Friday, October 31, 2008

Halloween Humor

These Crabby Road cartoons were emailed to me and I couldn't resist. Here's to Fun Friday, and a Halloween Fun Friday at that!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Way Back Wednesday - Halloween

(from Wikipedia) Halloween is a 1978 American independent horror film set in the fictional suburban midwestern town of Haddonfield, Illinois on Halloween. John Carpenter directed the film, which stars Donald Pleasence as Dr. Sam Loomis, Jamie Lee Curtis (the teen scream Queen) as Laurie Strode, and Nick Castle, Tony Moran and Tommy Lee Wallace sharing the role of Michael Myers.

The film centers on Myers' escape from a psychiatric hospital, his murdering of teenagers, and Dr. Loomis' attempts to track and stop him. Halloween is widely regarded as a classic among horror film, and as one of the most influential horror films of its era.

Halloween spawned seven sequels:
--Halloween II begins exactly where Halloween ends (1981)
--Halloween III: Season of the Witch (1982)
--Halloween IV: The Return of Michael Myers (1988)
--Halloween V: The Revenge of Michael Myers (1989)
--Halloween VI: The Curse of Michael Myers (1995)
--Halloween H20: Twenty Years Later (1998)
--Halloween: Resurrection (2002)

There was also a Halloween remake - Rob Zombie's Halloween - in 2007.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Try-It Tuesday - Crocs Mammoth

For this week's Try-It Tuesday, I give you the Mammoth Fuzz Collection of Crocs! I know, I know - I'm 46 years old, but I love my crocs. Last year I wore them all winter with a thick pair of boot socks. How pathetic is that?!!!!

Well, this year Crocs came up with a solution for us lazy people who hate wearing shoes - fleeced lined Crocs! I kid you not! Observe:



From the official Crocs website:

Crocs™ Mammoth- slip on this toasty shoe après- ski or for all around comfort
*Because of the additional fleece lining, these shoes fit more snugly. We recommend that half sizes order up.

--This strapless slip-on takes a cozy twist on Crocs' original designs keeping feet warm and toasty.

--Super soft synthetic fur lining is both removable and hand washable for easy care.

--False holes on sides nod to Crocs' original designs, while keeping feet warm
coordinating sock liner matches shoe.

--A higher heel gives increased protection.

--Loose fit allows feet to bend and expand naturally, reducing fatigue.

--Made with Croslite™ material.

--Ventilation holes accommodate jibbitz™ brand charms.

Mine are black, but I'm looking for those cute little green ones!

Monday, October 27, 2008

Why Kentucky Really Isn't True Blue



(top - Lunsford; bottom - McConnell)

I may raise a lot of flack over the title of this post, but my home state of Kentucky is always bragging about the fact it bleeds True Blue because of the UK Wildcats. I have never been a sports fan, but even I enjoy knowing that the Wildcats have dominated basketball for most of my adult life.

However, with the upcoming Presidential election, it is very disappointing to see that Kentucky will probably stay firmly in the Red category. There has been much speculation that Kentucky is a racist state, but it breaks my heart to hear people say this.

There has been lots of information presented as to why some Kentuckians are racists - I've seen editoral cartoons, opinion editorals and too many interviews to count. That being said, I would like to present another piece of evidence.

In an election year where the Republicians are down in almost every major poll, it is not surprising that our candidates for the Senate - Mitch McConnell (R) and Bruce Lundsford (D) have been fighting tooth and nail for every vote. At the beginning of the year, it seemed impossible to think that after 24 years in the Senate, McConnell might lose his bid for reelection.

But then a funny thing happened ... Lunsford started gaining on McConnell in the polls, and now, 8 days before the election, the KY Senate race is too close to call.

So, if the Senate race is neck and neck - as it is in most states - then why is McCain so far ahead of Obama in Kentucky? If Democrates and Republicians are running neck and neck in almost every race in Kentucky, why isn't the Presidential race much closer? If it possible that the difference between the Senate race and the Presidential race if the addition of a black candidate? I surely hope not, but the evidence is overwhelming.

Just for the record, I am a Barack Obama/Joe Biden and Bruce Lunsford supporter.

Morning Grouch

Why is it most Monday mornings I feel like Oscar the Grouch? You would think after someone reaches the age of 46 - I mean, 29 years old, they would be better equiped to handle the morning.

Unfortunately, I'm not one of those people. For years now, I have suffered from insomnia, along with persistant heartburn and sleep apnea, so I normally only sleep about 4 hours a night. Most days I can handle things just fine, but Monday mornings are the exception.

My sleep cycle gets totally screwed up over the weekend, with me sleeping a few hours on and off all weekend long. Usually Sundays are the worst!

This Sunday, I was awake until 5 in the morning, before I dropped off for a cat nap until 8:30. I was then able to do some writing and read a few chapters in a new book (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - it is excellent!) until about 11, when I promptly fell asleep for another cat nap. I was up again by 1:30, ready to take my daughter to her Teen Writing Workshop. We were back home by 4:30, so I went ahead and started supper - after all, a pot of chili can simmer while I take another cat nap.

I was dosing again by 6, missing all the evening news. Believe it or not, I went all day Sunday without any political news - this is probably a first for me! By this time, I am totally awake ...

...and I proceeded to be awake until 4:30 this morning before I fell asleep in my recling chair! My daughter gets up at 6, so I heard her stirring around, but was unable to pull my head out from under the covers. I grumbled a quick "I love you" as she went out the door at 7:15. Then I started the long task of trying to pull my aching body out of the chair. Man, why do Mondays have to come so soon!

Sunday, October 26, 2008

Primeval - Episode #12


(from BBC) You may remember from last week, Cutter discovered conclusive evidence that someone has been following the team and spying on them. He has long suspected that someone on the team has a hidden agenda; his suspicions fall on either Jenny or Lester.

At the same time, Stephen is visited by a very unwelcome guest - Helen. Swearing him to secrecy about her presence, she tells Stephen she needs his help with a project that will affect the whole future of the world. Stephen is suspicious and reluctant, and he wants to tell Cutter, but Helen swears him to secrecy. Helen gradually begins to win Stephen over.

After a routine malfunction, Connor investigates the anomaly detector and finds it has been sabotaged. Cutter takes the opportunity to set a trap, letting only Connor, Stephen, and Abby in on his plan. They fake the appearance of an anomaly to see who will go to it first, knowing that whoever it is must be the traitor. Cutter is shocked when it is Jenny who arrives. When the team confront her Jenny claims to have no idea what they are talking about, but Cutter does not believe her....

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Way Back Wednesday - Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

Because today is my hubby's 50th birthday - Happy Birthday, Babe - I'm featuring one of his favorite old films.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a 1988 live-action/animated film which blends traditional animation and live action. It is based on the 1981 novel Who Censored Roger Rabbit? by Gary K. Wolf. The film stars Bob Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, Joanna Cassidy, Stubby Kaye and the voices of Charles Fleischer and Kathleen Turner. This film was one of the last for voice artists Mel Blanc. The film's artists and technicians won four Oscars at the 61st Academy Awards ceremony in 1989. The film takes place in fictionalized Los Angeles during 1947, and animated "toons" are real beings who live and work alongside humans in the real world.

(From IMDB) It's the story of a cartoon character named Roger Rabbit (voice of Charles Fleischer) who exists along side of real humans. Eventually, it is revealed that Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye), the owner of the Acme Company and of Toontown, has been murdered! But all fingers point to Roger Rabbit, a Toon star at Maroon Cartoons. But unfortunately the only person who can prove Roger's innocence is Toon hating Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), a washed-up, alcoholic private detective who is reluctantly forced into helping when Roger hides in his apartment. It's up to Eddie to clear Roger's name and find the real evildoer before the villainous, power-hungry Judge Doom (Christopher Lloyd) goes on a mission to bring Roger to justice!

The character of Jessica Rabbit (Roger's wife) consists of several different actresses: Kathleen Turner as the speaking voice, Amy Irving as the singing voice, and Betsy Brantley as the performance model.

Although rated PG, this film does contain some mild profanity and violence.

Monday, October 20, 2008

An Evening With David Sedaris


My hubby and daughter were lucky enough to be able to see David Sedaris Saturday night when he was in Lexington. What a treat it was for both of them! With my hubby's 50th birthday fast approaching (Wednesday), he feared he would not get to uphold his tradition of going to a concert for his birthday. Although listening to Sedaris talk and read from his works is not technically a concert, it did fit the bill enough to make my hubby happy.

All three of us enjoy reading Sedaris' works, as well as listening to "This American Life". My daughter recently bought several of his books with her birthday money, so she was excited to get them autographed, which he gladly did after the performance. He also signed both their ticket stubs to be used as bookmarks. But in addition to his autograph, he personalized each book, and even drew a picture in one.

My daughter was overjoyed, especially when Sedaris told her she had a "sweet" accent. He kept asking her questions just to listen to her talk! They both thought it was awesome that Sedaris took his time with the people in line and actually seemed interested in what they had to say.

Although he doesn't allow photos to be taken during his autograph sessions - it interrupts his train of thought - my hubby was able to take a non-flash photo of the "No Photo" sign.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Primeval - Episode #11

(from BBC) Taylor, an eleven-year-old girl, and her dog are sent to get fish and chips, but she gets more than soggy batter when she sees an anomaly in a nearby alley. She enters it and finds a whole new world of rocky terrain, desert and twinkling stars. But her wonderment quickly turns to horror when the sand rises up like a monster and starts chasing her dog. The terrified little girl screams.

Meanwhile, things in our world seem pretty quiet. Leek is alone at headquarters, and the gang are enjoying a "normal" night off in their respective lives. That is until the detector alerts them to the new anomaly. By the time the gang congregate at headquarters, however, the detector has crashed, and they have no idea where the anomaly has formed...nor where Leek is. Cutter suspects foul play, but there is no time for conspiracy theories - they must get the detector working and find the anomaly before any incursions occur.

As Cutter waits impatiently for Connor to fix the machine, Leek is at the site instructing heavily armed mercenaries to carry out some kind of secret mission. The men pass through the anomaly and see Taylor waving frantically at them. They ignore her - but Taylor isn't asking for help, she's trying to warn them. She's too late. The men's screams and gunfire echo in the darkness until the desert swallows them, leaving nothing but their scattered weapons and a deathly silence...

Friday, October 17, 2008

Under the Weather


I have been waiting for the first cool days of autumn for many long months now. When the weather changed Wednesday night, I was so happy! I am just not a hot weather person and I've been looking forward to working in the gardens again and enjoying the fresh air.

That being said, I now have my first cold of the season and I have no one to blame but myself. I made the BIG mistake of sleeping in front of a open window with the fan still blowing on me and viola` - now I'm sick and I can't even enjoy the cooler weather.

Like my granny always said, "Be careful what you wish for!" Hopefully by Monday, I'll be back up to snuff.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Way Back Wednesday - Ghostbusters

(From IMDB) Ghostbusters is a 1984 fantasy-comedy about 3 eccentric New York City "parapsychologists" who turn into ghost exterminators. It was produced and directed by Ivan Reitman and stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Rick Moranis, Sigourney Weaver, Annie Potts, and Ernie Hudson.

The 3 misfits - Drs. Egon Spengler (Harold Ramis), Raymond "Ray" Stantz (Dan Aykroyd), and Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) - are expelled from Columbia University after their research grants are terminated. To maintain their livelihood, they establish "Ghostbusters", an organization described by Venkman as a
"professional paranormal investigations and eliminations service."
They start using an old firehouse as their headquarters, a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance dubbed "Ecto-1" as transport, and hire Janine Melnitz (Annie Potts) as a receptionist.

The Ghostbusters are hired by a woman named Dana Barrett (Sigourney Weaver), who's apartment appears to be haunted by some bizarre occurrence. Louis Tully (Rick Moranis) is her neighbor and he ends up being possessed by a demon. The most hilarious and biazzare scene in the entire movie is when the Marshmallow Man appears and begins to lay waste to the city.

Dated and very campy, this is a movie for all generations. It is a wonderful party movie!

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

Try-It Tuesdays

Okay, I'm late with this post, and I'm taking the lazy way out. This week's Try-Tuesday is a new television that premiered last night.

My Own Worst Enemy
Henry Spivey (Christian Slater) is a middle-class worker who travels alot and has a wife, two kids, a dog, and a minivan. Edward Albright (Christian Slater) is an undercover spy who speaks 13 languages, runs a four-minute mile, and is trained to kill. Henry and Edward are exact opposites who share the same body.

This show promises to be exciting and action packed. I personally love Christian Slater, so it's nice to know I'll get to see him more on a regular bases, plus he is great in the two-timing role of Henry/Edward.

The whole premise of the show is that Edward is supposed to be the main character, and Henry is who he is when he is "asleep". But something has gone wrong in the underground headquarters that control the secret missions, and Henry has been "waking up" when Edward is supposed to be in control. Now Edward and Henry are communicating with each other through video tape, because they obviously can't meet face-to-face.

I am anxious to see where this show goes and I have high hopes that it will turn into a long running series. Right now, My Own Worst Enemy is running neck and neck with Fringe as my favorite new shows of 2008.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Creative Writing is Alive and Well - Even in Teenagers

For the past few Thursday nights, I've been taking a creative writing workshop at the Mercer County Public Library. The class is being taught by a man I've known most of my life, and I'm really enjoying the atmosphere of other writers.

Yesterday, was the first class of a Teen Writers Workshop he is started, to encourage younger people to write creatively. He feels some kids are stifled by the rules and regulations of classroom writing and thought this class might open up a whole new world for them. My daughter was one of the participants, and I was the female "chaperone" in the class (the teacher is male).

I was amazed at the kids who showed up for the class! We had a total of 8 children - there are more signed up, but the kids are on fall break, so many are on vacation. Of the 8 kids present, 4 were homeschooled - I thought that was wonderful! One young lady was in the 9th grade and had plans to go to Harvard University and study to become a forensic anthropologist - can you say Bones?

These young people were so impressive. At first it was difficult for them to open up, but the teacher has a way of speaking on their level, and before the end of the class, each child had read out loud what they had written during class. He has told these kids that each one should have a completed story by the end of the workshop (it lasts 8 weeks), and he plans to print them in a booklet so library patrons will be able to read them.

So, I learned yesterday not all children are absorbed with video games or television. Many of these children are already writing creatively at home, and they brought many plans and ideas to this wonderful class. As an old dog who has trouble learning new tricks, I was awed by the creative talent surrounding me yesterday. Creative writing is alive and well - even in teenagers!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Kentucky Tomato Pie


Even with the Kentucky drought, we ended up with plenty of tomatoes all summer long. Although the first hard freeze is probably a week or more away, I picked two large baskets of tomatoes to make this wonderful pie. The family loved it!

Tomato Pie

--Pie crust (I use my homemade crust, but frozen is okay)
--1/2 cup Bread Crumbs
--Garlic Powder, to taste
--Salt & Pepper, to taste
--Tomatoes, cut into pieces, enough to fill pie plate
--1 to 1/2 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese
--1/2 shredded Parmesan cheese
--Fresh Basil

Preheat oven to 425. Cover edges of crust with foil and bake for 5 minutes. Remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes. Remove crust from oven and turn oven back to 375. Layer pie crust with breadcrumbs, garlic powder, salt, pepper, tomatoes, mozzarella and parmesan, and then repeat layers again. End with a layer of tomatoes. Bake for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh basil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

This recipe works well with all types of tomatoes, even with a mixture of several different types.

What is a Billion?

With all this talk of billion dollar bailouts and resuce plans, I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the concept of what a billion is. My hubby sent me this email, so I thought I'd share it with you. I don't know who the author is, but this is certainly eye-opening.
The next time you hear a politician use the work 'billion' in a casual manner, think about whether you want the 'politicans' spending YOUR tax money.

-A billion seconds ago, it was 1959.

-A billion minutes ago, Jesus was alive.

-A billion hours ago our ancestors were living in the Stone Age.

-A billion days ago, no one walked on earth on two feet.

-A billion dollars ago was only 8 hours and 20 minutes, at the rate our government is spending it.

For another prospective, LA Senator, Mary Landrieu asked Congress for 250 billion dollars to rebuild New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Interesting number, but what does it mean?

-If you are one of the 484,674 residents of New Orleans (every man, woman and child) you each get $516,528.

-Or, if you have one of the 188,251 homes in New Orleans, your home gets $1,329,787.

-Or, if you are a family of four, your family gets $2,066,012.00

Now, take a look at all the taxes we have to pay: Accounts Receivable, Building Permit, CDL License, Cigarette, Corporate Income, Dog License, Federal Income Tax, Federal Unemployment, Fishing License, Food License, Fuel Permit, Gasoline, Hunting License, Inheritance Tax, Inventory, IRS Interest Charges, IRS Penalties, Liquor Tax, Luxury Tax, Marriage License, Medicare, Property Real Estate, Service Charge, Social Security Tax, Road Usage, Sales Tax, Recreational Vehicle, School, State Income, State Unemployment, Telephone Federal Excise, Telephone State and Local, Utility Tax, Vehicle License Registration, Vehicle Sales, Watercraft Registration, Well Permit and Workers Compensation.

Just think, not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had no national debt. We had the largest middle class in the World. And Mom stayed home to raise the kids.

The Morning After "Bones"

Episode #7 - The He in the She

Booth and Bones are call to the Chesapeake Bay to investigate a body found by a couple of stoners. They problem is, they find only the upper torso, giving the team little to work. The one obvious clue is the remnants of the victim's breast implants.

Because of the breast implants, Bones and Booth are led to a small church in Maryland, where they find that the victim was a pastor. When the team finds the lower half of the body, they learn the victim was a transgender who had undergone a sex change operation.

This episode had many religious elements, which caused a conflict between Booth and Bones. Of course, Bones does not belive in a higher being, but Booth is a devote Catholic. These differences lead to some hilarious verbal exchanges.

We got to see more of Angela's fiesty personalty, which has been missing for most of this season. I also think Hodgins is starting to get over some of his depression. Dr. Sweets had minimal face time this episode, and what we saw of him looked like it was forced, just to get him some screen time; I'm ready for him to play a bigger role with the team. The new intern was hilarious, and for a minute, I thought he was going to end of in bed with Cam; maybe Cam is growing up!

This is the technically the 7th episode (the 2-part first episdoe counted as 2 episodes). So far we haven't seen Caroline Julian or Max Keenan - I know they are scheduled for guest appearances, but don't know when. I continue to love the fast past of the show and how the mystery is not solved until the very end.

Bones' Intern-O-Meter: 0 to 6

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Way Back Wednesday - Young Frankenstein

(From IMDB) Young Frankenstein is a 1974 comedy film directed by Mel Brooks, and starring Gene Wilder. The screenplay was written by Brooks and Wilder.

This is a typical Mel Brooks comdey, and parodies the Frankenstein movies. This is the story of the young grandson of Baron Von Frankenstein(Gene Wilder), who gets his inheritance, and then goes to Transylvania to clear up the will. When he discoveries his Grandfather's personal library, he continues in his grandfather's footsteps.

Due to a mix-up by his assistant, Igor, Dr. Frankenstein implants an abnormal brain in his creation and then comdey insues. Things get more out of control when Dr. Frankenstein's bride shows up at the castle. The whole film is shot in black and white to simulate the old monster movie feeling.

Here is one of my favorite scenes from the movie. This is when Dr. Frankenstein realizes they may have used the wrong brain in the creature.
Dr. Frankenstein: Igor, would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?
Igor: And you won't be angry?
Dr. Frankenstein: I will NOT be angry.
Igor: Abby someone.
Dr. Frankenstein: Abby someone. Abby who?
Igor: Abby Normal.
Dr. Frankenstein: Abby Normal?
Igor: I'm almost sure that was the name.
Dr. Frankenstein: Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, fifty-four inch wide GORILLA?
[shakes and grabs him]
Dr. Frankenstein: IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?

Trivia:
Rock band Aerosmith took a break from a long night of recording to see Young Frankenstein in 1974. Steven Tyler wrote the band's hit "Walk This Way" the morning after seeing the movie, inspired by Marty Feldman's first scene, the "walk this way... this way" scene.

Gene Wilder as Dr. Frederick Frankenstein
Peter Boyle as the Monster
Marty Feldman as Igor
Madeline Kahn as Elizabeth
Cloris Leachman as Frau Blücher
Teri Garr as Inga
Kenneth Mars as Inspector Kemp
Richard Haydn as Herr Falkstein
Liam Dunn as Mr. Hilltop
Danny Goldman as Medical Student
Gene Hackman as The Blind Man
Mel Brooks (uncredited) as Werewolf / Cat Hit by Dart / Victor Frankenstein (voice)

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Try-It Tuesdays - Quaker Morning Minis

This week's Try-It Tuesday is Quaker baked Morning Minis, a new breakfast product that is supposed to be a good source of fiber.

Now, I'll admit, I'm not much of a breakfast eater - typically shying away from traditional breakfast foods. But when my hubby brought in a box of Quaker's Morning Minis, I though I'd give them a try.

The flavor we choose was Peanut Butter and Oats. According to the front of the package, the product is "Chewy bite-sized Cookies." Hmmm ... cookies for breakfast; what would my mother say? There are 6 pouches per box and each pouch contains the following nutritional information:

--Calories 140
--Total fat 4.5 gram (2g saturated fat; 1 gram each polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats)
--Cholesterol 0mg
--Sodium 110 mg
--Total carbohydrate 24 gm
--Dietary fiber 3 gm
--Sugars 7gm


All in all, this does not add up to a very healthy breakfast. Combine this information with the first 5 ingredients, and nutritionist all over the world are moaning outloud:

--Whole grain rolled oats (good)
--Whole wheat flour (good)
--Glycerin (bad)
--Sugar (bad)
--High fructose corn syrup (bad)

Granted, the first two ingredients are the bulk of the fiber in this product; but the next 3 ingredients are pure sugar.

Okay, so on nutrtion alone, this doesn't appear to be a very healthy breakfast, but they are individually wrapped and easy to take on the go, so maybe the taste is worth the extra added sugar. Sometimes quick and easy can outweigh nutritional factors.

Popping the first bite-sized "cookie" into my mouth, I started to chew ... and chew ... and chew. It tasted like I was eating cardboard that had been dipped in sugar. The taste was bland and course and not at all to my liking. Thinking it was just me, my hubby tried a cookie and although his reaction was slightly better than mine, we decided for the price and the low nutritional value, along with the bland taste, Morning Minis will no longer be on our grocery list.

I think I'm sticking to dry Cheerios or fresh oatmeal to meet my breakfast quota.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Music Monday - Tom Petty - Saving Grace


Okay, so I'm still on a Tom Petty kick - sue me! This week's Music Monday is from the 2006 Highway Companion album.




SAVING GRACE - From Highway Companion, 2006




I'm passing sleeping cities
Fading by degrees
Not believing all I see to be so

I'm flyin' over backyards
Country homes and ranches
Watching life between the branches below

And it's hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don't you baby?

You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace

I'm moving on alone over ground that no one owns
Past statues that atone for my sins
There's a guard on every door
And a drink on every floor
Overflowing with a thousand amens

And it's hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don't you baby?

You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace
Don't you baby?

You're rolling up the carpet
Of your father's two-room mansion
No headroom for expansion no more
And there's a corner of the floor
They're telling you is yours
You're confident but not really sure

And it's hard to say
Who you are these days
But you run on anyway
Don't you baby?

You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace

Don't you baby?

You keep running for another place
To find that saving grace

Don't you baby?

Sunday, October 5, 2008

Primeval - Episode 9

This episode starts out in a paintball field at an amusement part; something is prowling the undergrowth. The hidden animal makes low growls and finally charges its prey.

Connor and Cutter have finally developed an anomaly detector using the principals they learned from the radio signals. Lester and Leek are not impressed, because the detector appears to be a failure. A report comes in about a supposed creature attack, but the detector shows no sign of an anomaly. Connor has faith in his detector, so he tries to find other reasons for the alarm failing to go off.

Along the perimeter of the amusement part, the woods have been cordoned off by police investigating the paintballer attack. Valerie, the deputy manager of the resort, paces nervously. Jenny coaches her in what to tell the media, and Valerie is keen to evacuate the guests - but her management bosses will not let her. Cutter comes to the conclusion that the creature is some kind of large cat.

This is the first episode that did not have a current anomoly. Without giving away too many spoilers, the creature in this episode did indeed come from an anomoly, but it happened years before these attacks.

In other storylines, Connor's new "girlfriend" appears to be in league with Leek. I can't figure out what she is up to. Stephen has been receiving text messages from Helen - what the hell is that all about? Does Helen keep popping into the current world to borrow a cell phone? And we learn that Abby can drive a mean backhoe and handle a tranquilzer gun in an emergency. With only 4 more episodes left of this season, I hope some of the storylines are wrapped up, because I don't know how long it will be before we can start watching Season 3.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Morning After "Bones"


Episode 6 - THE CRANK IN THE SHAFT

To start off, the body in this episode was gross! An office elevator is full of employees, all heading into work, when everyone starts to notice a smell. Thinking it's a "you smelt it, you dealt it" kind of deal, everyone is revolted to see a decomposed leg fall out of the trap door in the elevator. I told you, gross!

Booth and Bones are called out of a session with Dr. Sweets to head to the crime scene. My hubby and daughter were rolling with laughter during the Dr. Sweets scene, because Booth was constantly shaking his leg up and down - this is the same thing I do and my family thought it was hilarious. Also, Booth had on his favorite "Cocky" belt buckle - I love that belt buckle.

True to form for episodes this season, there is a merritt of possible suspects for this crime, all keeping you guessing until the very end. For the past several episodes, I have not been able to guess the suspect and have ended up being totally surprised.

Meanwhile, on the Angela and Hodgins front, they are both still acting weird around each other. Angela ends up interrupting Dr. Sweets' lunch again to try and get his input, but as usual, Angela figures it out for herself. It looks like they have finally made peace with their break-up, so maybe the lab won't feel so alien the rest of the season. I still feel like they will end up back together again.

Poor Cam has the patience of a saint. Trying to control Hodgins recent attitudes and dealing with the new interns - she always manages to keep a smile on her face. And speaking of interns, we had a weird one tonight. He was very intelligent, but so self-depricating!

Bones' Intern-O-Meter is 0 to 5.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Way Back Wednesday - Cool Hand Luke

This week's Way Back Wednesday is dipping waaaaaay back into the 1960s, in memory of Paul Newman. Cool Hand Luke is a 1967 American drama film starring Paul Newman and George Kennedy, and it is my favorite movie of Newman's.


(From IMDB) Luke Jackson (Newman) is a cool, gutsy prisoner who is sentenced to a prison camp for using a pipe cutter to cut the tops off of parking meters and ends up in a Southern chain gang. While refusing to buckle under to authority, Luke keeps escaping and being recaptured. The prisoners admire Luke because, as Dragline (Kennedy) explains it,
"You're an original, that's what you are!"

On the chain gang, Luke encourages the other prisoners, by his own attitude and energy, to excel at their menial tasks. This not only encourages camaraderie among the prisoners, it deprives the guards of a stick to hold over the prisoners' heads. Nevertheless, the camp staff actively works to crush Luke until he finally breaks.

The most famous scene in the movie is when Luke boasts that he can eat 50 hard boiled eggs in one hour:
"It be somethin' to do."

The movie has such a sad ending, but Luke managed to unmask the injustice and hypocrisy of the system in which he was confined. Basically he gave up his life over a parking meter, but in the final analysis he could not be broken by the system.


We will miss you, Mr. Newman ... rest in peace ...
January 26, 1925 – September 26, 2008