Primeval - Episode 4

Episode 4





A flock of dodos come squawking through an anomaly under a football stadium but they may not be as innocent as they look. Lurking deep inside them is a deadly parasite just bursting to get out. Why is it there is never a nice, safe prehistoric animal?

Helen Cutter - now in custody at the Home Office - is refusing to co-operate with Lester and is furious with Cutter for helping to entrap her. Lester is such a bastard - he's the character you just love to hate! Helen is the only one who understands how the anomalies work but for now she's keeping her secrets safe.

Claudia dislikes Helen, wary of her motives and deep down jealous of her apparent hold over Cutter. You can see the attraction growing every week between Cutter and Claudia. However, Claudia puts her skepticism aside, giving Helen the chance to redeem herself. But instead of helping, Helen uses the anomaly to escape, leaving in her wake, not a pack of vicious carnivores as everyone expected - but a flock of dodos. Contrary to reputation, these birds are far from harmless as Connor's suspicious friends are about to discover.

Connor's secret life, full of late night excursions, mystery phone calls and friendships with girls is really starting to bug his friends. They set out on a covert mission to discover what's really going on. They steal a dodo, unaware that it's carrying a deadly parasite and with one bite, Connor's friend Tom is infected. Can the others find him before a pandemic is unleashed?

Tom finds himself struggling with the urge to attack. A staunch conspiracy theorist - even worse than Hodgins on the FOX series BONES - he seeks out Abby for answers. Time's running out and Lester's livid. Did Cutter know of Helen's planned escape? Did Helen unleash the contaminated birds on purpose? Cutter knows she's ruthless but surely she's not capable of this? He wants answers more than anyone but will he ever see Helen again?

A frantic race ensues to find Abby before it's too late... Will they make it? Can Tom be saved? The dangerous reality of the anomalies is about to hit Connor hard. Is he strong enough to go on?

After only 4 episodes I am totally in love with this series. Part time travel, part mystersy, all action, suspense and romance rolled into one great show!

Sarah Palin Simple

"Today, John McCain put the former mayor of a town of 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency. Gov. Palin shares John McCain's commitment to overturning Roe vs. Wade, the agenda of Big Oil and continuing George Bush's failed economic policies - that's not the change we need, it's just more of the same." (AOL news)

How Can Palin Be a Good Veep, When She Doesn't Know What a Veep Does?
According to an interview she gave CNBC:

"As for that VP talk all the time, I'll tell you, I still can't answer that question until somebody answers for me what is it exactly that the VP does every day."

So, did McCain give her a crash course Thursday night?

McCain had to pick a Veep and it had to be someone to draw attention away from all of the positive feedback that Obama has received the past few weeks, especially with his wonderful speech Thursday night. I do give him credit because he waited until Friday to make the annoucement; all early indications were that he was going to try and spoil the DNC.

So far, I haven't been impressed by what I have initially read about Sarah Palin:

--the rumors questioning her parenting.
--her use of taxpayer money on her children.
--the scandal concerning her brother-in-law.

I know she shouldn't be judged just by the rumors, but during the light of day, there seems to be some substance to all the rumors. I'm also not impressed with the facts surrounding Mrs. Palin:

--She is under investigation into whether she intervened to sack a state trooper who was involved in a divorce and custody battle with her sister.
--She flip-flopped on "the bridge to nowhere."
--She is a rabid supporter of Senator Ted Stevens, who is under federal indictment.
-- She is also sueing the federal government over listing the polar bears as a threatened species.

Things about Sarah Palin that I don't like:

--She is a fierce opponent of abortion. She's pro-life (even for cases of rape or incest).
--She is a fierce opponent of same-sex marriage.
--She has a "cult-like" loyalty for the NRA.

Besides, how was she vetted? I think it's ironic that McCain accussed Obama of not being qualified to be President, and then he picks someone with even less qualifications to be his Veep.

As a woman, I would love to see a woman in office, but not just because she is a woman. There is a WORLD of difference between the experience and education of Palin and Hillary Clinton. And for McCain to think that women will vote for him just because he has a woman on the ticket - how gullible does he think women are? After all, McCain has made it perfectly clear over the years how he actually feels about woman (allowing supporters to call Hillary a B***h - even calling his own wife a C**t).

But you have to admit, this election is exciting and no matter who wins, this election will be in all the history books. Whether we elect the first black President or the first woman Vice President, our grandchildren will be learning about this election in school. This is a big year and I hope that this motivates every American to vote.

Highlights from the 2008 DNC

My favorite moments from the 2008 Democratic National Convention.

Michelle Obama:

"I stand here today at the crosscurrents of that history – knowing that my piece of the American Dream is a blessing hard won by those who came before me. All of them driven by the same conviction that drove my dad to get up an hour early each day to painstakingly dress himself for work."

"... People like Hillary Clinton, who put those 18 million cracks in the glass ceiling, so that our daughters – and sons – can dream a little bigger and aim a little higher."

"Barack will achieve these goals the same way he always has – by bringing us together and reminding us how much we share and how alike we really are. You see, Barack doesn't care where you're from, or what your background is, or what party – if any – you belong to. That's not how he sees the world. He knows that thread that connects us – our belief in America's promise, our commitment to our children's future – is strong enough to hold us together as one nation even when we disagree."

Senator Hillary R. Clinton:

"We have a lot of work ahead of us: jobs lost; houses gone; falling wages; rising prices; the Supreme Court in a right-wing headlock; and our government in partisan gridlock; the biggest deficit in our nation’s history; money borrowed from the Chinese to buy oil from the Saudis; Putin and Georgia; Iran and Iraq."

"We want to create a world-class education system and make college affordable again, to fight for an America that is defined by deep and meaningful equality, from civil rights to labor rights, from women’s rights to gay rights…"

"Most of all, I ran to stand up for all those who have been invisible to their government for eight long years. Those are the reasons I ran for president, and those are the reasons I support Barack Obama for president."

And my favorite quote by Mrs. Clinton:

"I will always be grateful to everyone from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the territories… who joined our campaign on behalf of all those people left out and left behind by the Bush administration. To my supporters, to my champions, to my sisterhood of the traveling pantsuits…"

President Bill Clinton:

"Clearly, the job of the next President is to rebuild the American Dream and restore America's standing in the world."

"Most important, Barack Obama knows that America cannot be strong abroad unless we are strong at home. People the world over have always been more impressed by the power of our example than by the example of our power."

"The Republicans took us from record surpluses to an exploding national debt; from over 22 million new jobs down to 5 million; from an increase in working family incomes of $7,500 to a decline of more than $2,000; from almost 8 million Americans moving out of poverty to more than 5 and a half million falling into poverty - and millions more losing their health insurance."

Senator Joe Biden:

"Barack Obama gets it. Like many of us, Barack worked his way up. His is a great American story."

"... John [McCain] sided with President Bush 95 percent of the time. Give me a break. When John McCain proposes $200 billion in new tax breaks for corporate America, $1 billion alone for just eight of the largest companies, but no relief for 100 million American families, that's not change; that's more of the same."

"John McCain voted 19 times against raising the minimum wage. For people who are struggling just to get to the next day, that's not change; that's more of the same."

Democratic Presidental Nominee Barack Obama

"Our government should work for us, not against us. It should help us, not hurt us. It should ensure opportunity not just for those with the most money and influence, but for every American who's willing to work."

"... That's the promise of America - the idea that we are responsible for ourselves, but that we also rise or fall as one nation; the fundamental belief that I am my brother's keeper; I am my sister's keeper."

"I will cut taxes - cut taxes - for 95% of all working families. Because in an economy like this, the last thing we should do is raise taxes on the middle-class."

"Washington's been talking about our oil addiction for the last thirty years, and John McCain has been there for twenty-six of them. In that time, he's said no to higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars, no to investments in renewable energy, no to renewable fuels. And today, we import triple the amount of oil as the day that Senator McCain took office."

And the part of his speech that really struck a nerve with me and had my entire family crying:

"We may not agree on abortion, but surely we can agree on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies in this country. The reality of gun ownership may be different for hunters in rural Ohio than for those plagued by gang-violence in Cleveland, but don't tell me we can't uphold the Second Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. I know there are differences on same-sex marriage, but surely we can agree that our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters deserve to visit the person they love in the hospital and to live lives free of discrimination. Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers. This too is part of America's promise - the promise of a democracy where we can find the strength and grace to bridge divides and unite in common effort."

Thursday Thirteen #10 - Favorite Vampire Book Series

Okay, by now, anyone who reads my blogs know I love vampire stories and movies. For today's Thursday Thirteen, I give you my 13 favorite vampire book series.



1.) Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K. Hamilton





2.) Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer






3.) Evernight series by Claudia Gray








4.) Southern Vampire Mysteries (Sookie Stackhouse series) by Charlaine Harris






5.) Gardella Vampire Chronicles by Colleen Gleason









6.) Vampire Kisses series by Ellen Schreiber






7.) Vampire Babylon series by Chris Marie Green










8.) Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole









9.) The Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice











10.) The Dark Hunter series by Sherrilyn Kenyon









11.) The Hollows series (Rachel Morgan) by Kim Harrison









12.) The Necroscope saga by Brian Lumley









13.) The Morganville Vampires by Rachel Caine






To celebrate my love of vampire books, I has recently started a new blog dedicated to all things vampire. Currently, I only have books listed, but coming soon will be movies, television series and graphic novel. If you have the same love, come on over and visit me at The Vampirary. Any and all comments and suggestions are welcome. If you are reading a series I don't have listed, please let me know!

Way Back Wednesday - The Dark Crystal

(From IMDB) The Dark Crystal is a 1982 fantasy film directed by Jim Henson and Frank Oz. The book titled The World of The Dark Crystal, written by Brian Froud, was released at the same time as the film. The Muppet Show characters for which he is famous do not appear, but some of the same performers are used. The animatronics used in the film were considered groundbreaking and the character and creature designs in the movie are by Brian Froud.

Another planet, another time. 1000 years ago the mysterious Dark Crystal was damaged by one of the Urskeks and an age of chaos has began! The evil race of grotesque birdlike lizards the Skeksis, gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. Meanwhile the orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of the peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal which gives the Skesis their power and restore the balance of the universe.

All characters in the movie are Muppets, and none are based on humans or any other specific Earth creature. At the time of the movie's release, it was billed as the first live-action film without any human beings on screen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Power of the Dark Crystal is a sequel currently in development and scheduled for release in 2009. The film will incorporate computer-generated backgrounds with highly-detailed animatronic puppets. Brian Froud will return to design the creatures and characters. The screenplay for the film was written by David Odell and Annette Duffy. Lisa Henson and Kristine Belson will produce the film with Brian Henson, Ralph Kamp and Louise Goodsill serving as Executive Producers.

Try-It Tuesdays - Goodreads.com

Because I'm participating in a Buy Nothing Challenge this month, it has been difficult for me to "buy" a new object for Try-It Tuesday. So, in order to not cheat on my challenge, for this week's Try-It Tuesday, I'm going to be reviewing a new website for avid book readers.



Goodreads is a wonderful network that brings readers together with other readers. Free of charge, this website allows you to add books to your on-line bookshelf and review these books on a scale of 1 to 5. Then you can be matched with other readers who share your same interest.

Functions of the website:

Your Bookshelf - this window allows you to see all the books on your bookshelf, the rating score you assigned the book and the average score for all readers.

My Friends - this window shows all your reader friends and allows you to add friends at will. You can see at a glance how many books your friends have read.

Explore - this window shows you the latest books that have been rated. You can read reviews as well as comments by other readers.

Meet People - this window allows you to meet other readers who are on the site at the current moment. You are able to find readers close to your own hometown or across the ocean.

Authors - this window allows you to see the huge number of authors who are signed up on the site. It is really cool to see what some of your favorite authors are reading.

Groups - is the last window on this site and it shows you the number of reading groups participating on Goodreads. You can join groups from this page, or see what other groups are reading.

So, if you're an avid reader or just enjoy reading books reviews, check out Goodreads - you'll be glad you did!

Women and Voting

CELEBRATE WOMEN’S EQUALITY DAY!






Today - August 26, 2008 - marks the 88th anniversary of women’s right to vote in the United States. This year it is more important than ever for women to exercise that right and vote in the upcoming Presidential election!

The Morning After "Weeds"

Season 4, Episode 11
"Head Cheese"


Shit, this episode got deep real quick - the whole dimension of the show shifted!




Nancy must deal with the aftermath of Shane's exploits with his two new "friends". At 13 years old, Shane has entered a world Nancy is not ready to accept. She is still suffering from side effects from last week's "Ayuasca trip", that helped her calm her migraine headache. And to top it all off, she has another confrontation with Guillermo over what's coming and going through the tunnel.

Celia's struggles with her rehab partner, Barry, who has managed to sneak some "blow" into the rehab center. After the administration learns Celia used a phoney insurance policy to gain admittance to the facility, she is forced to move to a new rehab center.

Doug and Maria's relationship quickly goes south and they both turn to Andy for help. Doug - being a "typical" man - expects immediate sex from Maria, while Maria has fantasies of Doug "wooing" her.

Meanwhile, Silas's "cheese sandwich" business has grown too big, forcing him to turn to Nancy for financial backing. The "head cheese" sandwich has become a big seller in Ren Mar.


Boo-hoo, there will be no new Weeds for two weeks, and then there are only two more episodes left of Season 4. Where has the time gone?

Fighting Manic Monday with Breakfast

I have never been a breakfast person. I don't normally like "breakfast" foods - eggs, bacon, sausage or cereal, so this is the meal I usually skip. As a retired Registered Nurse, I realize the importance of starting each day with breakfast, but for me, Coca-Cola was always my breakfast buddy.

However, since I have quit drinking Cokes, I'm finding myself hungrier and hungrier each morning. My body seems to be in withdrawals from its sugary diet of Coke and is now telling me it craves real sustanance.

This past week I decided I needed to set a better example for my 16 year old daughter, so I have been having a bowl of oatmeal each morning before work. At first I could barely get more than a few bites in before my body rebelled. But this morning, I was able to wolf down my bowl without a moments hesitation!

Not only is oatmeal a good part of anyone's diet, but it is giving me more energy to get through the morning hours. Typically I was starved by the time I would get home for lunch. Now, I can take my time fixing my noon meal and I don't eat like a crazed wolf.

So, if you're not a breakfast eater, take advice from a breakfast eating convert - breakfast is the most important meal of the day. It will give you energy to face the day, prevent you from overeating late in the day, and will help to lower your cholesterol.

The R Family Diaries

Tiffany from The R Family Diaries is having a terrific give-away to celebrate her 100th post. Go check her out and win:

$100 American Express Gift Card

Primeval - Episode 3

Cutter is desperate to make Lester realize how dangerous anomalies could become to humanity, but, infuriatingly, Lester remains optimistic that this problem will disappear just as quickly as it arrived. However, the arrival of a vicious sea creature (a Mosasaur) at a local swimming pool means bad news all around, particularly for a pair of young lifeguards flouting the heavy-petting ban. The young man becomes the Mosasaur's next meal while his girlfriend is charged with his murder. When the boy's regurgitated body is found in a nearby reservoir, Cutter realizes they've got another prehistoric killer on their hands.

If that were not bad enough, the anomaly through which the Mosasaur came is a mobile one, and it has moved from the swimming pool to the depths of the reservoir. The team works hard to find and contain it, but how can you plug a leak in time?

When a military diver working alongside the team disappears into the darkness of the anomaly and another ferocious Mososaur is unleashed to attack an unsuspecting Abby, it is clear that the reservoir has become a death trap. Will Connor find the strength to protect the love of his life, and where will the anomaly move to next? Cutter thinks the anomaly is running along a kind of temporal fault line, but without proof Lester is quick to dismiss his ideas as outlandish.

Meanwhile, a young mother who lives along Cutter's predicted line is putting on her washing in the basement when she notices a small leak, which quickly turns into a flood. When she sends a plumber down to investigate, she has no idea that a Cretaceous Era predator is lurking under the water, ready to pounce.

But there are more surprises to come. The anomaly in the cellar expels the body of the lost diver, and there is a message tied to his corpse from Helen Cutter. Claudia's suspicions are suddenly confirmed: Helen is still alive. A furious confrontation with Cutter reveals his awareness of her existence. Now he must pay the price for his betrayal. Lester delivers the ultimatum - bring her back or you're out.

Cutter reluctantly agrees and, for the first time in eight years, he comes face to face with his estranged wife, who seems to be quite happy living in the past. The elusive Helen tries to entice him to stay and explore her brave new world, but what is really on her agenda? Can she be willing to let thousands die in the jaws of prehistoric killers rather than return and share her priceless knowledge? A bitter confrontation between the spouses leads to Cutter's rejection of his wife's proposition. But as he leaves to make his way back through the anomaly, a violent attack by a 20-foot Mososaur nearly maroons him permanently in the past. When he awakes in the present, he finds he didn't come back alone?

Primeval

EPISODE THREE

Cutter is desperate to make Lester realize how dangerous anomalies could become to humanity, but, infuriatingly, Lester remains optimistic that this problem will disappear just as quickly as it arrived. However, the arrival of a vicious sea creature at a local swimming pool means bad news all around, particularly for a pair of young lifeguards flouting the heavy-petting ban. The young man becomes the creature's next meal while his girlfriend is charged with his murder. When the boy's regurgitated body is found in a nearby reservoir, Cutter realizes they've got another prehistoric killer on their hands.

If that were not bad enough, the anomaly through which the sea creature came is a mobile one, and it has moved from the swimming pool to the depths of the reservoir. The team works hard to find and contain it, but how can you plug a leak in time?

Final Notice for Book Give-Away

Just a reminder to all those interested, tonight at midnight is the deadline for entering my contest to win a copy of Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. To be eligible, click the icon on the side bar and leave a comment. Good luck to everyone!

Fun Friday

According to Wikipedia:

Dark Side of the Rainbow (also known as Dark Side of Oz or The Wizard of Floyd) is a name used to refer to the act of listening to the 1973 Pink Floyd album The Dark Side of the Moon while watching the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz for moments where the film and the album appear to correspond with each other. The title of the music video-like experience comes from a combination of the album title and the film's song "Over the Rainbow". It is also a reference to the rainbow from a prism design on the cover of the Pink Floyd album.

Watching Dark Side of the Rainbow is an annual event for me and my hubby, typically reserved for winter months, but always welcomed as a way to unwind. In order to watch Dark Side of the Rainbow you will need the following:

Audio: Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
1973, Capital RecordsVideo: The Wizard of Oz
1939, MGM Studios,
based on the book by Frank L. Baum











STARTING POINT
There are a variety of different ways to start the synchronicity between Dark Side of the Moon and Wizard of Oz. Conventional wisdom - and first hand knowledge - seems to hold that the famed Third Roar Theory is the best of the bunch.

Third Roar Theory
This is the best known variation of the Dark Side of the Rainbow synchronicity is the Third Roar Theory. It's certainly the first variation I myself discovered. It works very well and is relatively easy to set up. First put in CD, tape, or record of Dark Side of the Moon that you're going to use; generally this is easiest with CD, but it can be done with other medias.

Pause Dark Side of the Moon on track one.

Put in The Wizard Of Oz and wait for the MGM lion logo to appear.
The MGM Lion
When the MGM lion roars for THE THIRD TIME, unpause Dark Side of the Moon.





You'll know you've got it right when the credit for Mervyn LeRoy fades in along with a wonderful sudden transition in Dark Side of the Moon. The album should end with Dorothy putting her ear to the Tin Man's chest, to the tune of the ending heartbeat on the album.

SO, WHAT COMES NEXT??
As you may have noticed, Dark Side of the Moon is not as long as The Wizard Of Oz. This has given rise to a number of theories to what should be played after the album is finished.

This is where the fun and experimentation is really just wide open; feel free to experiment with this part. However, one of the big favorites of the Dark Side of the Rainbow fans seems to be The Repeat Theory, which holds that the best thing to do when Dark Side of the Moon ends is simply to REPEAT THE ALBUM. The advantage to this is, if you own a CD player with repeat, you don't have to get up during the film.. The album will repeat approximately one and a half times after the first run.

There are dozens of different versions of Dark Side of the Rainbow, just Google Dark Side and see. This is always a fun movie to play at parties where there can be audience participation.

Thursday Thirteen #9 - Johnny Depp

For this week's Thursday Thirteen, I give you 13 reasons to love Johnny Depp - hubba hubba:






1.) Pirates of the Carbbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003), Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2006)



2.) Secret Window (2004)















3.) From Hell (2000)















4.) Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (2007)














5.) Blow (2001)













6.) Sleepy Hollow (1998)














7.) The Ninth Gate (1999)
















8.) Finding Neverland (2004)
















9.) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)















10.) Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1997)















11.) Edward Scissorhands (1990)















12.) Ed Wood (1994)















13.) Corpse Bride (2005)