOMB.
ALSO WHAT????
Arrrrgh! And I was SO GOOD about not clicking on the TVLine article that was the "Kyle's [SPOILER]" post, because I wanted to know but I didn't want to be spoiled on any other parts of what's been happening to the show in my temporary absence, and now I just -- I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WOULD THIS HAPPEN WHY WHY WHY WHY. Notice how I'm not even questioning whether this is accurate hysterical reporting or not, I just assume Season 2 Smash is twisted enough to really do that.
Update: curiosity got the better of me, so I'm flicking my eyes over the TVLine article in hopes of learning more (such as "yes, he's really dead, but sounds like I might get a decent reaction episode out of it") and found the following right beneath a really gorgeous picture of is he sitting next to Tom and leaning his head on his shoulder I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON BUT I APPROVE.
He went from fawning without any hope over Jimmy
VALIDATION!!!
to having a relationship with Blake the lighting guy,
Hew?
and then having an affair with Tom on the side.
Aww To - wait affair what the FUCK. Fine, show. Burn it, burn it all!
And yet I cannot wait to get back into this mess. *twitches in feverish anticipation*
p.s. I really love how the title of this show works in the tag section today.
Update #2: now I am ruining everything by creepin' on the Tumblr tag. Spoil ALL the Kyle scenes! Like literally spoil. What the hell is happening with your hair, kid? Did you shave the sides? Were you pre-emptively trying to make your death hurt less, because I definitely feel less sad now. It also looks like I am missing basically nothing re: Tom; the cuteness of that image is a lie! And, OK, cutting myself off from this tag now and restricting myself to my old episode reviews only. Thank goodness I have those to entertain me. When I say I write for myself, I sincerely mean it.
( Survivor: Double Whammy WeekCollapse )
---------
( NCISCollapse )
---------
( The Mindy ProjectCollapse )
----------
( The Middle: Facebook & bunnies & kittens, oh my!Collapse )
---------
Criminal Minds, 8x20, "Alchemy"
( Matthew Gray Gubler's directing. Show up.Collapse )
----------
Meanwhile, apparently Darren Criss went to a Taylor Swift concert, and
jakia irresponsibly questioned how hard people would judge her for shipping them ("shipping musically is different from shipping romantically," said one person, to which the answer was "what if it's both"), so now I am OBSESSED WITH THIS IDEA and my brain is basically exploding at the idea of so much facial and/or vocal pretty being contained in one place. I will not rest until there is fic and I have found it. Also, brb, following tayrren on Tumblr. At this point I feel like Taylor Swift might be the first female celeb worthy of a tag...-----------
I had other things I was going to cram into this post, but then the Glee songs came out and now I am just basically sobbing with happiness over "All Or Nothing" and hitting constant replay. That is everything I have ever wanted in the music and style and lyrics and singers department.
YEARBOOKS.
Specifically: A complete set of 1950-1953 high school yearbooks absolutely LOADED with signatures, many of them long and detailed messages, coating not only the covers and endpages but also many random pages in between. It's for St. Joseph's Academy (1851-1971), a Catholic girls' school in St. Paul. And I only paid $8 for the set, which is a high lump sum for one sale but very small in the world of cost-per-yearbook prices.
More details coming later after I figure out the best way to show the details off; for now I am having the most amazing time sifting through the elaborate cursive and learning little stories as I piece together her high school career (she was v. popular, apparently, and also one of the yearbook editors), fascinated as the voices of characters from another era come to life in the most authentic way possible - when I'm not busy being fascinated by the text and old photos, because in case you are unaware the 50s are my favorite decade.
BASICALLY, IT IS EVERYTHING I SEEK IN THE HOLY GRAIL OF GARAGE SALE YEARBOOK FINDS. (the actual holy grail, of course, would be a school from my hometown or that I have at least heard of previously, but this is literally 99% as good)
Weather: lol you thought I was serious when I said you could have spring back. hahaha, best!
Won't affect the church sale, which was my main goal, but ASDJFAKL;SJDFJKLASDFLS RAGE I'm pretty sure that snow cancels all private property sales, because even if people have garages, who's going to be out looking in this weather? And even if they do try, it seems like a waste of effort to still drive around to all of the ones I had planned to attend.
- Current Mood:
angry
ALERT,
muzzy_olorea (and anyone else who cares), ALERT! It's time to talk about Taylor Swift!( This is basically an essay about Red, minus a conclusion. I even have quotations! By which I mean lyrics.Collapse )
~~~~~~~~~~~
Speaking of musical delights, I finally bit the bullet I've been waffling over for almost a year and bought myself an eMusic subscription.( just me rambling a bit about logisticsCollapse )
- Current Music:Album - Red. But right now, "22."
I'm still trying to wrap my head around how fast the TV season is closing down around me. Mostly this means I'll need to start catchup marathons soon, and ugh, I do not remember how to marathon. I think I'm actually more looking forward to camping out on Tumblr and tracking everything Darren Criss & Chris Colfer do until they start shooting Glee again. (other things I am looking forward to this summer: GARAGE SALES!!!, and biking adventures, and continuing to read All The Books In The Land)
And on a random note - I rewatched Big Miracle and confirmed its status as a movie of perfection, for many reasons, but mostly
JOHN KRASKINSKI/DREW BARRYMORE = A++ KISSING MATCHUP.
How I Met Your Mother, 8x22, "Bro Mitzvah"
( otherwise known as a bachelor partyCollapse )
---------
( 2 Broke Girls, bein' extras for THE GREATEST SHOW ON THE PLANET, if you ask MaxCollapse )
-------
( Revolution: HomeCollapse )
Glee, 4x20, "Lights Out"
( So basically it looks like season 3?Collapse )
And yet I am.
( mumblety sigh can I please have another dog to pet in consolation?Collapse )
- Current Mood:
sad
Specifically, I left early to go browse through the antique stores on my way to work - which is already a great day on its own - but in the very first one there was this BEAUTIFUL German Shepherd/Collie mix (!!). It came over to me right away, then trotted off, and then to my unending joy came back and bumped its nose into me again. Because I am a blurter, when the owner came by to call it off I blurted out something about Kym and asked if it was OK to pet the dog for a while ("oh sure, I just didn't want her to bother you. You need some puppy love, huh?"). So I got to crouch on the floor and pet her with both hands (one simply was not enough to soak her in) for about five minutes. Super fluffy and shaggy - Collie length fur, close to Shepherd thickness - and with the prettiest narrow collie muzzle and general attitude of joy as she plopped into a sit and leaned into me for attention.
I felt like I almost made the car levitate with my joy as I drove the rest of the way to work. Floated through work. Floated home. Still on cloud 9.
It's not even just that it was a dog, it's that it was the perfect dog, Kym-sized and Kym-colored. First one I've encountered since she died, I just realized. Yes: that is perfect.
---------
( also, stuff happened on NeopetsCollapse )
- Current Mood:
ecstatic
( This episode is all over the place, in a good way, but right now I'm kiiiinda trying to just cope with a backstory bomb here.Collapse )
1. You know you listen to the French version of the Les Mis soundtrack too much when you set the English one in your alarm clock, and as you wake up, you're confused because the words sound like English but you can't understand them. (seriously, that was bizarre. It was probably partly due to just waking up, but it was like I literally could not connect the strange sounds to pictures in my head)
2. I love how after the Winter Storm Warning Blizzard, the weather immediately warmed up and turned back into spring, warmer every day, sunny, and melting all the snow ASAP until it looks like it did last week. I'm pretty sure that storm was actually a personal test. "You have been deemed worthy for your ability to make it home from work under the worst conditions. You may have spring back now."
3. Having a car that can handle both my CDs and my MP3 player is AMAZING. The sheer joy of driving for 25 minutes while listening to music that never sucks is so incredible I could cry. Plus, I have never been so happy with the rate at which my CD collection has increased in recent years.
4. This comment happened on ONTD a few days ago: ABCFam loves to hook underaged students up with their mentors and teachers (The Lying Game, Switched at Birth).
( I reacted. But don't get too excited.Collapse )
-----------
( LISTEN UP, SUPERNATURAL PEEPS:Collapse )
6. Television! That's how I spent the entirety of last night because I actually finished (regular) work early for once and had ZERO COMMITMENTS. Haven't seen Glee yet because I want to deal with this post first, despite the fact that I've accidentally entered Tumblr URLs 3 times already tonight
( Survivor - last weekCollapse )
------------
( Survivor - this weekCollapse )
----------
( Read more...RevolutionCollapse )
----------
NCIS, "Berlin"
( Pay attention! Something's finally happening!Collapse )
-----------
( Criminal Minds mini-catchupCollapse )
For your convenience, here is a list of Possible Songs To Restore Your Faith:
Don't Stop Believin' (optional - only if it still has power for you)
You Can't Stop The Beat
Roots Before Branches
Loser Like Me
Don't Stop
Silly Love Songs
Light Up The World
Borderline/Open Your Heart
Don't You Want Me
Here's To Us
Glory Days
Awesome, all this list did was make me want to create a choosy list of nostalgic songs that send my emotions into a tizzy. It would be at least 5 times longer and...never be finished, because it just occurred to me that I did start a list like this once for Tumblr, but never got around to finishing it. Maybe I should do it by season? Because there are fun songs on Glee, and nice songs I still want, and then there are songs that just sucker punch me with emotions and a rush of memories every time I hear them.
TRANSITION
Glee, 4x19, "Sweet Dreams"
Lately I keep having dreams where I'm a high school senior and dating Ryder. I wasn't going to admit that to the world, but I wanted to give Glee an idea of what "sweet dreams" actually look like, as opposed to this mess of an episode that doesn't even sing its title song.
( Wow. That was really not enjoyable, and also very, very lame.Collapse )
---------------
AND THEN AFTER THAT IT'S EPISODE 21.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 21 AND 22, SHALL WE?
-"Kurt's back in Ohio for Burt's medical appointment." Already dancing. Friendly reminder that my offer to sacrifice Burt in the manner of Pavarotti is still on the table, though I don't think it will be necessary. I just want to talk about cancer some more. That's how I roll.
-"Significant" Burt/Blaine scenes. Plural. "Thank you, God." And Blaine talks about his feelings for Kurt. "Did I already thank God?"
-Kurt and Blaine in the choir room at the same time! THIS IS NOT A DRILL.
-Also Kurt and Blaine + a couple irrelevant members of the class of 2012 at the Lima Bean. LOOK AT ALL THESE SCENES!
(sidebar reminder that while fandom was busy bitching about insufficient PDA last year, I did not for one second take Kurt & Blaine being in the background but together all the time for granted)
-A week ago, someone felt the need to drop a little "Blaine decides to propose" bombshell on us for the finale, and Mt. Fandom erupted like so:
I too had some feelings about it: "Oh, I am...so very angry I'm going to find someone to kill just to prove her wrong."
As the week wore on, the spoilers evolved and it now appears that Blaine is going to cool his jets and Jim Halpert his engagement route after all, which makes me a much happier panda, because I am all on board for seeing Blaine think about this. They've also upgraded it to "Blaine talks to several people" about these plans, and even though I'm betting "several" means "two, three if two of them are together," I like the sound of extra screentime for it.
I am still kind of leery of this plan, because of course that's where they need to be in the end, but I'm already sick of wading through people spazzing about how fast they can get hitched. I'll believe it when it happens, and I'm not bouncing off the walls with anticipation because Blaine is still in high school. We went over this nonsense in season 3. All I want from this finale is a guarantee that they're firmly pointed back toward each other, meaning a shift on Kurt's end. Ideally in a way where they are back together by the final seconds. I can dream.
It's still weird to talk about marriage as a pending canon thing. It feels awkward and uncomfortable in a way that all of their implied eternity promises did not. (and I am still not convinced we are meant to take that one stupid tweet as Gospel Truth Etched In Stone that Kurt will absolutely get married at age 21, although with the renewal news, it does seem more plausible)
But I am really excited that none of these spoilers are mentioning what Kurt thinks at all, because I would like to be surprised and delighted for something good on that front. Fingers crossed.
Then there's something something about Patty Duke as half of a lesbian mentoring couple for Klaine, about which I am less enthused. Try and surprise me, Glee, I dare you -- but television has had real poor luck interesting me in all-women couples, and your success/failure ratio on creating likable-on-sight gay and lesbian individuals is horrible.
If that felt like a rage tangent, it's because I'm feeling rageful now that I'm scrolling through a Klaine blog with actual season 3 content, and it feels...off. Like a sweater that's grown too small. And I'm angry and scared and worried all over again that they broke my ship and kept it away from me for so long, forcing me to turn to alternate options for squee, that I won't feel the same when I get it back.
[DISCLAIMER: I wrote the last 2 paragraphs last night and I've been too afraid to see if anything's changed. Maybe I should have left Candles on that playlist after all...]
[edit: my head is still reeling over the fact that they're really going to leave this year unfinished and set the season 5 premiere in spring 2013. This is either going to spiral very quickly into a Grey's Anatomy mess of timelines, or someone's school year is going to get shortchanged eventually. Lose/lose! Plus now I have more time to panic that Blaine will somehow not go to New York after all. Oh, yeah, I force-fed myself some more season 3 Kurt/Blaine today and I don't think it will take much to bring me back. One sweeping speech topped off with Heart Eyes ought to do it.]
In related news, yes I have read all the spoilers for the remainder of the season and have FEELINGS about them. No, I do not have room to talk about them here, but I will in the next post. 85% sure.
Glee, 4x18, Shooting Star
( The crime drama fairy came to visit my favorite characters. Magic ensued.Collapse )
~~~~~~~~~~
( P.S. here are some bonus fic recsCollapse )
-----------
Glee, 4x17, "Guilty Pleasures"
And yet again, here I am being like a month behind on an episode because I couldn't form coherent words about it, I just kept giggling and replaying my favorite scenes. If you need a refresher course, here is my Feelings Explosion about the spoilers we had right up to the point it aired.
( BLAM! Also Hummelberry and new fan favorite ship, Kruce.Collapse )
How I Met Your Mother, 8x21, "Romeward Bound": Did Barney learn nothing from the time Robin was pretty not-okay with him continuing to ogle strippers, or...? Keep makin' me not ship it, guys. High five. (but I did enjoy the Puffy Coat mystery)
Meanwhile, what is wrong with me that I, advocate of NO CHANGE EVER and huge proponent of "never leave the U.S. if possible," really wants Lily & Marshall to move to Italy? I assume they don't, because season 9, but that would be so cool for them.
(btw, I appreciate Lily being afraid to move more than 10 subways stops from where she grew up in theory, but LOL @ anyone being attached to New York City, like I can't even wrap my brain around it)
-------
2 Broke Girls and the Worst Selfie Ever: I'M SORRY, I JUST DON'T THINK I CAN MOVE PAST MAX VOLUNTEERING TO PERSONALLY EYEBALL CAROLINE'S STD. I don't mean like a dealbreaker, I mean this is quite literally the most wonderfully bizarre thing that has ever happened. Not sure how to convey my appreciation of exactly how shamelessly close their friendship is without crossing a line/sounding pervy, so I'll just make it worse: this is eclipsed only by the fact that Caroline apparently has no trouble showing her a picture of it. This is a thing that has officially happened! (am I the only person who kept expecting her to accidentally text the photo random contact while she had the phone up her skirt, blindly pressing buttons?)
For an episode plot that seemed really gross, it was actually one of the better ones this season. Caroline's herp-walk, minimal Oleg, "Nurses Without Credentials" Sofie, the fantastic gives-no-bothers nurse at the clinic, and most of all: THE TEMPORARY RETURN OF CANDY ANDY. Setting candy traps as bait/distraction to flee in unseen nudity to the bathroom (alas, Max has already secretly seen and approved. This is also a thing that has happened.)
Another "am the only person" question - who else initially thought the "under a dollar store" was a code word for the dump? I'm honestly surprised they haven't made a plotline out of dumpster-diving yet. That seems right up their alley.
For an episode plot that seemed really gross, it was actually one of the better ones this season. Caroline's herp-walk, minimal Oleg, "Nurses Without Credentials" Sofie, the fantastic gives-no-bothers nurse at the clinic, and most of all: THE TEMPORARY RETURN OF CANDY ANDY. Setting candy traps as bait/distraction to flee in unseen nudity to the bathroom (alas, Max has already secretly seen and approved. This is also a thing that has happened.)
Another "am the only person" question - who else initially thought the "under a dollar store" was a code word for the dump? I'm honestly surprised they haven't made a plotline out of dumpster-diving yet. That seems right up their alley.
------
Revolution: I've already forgotten what happened in episode 12 besides Randall backstory - he seems terrifically annoying, and I have yet to understand his rationale that this world somehow results in less unnecessary wartime death - and Rachel destroying a couple of those flash drives, but I definitely remember episode 13 since it gave me TEARY COMFORT HUGGING and later went "OH HEY, Miles & Rachel should make out a little before she leaves." ((screams internally)) My brain is so very happy right now!
And that's not even counting all the fun Neville capture/torture (albeit an insufficient amount before he escaped; damn it, guys - he is Enemy #1, you should know you need at least 6 armed guards at all times). I will totally sacrifice the Padre for that.After Danny, no one is sacred on this show. Kill them all, see if I care. Except maybe Rachel. I am also looking forward to Spoiled Wife Kim Raver trying to struggle through life as a fugitive.
And that's not even counting all the fun Neville capture/torture (albeit an insufficient amount before he escaped; damn it, guys - he is Enemy #1, you should know you need at least 6 armed guards at all times). I will totally sacrifice the Padre for that.
-------
Go On season finale: wow, that was super dickish of Anne and Mr. K. Her I will forgive, him I would like to see drown in a lake. I also didn't get why everyone wanted to burn things as closure (I HATE WHEN PEOPLE BURN PERFECTLY GOOD THINGS. Give them to charity). Also, the campground ceremony didn't exactly seem that "giant and over the top" to me, so I'm unclear why a repeat of that wouldn't have worked.
But at least I got a laugh out of Lauren getting high on helping people and Yolanda's increasingly elaborate fake problem, and I am always here for Janie flashbacks. Always. I'll never let go, Janie!
But at least I got a laugh out of Lauren getting high on helping people and Yolanda's increasingly elaborate fake problem, and I am always here for Janie flashbacks. Always. I'll never let go, Janie!
-------
The Mindy Project - Santa Fe: HAH, HAH, HAH!! That is like a new bar of vindictive writer laziness, except not really because the show is not old enough or deep enough for either of those things, but boy, that is a great template for other comedies. "Did you inherit a stupid character from previous writers/showrunners you don't want to deal with anymore? Have shippers who keep wondering when their OTP is gonna get back together, and won't shut up about it? Here's how to deal: throw your problem in rehab and claim they were a crack addict the whole time they were on the show, despite no outward evidence of that, and also secretly dating/sleeping with at least 4 different people simultaneously. They may also have stolen from their love interest. LOL BYE!"
Like, on any other show, I would assume this was some elaborate hoax/prank, because it was so hard to take him seriously that obviously he was just lying through his teeth, but...I think surface level is as deep as this show gets. And that is actually pretty hilarious to me. I love how they weren't content with him secretly leading a double dating life, they really wanted to salt that earth in case there was anyone still clinging onto hope of redemption.
I also greatly enjoyed Danny shaming everyone's lame/insufficiently classic addictions until he got himself thrown out, and the random plane hand-holding during turbulence and how he snatched her hand back when she tried to let go because he apparently wasn't quite done yet. Damn it, television! Stop exploiting my weak spot.
Episode as a whole could have done without British Doctor/Gross Nurse, but that's true of their characters in every situation and every episode. At least they were sequestered so I could skip their scenes entirely. Which it took me way too long to remember I could do when watching online.
Like, on any other show, I would assume this was some elaborate hoax/prank, because it was so hard to take him seriously that obviously he was just lying through his teeth, but...I think surface level is as deep as this show gets. And that is actually pretty hilarious to me. I love how they weren't content with him secretly leading a double dating life, they really wanted to salt that earth in case there was anyone still clinging onto hope of redemption.
I also greatly enjoyed Danny shaming everyone's lame/insufficiently classic addictions until he got himself thrown out, and the random plane hand-holding during turbulence and how he snatched her hand back when she tried to let go because he apparently wasn't quite done yet. Damn it, television! Stop exploiting my weak spot.
Episode as a whole could have done without British Doctor/Gross Nurse, but that's true of their characters in every situation and every episode. At least they were sequestered so I could skip their scenes entirely. Which it took me way too long to remember I could do when watching online.
-------
NCIS, Squall: McGee has Daddy Issues; proves he is qualified to be a true member of this team.
Chasing Ghosts: SOPHINA BROWN! (GUEST STARS)!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeh! Yep, this show has reached a point where awesome guest stars are sometimes the most exciting part of an episode. Why can't my attachment to this show just curl up and blow away, like how I've just totally given up on SVU this season without even meaning to? (in related news, I miss Amaro)
Chasing Ghosts: SOPHINA BROWN! (GUEST STARS)!!! Eeeeeeeeeeeeh! Yep, this show has reached a point where awesome guest stars are sometimes the most exciting part of an episode. Why can't my attachment to this show just curl up and blow away, like how I've just totally given up on SVU this season without even meaning to? (in related news, I miss Amaro)
-------
The Middle, Dollar Days: I enjoyed Axl literally coming to blows over Sue/Darrin, especially since it led to the latter accidentally punching Sue in the face. A very nice way to dissolve something that my tolerance had officially reached its short limits for. And I really liked Axl trying to be genuinely nice to her at the end. Meanwhile, Frankie is ever-adorable, but my skin is already crawling at the sight of her new boss. Way to rescue literally the worst possible thing from 30 Rock, show.
-------
Survivor: Officially pissed about Corinne and her awesome plan to DESTROY PHILLIP getting taken down. Don't understand why she kept trying to scramble to turn her Favorites alliance when at worst she had a tie, and best case scenario, she lets them split the votes and she has a strong majority alliance. Pissed anyway, even if she did herself in,
Gross food challenge is eternally gross, but it was SO GREAT to watch Cochran win, showboat it up, and have everyone basically be as genuinely happy for him as if they'd won themselves. Even Malcolm seemed to think it was a hoot to lose by half a swallow to that guy.
Meanwhile, also pissed that Dawn is Tattletale McSnitchy Snitch. Not mad at Dawn exactly, because nobody can be mad at her, but just generally upset that her best positioning in the game is to align herself with the freak. I want there to be better options. (that said, omg, the first page of this recap is genius)
As for last week: Fun reward challenge (dull reward); always here for goal-scoring, especially if water is involved. John "I rarely leave my apartment. I rarely leave Twitter" Cochran continued to be thebest locally installed commentator funniest player ever, quietly laughing at the manly-man dude-bros alliance suggested to him, among many other great things. I loved Brenda winning immunity - she is just a bright-eyed bundle of energy and giggles every time we see her; she's like human chipmunk who cannot be beaten down.
Still have no idea wtf Malcolm was doing at Tribal, but I'm glad they voted Michael out and even happier that he flipped them all off on his way out.
Gross food challenge is eternally gross, but it was SO GREAT to watch Cochran win, showboat it up, and have everyone basically be as genuinely happy for him as if they'd won themselves. Even Malcolm seemed to think it was a hoot to lose by half a swallow to that guy.
Meanwhile, also pissed that Dawn is Tattletale McSnitchy Snitch. Not mad at Dawn exactly, because nobody can be mad at her, but just generally upset that her best positioning in the game is to align herself with the freak. I want there to be better options. (that said, omg, the first page of this recap is genius)
As for last week: Fun reward challenge (dull reward); always here for goal-scoring, especially if water is involved. John "I rarely leave my apartment. I rarely leave Twitter" Cochran continued to be the
Still have no idea wtf Malcolm was doing at Tribal, but I'm glad they voted Michael out and even happier that he flipped them all off on his way out.
--------------
( Coachella, as relevant to Glee people spotted thereCollapse )
--------------
P.S. I broke out Taylor Swift's CD for its First Listen today.
( very preliminary and mostly nonspecific musingsCollapse )
- Current Music:Taylor Swift - "Red"
Anyway, after today's adventures and about 3 hours curled up in bed reading, I came downstairs to tell my dad about the new books from today's bag sale and he goes, "Did you know that nice horse book you got the other day is signed?"
Me: What?? No, it's probably just someone's name.
Him: No, I think it's the author - look.
So I open it up and SHRIEK:
DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I HAVE WISHED FOR A SIGNED MARGUERITE HENRY BOOK TO ENTER MY LIFE?! IT IS MY NUMBER ONE AUTHOR-SIGNATURE WISH. The fact that it's one of my favorite of her books is just freaking incredible. I didn't think to look because of the library stickers; I guess somebody donated it and they added it to the collection instead of selling, because the original owner's name and address are neatly written on the same page.
The best part is that this definitely got overlooked in the sorting process. I still don't know how they let a clearly-vintage children's book go through, since they have stated that "some books are removed by an online bookseller prior to the sale," and there is no WAY they normally would have let an older one that was also signed go out on the floor. Unless, you know, God. Working in those mysterious ways.
( here are my other finds. they're less exciting.Collapse )
- Current Mood:WHY DOES IT KEEP SETTING MY MOOD TO "BLAH"
I am using wine coolers to cope, after several months of eyeing them in the grocery store but always being too early or too cheap or too "I don't have enough room in my bag and I came here for pop" to buy. B&J EXOTIC BERRY FLAVOR IS DELICIOUS (makes my moscato wine taste like crap by comparison; although at this point I should really just admit that my palate just wants juice. expensive juice). [edit: holy hell and also loaded with calories. Damn you, alcohol. I am not accustomed to drinks having those things.]
( This is now a music post. 98% Vanessa Carlton, and very thorough.Collapse )
-------------
P.S. I JUST WANT TO LIE DOWN AND WATCH MOVIES/MINDLESS TELEVISION. *sobs* WHY ARE THERE STILL SO MANY SHOPS AND SO MANY PROBLEMS.
Whatever, I can't fix things when people won't respond, so I give up! I went to the library sale as soon as it opened, despite the 4+ inches of heavy, wet snow on the ground and the way it was still snowing and the roads were crap. And it was totally worth it, which is a relief, because at first glance the YA shelves looked like a cull pile I would create. It was like a Greatest Hits of 2-and-3-star novels I've read (or declined to read) over the past 5 years. Almost hilariously so. Great if you're seeking books to read, but not treasure for keeps.
( But...I found the GOLDEN treasure!Collapse )
---------
In totally unrelated news, I finally figured out who Kim from last spring's season of Survivor reminded me of:
Diane Farr, best known (to me) from Numb3rs. That was driving me nuts! Such an obvious answer, too.
THIS IS THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WORLD I HAVE EVER LIVED IN.
#it's like there was a tournament of fandom tournament holders and EW won
Syndicate
