TGIF & Community

Hey, everyone. Community is BACK!
I followed this quirky show for it's surprisingly long run, and even unknowingly, coincidentally boycotted Season 4 (when NBC fired creator Dan Harmon).

Season 6 is set to air on Yahoo on March 17. Kinda exciting.

#sixseasonsandamovie

:) Happy Friday!

TGIF & Arbonne

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Well, friends, it's the last post of the year. And my last post of the month on 5 Scribes, my writers' group blog.

It's been a crazy busy last two months. That "new direction" that I alluded to in my last post, I started a home business with Arbonne. And it has been occupying my whole brain, so much so that I have forgotten SO many things...my son's doctor's appointment, my regularly scheduled Friday posts, sometimes forgetting I have laundry in the washing machine so that I have to wash it twice. I haven't written in a while, which is kind of sad, but I also feel like the break is good for me. It's been nice to get away from the Sisters story...and editing.

Is the whole Arbonne obsession healthy? I'm not sure.

The good news is that business is going really well.

I met Artemio Carpio at Superstition Farms' Moo-ey Christmas last Saturday as an Arbonne vendor. He works in Wardrobe with the whole Castle cast!!! I have mentioned Castle before; my husband and I even got our parents hooked on the series.

Artemio showed me pictures of Beckett's wedding dress, all glowy and backlit. I asked him about the beginning of season 3, when Kate looks pregnant, that Stana (mentioned like she was a dear friend) liked drap-y eternity scarves. But when they got news back that people thought she looked pregnant, the drape was off her wardrobe. He said Nathan Fillion will talk your ear off about Firefly any day.
I wish I had asked Artemio for his contact info! But if he sees this, THANK YOU!!! It was the highlight of my December!

Anyway, I can see God providing help here and there for me to reach my Arbonne goals. I am unsure what direction he is planning to take me (and my family).

But it is all very exciting.
So, I raise my hands to the Creator and surrender to his plan for my life.

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas full of hope and promise.
Love,
Karen

TGIF & Switched at Birth

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Missing Bunheads on ABC Family?  Here's another show to keep you occupied until all of the regular TV goes back on the air: Switched at Birth.

Entertainment Weekly says there was a lot of drama with renewal, but it is!!! It's a really good teen drama show...much much better than Glee or ABC Family's other teen drama show The Secret Life of the American Teenager.

It's about two girls who aren't related to each other, who were switched families in the hospital when they were born.  Bay (the brunette) is a rebel, who grew up with a traditional family (her mom is played by Lea Thompson).  Her father played baseball, so she has been a little spoiled.  Daphne (the red-head) is a good girl who grew up with a struggling single mom.  She's also deaf, due to a bout with meningitis at 3 years old.

I love the dimension of drama added by the fact that Daphne is deaf.  They really highlight the challenges she has to overcome.  They show the family learning ASL (American sign language).  Marlee Matlin is a recurring guest star.  It's pretty awesome.

Good quality drama.  And they're airing the last 10 episodes of Season 1 right now.  :)  Check it out!

TGIF & Bunheads

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Have you heard of Bunheads?  It's the newest TV show created by Amy Sherman-Palladino (creator of Gilmore Girls).

Basically, the plot follows Michelle, who is a Vegas showdancer but has all the proper training for a professional ballet dancer.  She made a few bad life decisions, and now she doesn't like where she is in life.  She has a drunken night and marries her stalker, who is creepy at first but sweet in the end.  He takes her to his hometown, called Paradise--seriously--and introduces Michelle to his mother (played by Mrs. Gilmore herself!).  The mother runs a ballet academy out of her own studio, where four young ballerinas take classes.

If you liked Gilmore, you'll like this.  I watched the pilot and was quite impressed.  It has the snappy, witty dialogue of Gilmore, and I really like Sutton Foster (who plays Michelle).  She pulls off Michelle's sarcasm with a lot of heart.

Anyway, here's the trailer.  Check out the series on Hulu (or ABC Family) and let me know what you think!  :)

TGIF & Happy Endings

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So, I've decided to add "& (insert subject)" to my TGIF posts, so it's not so hard for me to figure out what I've already blogged about when I'm thinking up post topics.  ha...silly me...let's make blogging easier, huh?

And I missed posting last Friday.  Sorry!
Anyway...

Did you know there is a TV show called Happy Endings?  I saw the promos for it a couple years ago and it made me laugh at the title because my blog is of the same name.  I finally decided to check it out on hulu.

It's pretty funny.  Very silly.  Very witty.  It's like a Friends for the 21st century!  They even recycle some basic Friends plots.

Equate (Happy Endings, Friends)
  Jane = Monica
  Brad = Chandler
  Alex = Rachel
  Dave = Ross
  Penny = Phoebe
  Max = Joey

They even have an episode in Season 2 (Valentine's Day, I believe) where Brad gets drunk and starts calling his friends by their Friends-counterpart names.

Have you seen it?  Does it remind you of Friends, too?

Weekly Writing Progress: I haven't had as much time to write the past couple of weeks.  Our nanny and my husband were out of town (not together, ha), so I had to manage Emma by myself...which left little time to write.  However, I am back on track this week and have almost finished editing/re-writing the 2nd chapter in Part 2.  :)

TGIF! & Titanic

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Miss your Downton Abbey weekly fix?  Do you find yourself imagining a happy ending for Bates and Anna?  Or contemplating writing some fan fiction?  Well, to keep yourself out of the Downton slump...  

Titanic, a new series by Downton creator Julian Fellowes, is coming to PBS Masterpiece Classic this Sunday!

So exciting!  :)  Hopefully, it'll be a new series to obsess over.  ha.

EDITED TO ADD: So, it wasn't on PBS, it was on ABC.  You can find the episodes at abc.com.  :)

Weekly writing progress: Finally I feel like I've made some progress.  I've finished outlining Part 2 and have started adding to and editing Part 2.  Also will be editing chapter 1 a little bit more.  Everything is coming together.  Yay!  (I've also made a goal of August to finish this book!  Then, I'll spend a month or two editing and I'll put it away.  I want to write about some other ideas!)

TGIF!!! & Downton Abbey

This whole week, I found myself thinking back to the PBS Masterpiece Classic series Downtown Abbey (the first two episodes of the 2nd season are available to view here).  If you haven't seen this upstairs/downstairs period drama, check it out!  It is so good.  Good writing, good stories, good acting.

The third episode is airing Sunday night at 8pm.  :)

My husband and I are obsessed with everything PBS.  I love Arthur.  We love Masterpiece Mystery.  We're always putting Eight Life (formerly known as Eight Create) on in the background...Lydia's Italy, Simply Ming, Jacques & Julia, Rick Steves...love them all.  My baby is going to grow up watching educational TV.  haha.

Weekly progress update: pretty dull.  I've been editing a chapter I submitted to my writer's group two Mondays ago.  I'm hoping next week will be better in terms of writing new stuff.

Good Morning, Angels

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I've always been a huge fan of the TV show Charlie's Angels (the old 70s version). I would sometimes stay up late at college to watch the reruns on TV Land. :) I used to troll fansites to look at pictures and read up on trivia. I know all of the different combo casts. I know that there were only 5 seasons. I know that Jaclyn Smith was the only angel to last all 5 seasons. I know that Farrah Fawcett broke her contract in a huge scandal, causing the hiring of Cheryl Ladd. I know that, when the show was going under in season 4, they moved season 5 to Hawaii to garner more audience.

Yes, I'm obsessed.

Kelly is my favorite angel. My favorite episode is the one where Tiffany, Kelly, and Kris take advantage of 3 gang-robbers in a divide-and-conquer scheme.

Anyway, I'm extremely excited to hear that they're remaking the show! I hope it's just as good.

Ride on the Magic School Bus

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So, a lot of students (and teachers!) went back to school this week. I hope you all had a great first week! Meeting new people and reuniting with old friends. (Being married to a teacher sure puts school into perspective! So much prep! So much time!) Here's to the weekend (cheers!).

Anyway, it reminded me of the really old TV show Magic School Bus. The show came out when I was a kid and I still love it. My favorite episode is "The Haunted House," where Ms. Frizzle and the students go to the Sound Museum to help Carlos with his new musical instrument. They learn about vibration and sound waves. It's cool stuff and fun to watch.

I wish I were in Ms. Frizzle's class!

Her philosophy is to "take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!" I think it's a great mantra for life, no matter how old you are.

Make It or Break It as a jump off?

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I stumbled upon ABC Family's Make It or Break It on Hulu last year. I think I found it because I had been watching The Secret Life of the American Teenager and got so sick of the drama on that stupid show that I moved on to more drama on Make It. lol.

Anyway, this show is nothing special. It's about 4 up-and-coming gymnasts in their gymnastics world and all of the drama that comes with that...boys, dedication, distractions, coach problems, etc...if you're wondering. It's for teens. It's silly. It's teen drama...with mediocre acting.

I like the show for two reasons:
1) My favorite character's (Payson) mom is played by Peri Gilpin, of Frasier fame (she was Roz Doyle).
2) It showcases real gymnastics here and there, which is fun to watch.

So, all this ado is to highlight the fact that I have seen 3 of these actors in other shows in the past week! Seriously...all within the same week!

Neil Jackson - the guy who plays Sasha Beloff, the Rock coach - I saw him in the new British revamp of Upstairs, Downstairs.

Eric Palladino - the guy who plays Marty Walsh, the Denver coach - I saw him on the latest episode of Castle ("The Dead Pool").

Josie Loren - the girl who plays Kaylie Cruz - I saw her on the same Castle episode ("The Dead Pool").

Which makes me wonder at how popular Make It might be? Coincidence, who knows...?

Favorite TV show: Arthur

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love the PBS kids show Arthur.

Yes, it's a cartoon. Yes, the main character is 8 years old. Yes, I am a grown-up and much older than 8.

But, it's still so fun...and is on it's 14th season. I started watching it with my brother when he was kid (in my defense, he's 9 years younger than me), and it just caught my attention. I watched it throughout college and onward.

Part of the appeal of Arthur is the modern day references and spoofs...Harry Potter, Lemony Snickett, even South Park is brought up. Plus, it's fun when episodes refer to other episodes and themes carry over, like DW's snowball and Arthur's fiddling with his glasses when he's lying.

There have also been some movies. This one is a nod to the 90s, highlighting the Backstreet Boys. lol. It's one of my favorites.


Anyway, you can find it on Channel 8 at 3:30pm (if you're in AZ). :)

Show Cancellation: Ugly Betty

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Though I only watched this show online and hardly ever when it aired, I really enjoyed the character of Ugly Betty. She was awkward, she was nerdy, she dressed so badly. But she was also driven, self-motivated, and determined to succeed. She had a really supportive family and healthy friendships at work. She even dated really cute boys. Betty was a really great role model for young girls, who think life is all about the appearance.

That's why I'm so sad that this show is being cancelled. :( I guess it's time to say, "Adios" to Betty la Fea.

Oscar 2010 highlight: Sandra Bullock

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How happy am I that Sandra Bullock won for Best Leading Actress? I haven't seen the movie yet, but I absolutely love her other films. Though she usually does romantic comedy, I think she is one of the most down to earth, normal non-celebrity-like people I've watched on interview. I loved her acceptance speech. Her thank you to her mother made me tear up. And her wonderful sense of humor and wit (that I totally admire) sweetly acknowledged all of the beautiful women who were also nominated with her.

And Meryl, you know what I think of you...and you're such a good kisser." ~Sandra Bullock

Love her and I'm so glad she won.

Winter Olympic Highlights

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Every night, we have had the Olympics on the TV in the background. We'll pay attention to the "hyped" competitors: Shaun White, Apolo Anton Ohno, Johnny Weir, Heather Kearney, etc.

Anyway, on Tuesday night, we were super surprised and excited that China's Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo won the gold in Pairs Figure Skating. They retired after the last Olympics (in Turino) and got married...so romantic. China decided that they needed a viable competitor in Pairs for the Vancouver Winter Olympics, so they asked them to come out of retirement, postpone their honeymoon, and vigorously train while living in separate dorms and all that jazz.

What a sacrifice! And what a reward!

Anyway, I'm so excited for the Mens' figure skating long program. What are your favorite Olympic events?

Superbowl Commercials vs. Olympics Commercials

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There is something about the Olympics that is so much more touching than the Superbowl. Even though both competitions are about athletes where only one will be the victor, the Olympics is so much more than that. It's about unity of the world, it's about the heart of the athlete and not just about the strength.

Plus, the commercials from the Olympics are 100 times better than Superbowl commercials. They promote good athleticism and family and the journey, rather than how stupid you can act on beer.

I saw this one during the Opening Ceremony. It was awesome.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSn5Z7EC4ME

Enjoy!

Coincidence or Conspiracy?

The women in my bell choir have a theory that professional sports are rigged. Whatever teams will bring in the most viewers, and therefore the most money, will end up in the finals. I’m not sure what my stand on this is, but there is some convincing evidence.


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Take, for example, this year’s Superbowl XLIV: how long ago did sportscasters predict that the Colts would face the Saints? Of course, this was easy when both teams were undefeated in the first half of the season. But, clearly, the Saints were favored because of Katrina.

The Saints won some very questionable calls when they faced the Vikings. Granted, the Vikings made big mistakes, yes, but momentum was given to the Saints on a silver platter because of favorable refereeing.

After the Vikings were out of the game, all eyes turned to the Saints…not the Colts. If you turned on the TV before the game began, can you believe how much time was dedicated to the Saints and New Orleans and all of their background stories about rebuilding and community and love? SO blatant! We knew the Saints would win.

Is the Superbowl rigged?


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What about the NBA?

For example, the NBA 2008 finals: how long before the finals did sportscasters mention that the final teams would be the Lakers and the Celtics? The commercials were already playing mid-season!

Granted Kobe never fouls and the Lakers do have talent (since they were in the finals twice in a row). But, still...is the NBA rigged?

These two matchups are the most obvious, but I am sure there are other “coincidences” within pro sports.

What do you think? Are pro sports rigged or not?

P.S. And on another note, was anyone as disappointed in the commercials as me? There were cars and CBS promos with one or two Doritos. BORING! There was so much hype and no delivery whatsoever.

P.S.S. The Who are awesome!

The 3 Cs of Primetime TV

We don’t have cable and I don’t think we’ll be getting it anytime soon. We are too preoccupied with the shows in network TV already, not to mention the love affair my husband has with PBS. It is pretty bad, but the precious time we don’t spend in front of a computer screen (writing, e-mailing, surfing the web), we watch TV.

We go back and forth from extreme to extreme, debating whether we should ditch the whole TV thing altogether. But, YES to TV has always won out.

So far, we’re obsessed with three main shows: Castle, Chuck, and Community.


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Castle is just silly drama plus crime scene investigation, which I love (originating from CSI). Sometimes the crime isn’t very believable (I’ve spotted a few plot holes here and there), but it’s entertaining all the same. Plus, we both really like Nathan Fillion of Firefly fame.


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Chuck is plain silly. We like that he is the nerd, yet he has even nerdier friends and co-workers at the Buy More. (Every time we walk into a Best Buy, I can’t help but think of Chuck.) Plus, Adam Baldwin, also of Firefly fame, is in the show as grunting Casey…sense a theme here?


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Community makes me laugh out loud. It’s the kind of show that was surprising to me, in the way that it was actually pretty good. It’s half an hour, sweet and sour. And I like the ensemble comedy cast. I think Danny Pudi’s character, Abed, is my favorite. He’s weird.

Of course, I watch other shows, too, but these are the shows my husband and I watch together.

What shows are you watching these days?

It is Universally Known...

People -- their hopes, their dreams, their aspirations -- there I am the expert. ~Emma Woodhouse

Has anyone been watching Emma on PBS on Sunday nights? It’s the equivalent of A&E’s masterful, and literal adaptation of, Pride and Prejudice.

There are a few recognizable actors:
• Michael Gambon (Dumbledore from Harry Potter or, if you’re a fan of Gosford Park like me, Sir William)
• Jonny Lee Miller (Edmund from Mansfield Park)
• Romola Garai (Amelia from Vanity Fair)

So far, I really like it. All of the characters are portrayed slightly younger than the Gwyeneth Paltrow version.

I like the subtle, modern way that this new Emma expresses herself…watch her facial expressions, she’s totally like a naïve teenager today…though she’s supposed to be 20.

I like the way the costume designers have reused her dresses (meaning she doesn’t have a new outfit for every scene), making Emma seem like a realistic girl living in the early 1800s.

I like the way that this long version of the book emphasizes the relationships between ALL the characters: Jane and Frank Churchill, Mr. Knightley and his older brother John, Harriet and Robert Martin. Even the relationship between Emma and Mrs. Weston (Miss Taylor) is more developed. Of course, these are all possible with more screen time.

I also like the way that Mr. Elton is portrayed. He’s more conceited and self-aware. It totally makes sense why he would marry someone vulgar like Augusta from Bath, just to spite Emma and Harriet.

I can’t think of any real dislikes except that there isn’t much emphasis on distinction of location. When they pan to a wide-screen version of a house, I can’t tell whether it is Hartfield or Donwell or the Weston’s house.

Anyway, I have been a fan of Jane Austen since I was in junior high, like most girls. (She the most renowned author of happy endings!) I eagerly look forward to each and every production of her work. Care to suggest any new ones?