LOL.

A parody of Transformers: Return of Optimus Prime.



LOL.

Saturday Morning Watchmen.

I shouldn't laugh, as it is totally believable that someone would make some kids' cartoon out of Watchmen - they did it to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, after all (shh - I loved that cartoon! Happy 25th anniversary, TMNT!)

Robert Cornhole invented teeth, did you know?

I'm watching the 20 greatest Christmas songs on NBC. This show is effing ridiculous.

Number 19 is "Jingle Bell Rock" by Julianne Hough, that chick from Dancing with the Stars who thinks she's a country singer. I'm sorry, but a song that came out THIS YEAR and sung by someone only five people know is not one of the greatest Christmas songs.

This show is basically an advertisement, and the singers prob. paid to have their songs on the list.

Completely RIDICULOUS. I love Christmas songs, so I'm pretty ticked.

...Josh Groban at 18? Shoot me. And people think they're cool when they sing the lesser known versus. They're not.

Now Taylor Swift is singing "Silent Night." Now, I actually like her, but she is so off key and sounds strained. It's awful. And it is not one of the greatest Christmas songs.

I love this show.

"Bang bang, shoot 'em up, destiny"

So ABC has canceled two of my favorite television shows, Pushing Daisies and Eli Stone. And it's the last season for Boston Legal. ABC always cancels good shows, and yet crap like Private Practice is still on.

Life on Mars is still on. If that gets canceled, I'm never watching any new shows on ABC again. What is the point of getting hooked on something new when it won't last?

But, seriously. Life on Mars is awesome. That last episode, with Sam's dad? What a trippy mind fuck. And you gotta love the 1970's soundtrack.

Seriously.

What to know who I voted for?

"That one."

Want to know who's going to be the next president?

"That one."

If I were playing a drinking game, taking a shot every time McCain said "my friends," I'd have alcohol poisoning right about now.

"What kind of overconfident nemesis are you?"

I heart Josh Lyman.

So Bradley Whitford seriously needs to star in a new show on television. Because he is that awesome.

Too bad Studio 60 got all weird and moved away from the relationship it should have been focusing on, that of Whitford's and Matthew Perry's characters (or just Whitford, that's fine with me), and started up with some stupid romances.

"Danny began working at Studio 60 as a segment producer, working his way up to become a co-executive producer. He resigned in 2002 as a display of support for the firing of his friend Matt Albie and went on to direct a critically acclaimed film penned by Matt. The two proceed to watch each other's back, Matt's decision to go back to Studio 60 is a show of support to Danny, because Danny is a recovering drug addict, Danny relapsed in 2006 after eleven years of sobriety. He tested positive for cocaine use in an insurance physical, and as a result cannot get bonded as a director until he has been drug-free for eighteen months."

So much wasted potential on that show. Whitford playing a recovering drug addict? And that friendship between the two male lead characters? I mean, come on.

We've always been at war with Eastasia.

Classic.

Oh, the Republicans can pretend in public that they like the pick of Sarah Palin, but you know they're really as irritated as the rest of us.

As a segment with Chuck Todd ended today, Republican consultant Mike Murphy and Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan - both conservatives - were caught on a live mic ridiculing the choice of Sarah Palin.

"It's over," said Noonan.

She then responded to a question of whether Palin is the most qualified Republican woman McCain could have chosen.

"The most qualified? No. I think they went for this - excuse me - political bullshit about narratives," she said. "Everytime Republicans do that - because that's not where they live and it's not what they're good at, they blow it."

Murphy said, "The greatness of McCain is no cynicism, and this is cynical."

I always love Shark Week on the Discovery Channel, but this year it's kind of irritating. It seems overloaded with shows about shark attacks, and so many claims of how the great white shark is so dangerous and blah, blah, blah. In the last 100 years, the great white shark has only killed 50 people. So usually the Discovery Channel is more about educating people than creating this fear...Respect the sharks!

"If you're really such a celebrity then where's your posse? Where's your hybrid? Where's your inappropriately named baby?" - Marc, Ugly Betty

My brother has finally applied for a job! Fingers crossed! Seriously, seriously, fingers crossed.

Xanga annoys me because it couldn't find the artist I'm listening to in its little database, so I can't put anything in the "currently listening" to section, because Xanga doesn't think they exist. Well, they do. Because I am listening to them right now.

Ashtar Command - "Blister of the Spotlight"

Wino.

Okay. I loved this week's episode of Ugly Betty so much that I had to watch it twice. I <3 Betty and Gio. Lots of tingly moments. I like Betty with Gio because she has fun with him; with Henry it's just too stressful. Plus, he's so uptight.

Mom says I need a "Gio." Ha. I am rather like Betty, though.

Today, the parents and I visited several wineries. First, we went to Debonne Vineyards, where a model airplane show was going on. We didn't sample there, but we bought a bottle of 2005 vintage Pinot Gris. Debonne has a line of bottles that feature artwork celebrating various neighborhoods in Cleveland, like University Circle, Warehouse District and Tremont. We bought the one with the East 4th Street label, but only because that one was on sale!

Debonne holds a hot air balloon festival June 6-7, so we'll be going to that.

Our next stop was Virant Family Winery in Harpersfield Township. This winery is now my favorite winery. We sampled six wines here and had an appetizer.

Their wine, White Silk? Amazing. It smells like you've stepped out into a vineyard, and it tastes just like you're eating green grapes off of the vine. I had a bottle of that wine already at home, so I bought Blazzin' Blackberry (which you can only buy at the winery or online) and a bottle of Chiffon.

At every other winery, there's usually at least one wine where that first sip makes you pull a face at the acid, where the first sip is rough. Especially red wines. But not at Virant. Every wine was pleasing to taste. I even liked - heck, loved, their Red Silk, and I don't normally like red wines.

But I also liked the relaxing, unpretentious atmosphere. It's a family-owned winery; well, that's not any different than the other wineries, but it's a lot smaller than the others in the area. I think the wine is better for it, because there's so much care that goes into each bottle. Their wine is made in more of the old-fashioned way.

The people also were nice. We chatted about the wines and Geneva, and it was a pleasant visit.

Completely unlike the horrible visit at the next winery, Harpersfield Winery.

I will never go back to this winery. Oh, don't get me wrong - the winery is beautiful inside. Huge fireplace to sit around, etc., etc. But the woman who greeted us was rude and pushy. She basically forced samples of wine on us. I felt uncomfortable. The wine wasn't that bad - it was made from a grape that not many other wineries use. My mom hated the wine, though. Just bad customer service.

Anyway, buy Ohio wines! Especially from Virant.

Since the bluegrass festival will not be held this year, I am definitely going to Vintage Ohio, which is August 1-2.

Sex and the City! and #4 and #5

Okay. This post is mostly going to be about material objects, because I've had enough debates for the week (Rosie, of all people, standardized testing, Imus...etc.), and I just want to indulge myself.

So, good things.

I finally won the complete set of Sex and the City through E-Bay! Soon, I will joyously watch all six seasons whenever I want! I paid $82, and considering it retails for $200 - $300, not bad. It's supposed to be brand new and sealed and in English, so if I get some burned DVDs or some packaging from Japan, I will be pissed.

I was one of the first 5,000 to sign up for a tote bag filled with goodies from Oprah! Yes! I've never been so happy about a freebie. This one and the coffee pot, which I don't and probably will never use, are the two coolest ever.

I need to update my album collection, most notably with The Story by Brandi Carlile. I love her music. Listen to her!

***

I read the following novels lately, both for my book club:

The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
The Time Traveler's Wife by by Audrey Niffenegger

Both novels had such great premises, but both fell flat, I think. Highly overrated, the both of them.

***

I received a letter from Congressman LaTourette in response to this e-mail. Same old, same old, but he at least pretends to listen to his constituents.

Studio 60.

Readers: We're still high on 'Studio 60'

Please let this article be true.

I had a nightmare last night that Studio 60 was going to be canceled. No more Bradley Whitford every week? Nooooo!

Please start watching this show!

Right On.

"Let's be honest. Sometimes there's nothing harder in life than being happy for somebody else." --Carrie Bradshaw

Oh, Sex and the City. I had forgotten how much I loved you.

Favorite Artist of the Moment: Butterfly Boucher.

At the moment I'm listening to a lot of indie/non-mainstream music.

A lot of the music I'm listening to has been featured on Grey's Anatomy, which has the best soundtrack ever heard on television.

The show gives a lot of play to women and indie artists. It's an awesome show, but I'd watch it for the music alone. (You can just look up who has had songs featured on it, though. This Amazon page is a good starting point.)

A few of my favorite artists at the moment (whom you should check out):

Snow Patrol
Tegan and Sara
Jem
Psapp
Lisa Loeb
Brandi Carlile
Emiliana Torrini
Ivy

But my absolute favorite artist at the moment is the fabulous Butterfly Boucher. This woman writes her own songs and plays all of the instruments. Amazing!

I've heard about five songs from her album Flutterby, and they are all hits, in my opinion. I don't write about music v. well, I just know what I like, so you'd be better off reading how other people describe it. But some of the songs are upbeat and fun, and some are v. haunting.

My favorite song by her at the moment is "Never Leave Your Heart Alone." There's a point in the song where her voice gives me chills. Obviously, this song is not one of the upbeat ones!

"And it's open
For distraction
You found all the words you need
Well I found nothing
I just grumble
'cause I don't know what I feel

The moral to the story goes
Never leave your heart
Never leave your heart...alone

Run for shelter
An umbrella
Fights the rain but not the wind
And I'd be silly
To start preaching
'cause I don't know which point to make!

The moral to the story goes
Never leave your heart
In a box
Locked up
With cold cold ice
Never leave your heart
...Never leave your heart...alone

Am I frozen?
But it's summer!
Is that rain or is that me?
Yes I'm melting
Please be happy
One day soon
We might just swim

The moral to the story goes
Never leave your heart
In a box
Locked up with cold cold ice
Never leave your heart
...Never leave your heart
...Never leave your heart alone"

--Butterfly Boucher, "Never Leave Your Heart Alone"