Forever A Fangirl

TONITE! DEXTER & HOMELAND Episode 10! on SHO - Sneak Peeks SPOILERS VIDEO @SHO_Kareem @SHO_Dexter @SHO_Homeland

12.02.11 UPDATE: DEXTER"S 8th Season to be it's Last:

Michael C. Hall in DEXTER  Episode 6.10 - 'Ricochet Rabbit'  (SHO):

Next on Dexter Season 6 Episode 10 - Ricochet Rabbit:

Dexter tries to figure out the Doomsday Killers' next victim before it's too late after learning the truth about Gellar; Debra has a panic attack reaction at a crime scene, which leads her to the realization that she leans too heavily on her brother.

 

DEXTER season 6 is getting some really sour feedback from critics and audiences alike.

The latest EW magazine opines that season 5 was 'weak' and Season 6 is 'weaker.'

The complaints are being fired mostly at the 'DDK' (Doomsday Killer--not really even a great acronym made from that) storyline. The consensus seems to be 'fire the writers,'  which is unsurprising as the actors on Dexter continue  to be of  the caliber that they usually are but the season 6 storyline has not been able to engage viewers ala season 4's 'Trinity Killer' storyline (which I think besides DEXTER season 1, will be the standard to which all seasons will be held). Possibly, the return of Dexter's bio-brother (in Harry form) was the biggest let-down as anticipation for his return began at the end of season 1.

What could have further plumbed the depths of  Dexter's psyche ended up more as a jokey, pseudo-Thelma and Louise one-off episode. Dexter never seemed in danger of slipping into an extended bout of Rudy-like behaviour and therein lay the problem. And then *poof* Rudy was gone. That was a wasted opportunity, if there ever was one.

 

I'm a from-day-one 'Dexter' fan as I followed Michael C. Hall from Six Feet Under to this and I believe he never disappoints. I would have ranked it as my favourite show until this season (though it is by no means 'bad' nor do I wish to stop watching it).

In addition to being the star of Dexter, Hall, as you see in the credits is an executive producer (EP) of the show. I think he needs to step in and step it up for seasons 7 -8. ( Showtime has announced two more seasons of Dexter have been approved.)

 

I did like the DDK twist of this past week. Now I want to see what they are going to do with it. I have high hopes as I'd like to see season 6 end without giving anyone (including me) more reason to carp about the show.

'Gellar's Paintings' - Deb, Batista and Mike discover DDK's hideout.

'You Killed Me' - Travis discovers the truth about Gellar

Update #2 (12.03.11) SPOILERS:

EW DEXTER SCOOP (12.02.11)

Though plans could still change, SHOWTIME entertainment president David Nevins tells EW the working assumption is indeed that 'Dexter' will conclude in the eighth season. Moreover, the creative endgame starts sooner than you think — the remaining episodes of the current sixth season will set into motion events that will resonate through the remainder of the series. “Coming back for two more years gives us clarity about how and when it will go out,” Nevins said at Showtime’s annual holiday party in Los Angeles on Thursday night. “There’s things that are going to happen [this season] that will set up a very clear endgame that will take two seasons to tell. You have got to be there for the last two episodes.”

MORE: Read more at ew.com!

Homeland | Speaking of top-notch cable dramas, the Dec. 18 freshman finale of Showtime’s spy thriller will play host to a showdown between its two leading ladies, Claire Danes and Morena Baccarin, who thus far have been traveling in rather separate circles. “We have a fantastic confrontation,” Morena Baccarin told me. “After Jessica puts it together who Carrie is, they have this sort of face-off.” Pressed for further details, all Baccarin would add is, “It takes place at my house, and it is intense.” My question: Does “who Carrie is” mean “CIA spook trying to finger my husband for treason,” “harlot who bedded him,” or a bit of both?

Source: TVLINE

Official DEXTER Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/dexter

 

Official DEXTER Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/sho_dexter

 

Official DEXTER Series Site: http://www.sho.com/site/dexter/home.sho

 

Official HOMELAND Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/HomelandOnShowtime

 

Official HOMELAND Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SHO_Homeland

 

Official HOMELAND Series Site: http://www.sho.com/site/homeland/home.sho

 

 

Claire Danes as CIA spook Carrie Mathison in Homeland on Showtime CREDIT: Showtime

HOMELAND Update! (12.02.11) SPOILER:

Q: What can you tell me about Brody’s plan?

A: This week’s episode, titled “Representative Brody,” doesn’t particularly give us too many more clues about any secret plot he might have going because everything about his future is seemingly out on the table — as you might have surmised from the title of the episode. The problem is Jessica has to be on board before Brody makes any leap, and let’s just say she’s less than thrilled about the idea.

Bonus dish: The end of the hour will find Carrie (Claire Danes) in a hospital bed after a horrible and incredibly terrifying incident.

 

CREDIT: EW INSIDER

Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson in Homeland on Showtime CREDIT: Showtime

After the jump: HOMELAND Sneak Peeks and Preview:

HOMELAND Episode 1.06 - 'The Good Soldier' Promo Screencaps VIDEO (HD) @SHO_Kareem @SHO_Homeland

How much longer until Carrie and Brody either come to blows or wind up in the sack together having angry sex?:

 
Next on HOMELAND, Episode 6 'The Good Soldier' :

Carrie (Claire Danes) wants Brody (Damian Lewis) to take a polygraph test and reveal the truth about who helped his former captor commit suicide.

 

Homeland Sneak Peeks  & PHOTOS (SHO):

Resignation

 

Say Goodbye

 

Last week's HOMELAND episode left on a cliff-hangar of what exactly happened that led to the death before he could disclose any good intel of Brody's POW guard of 8 years?

Brody himself is a suspect. He became one after he'd gone back to the CIA asking as a soldier to be able to face his captor. Previously, he'd asked if his captor would be tortured as part of the interrogation. Carrie's reply to Brody was, 'We don't do that here.'

This week, Carrie is hot to have Brody take a lie detector test as she has no question that Brody slipped his guard a razor blade after Brody successfully won face time with him via his plea to Deputy CIA Director Estes, (David Harewood).

The tension continues to mount. How much longer until Carrie and Brody either come to blows or wind up in the sack together--possibly having angry sex?

Official HOMELAND Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/HomelandOnShowtime

Official HOMELAND Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/SHO_Homeland

 

Official HOMELAND Series Site: http://www.sho.com/site/homeland/home.sho

 

SCREENCAPS - HOMELAND Episode 1.06 - 'The Good Soldier' Promo

True Blood Season 4: Look Up! Up in the Sky! It's 2 Vampires, a Werewolf & a Faery-Telepath! #trueblood #tbwithdrawal

 

Look up high, specifically on the side of the 9000 building along Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California and you will see a quartet of sexy supernaturals including vampires 'Eric' (Alexander Skarsgård) and 'Bill' (Stephen Moyer), werewolf 'Alcide' ( Joe Manganiello) and faery-telepath 'Sookie' (Anna Paquin).

It is pretty apparent that all three guys are into Ms. Stackhouse but which of the potential/former suitor(s) will she choose? You'll have to tune in to HBO's True Blood on June 26 to begin to get the answer. Until then, keep looking around!

SOURCE: Daily Billboard

Be sure to check out the season three, season two and first season billboards for True Blood at the Daily Billboard, too!

EDIT/ If you want to gaze upon a HQ version of this image, it is a copy of (one of) the previously-released True Blood HBO Promo Poster Art I shared here.

True Blood Season 4 (6.1.11) Updates, Interviews [SPOILERS] Galore! #trueblood #spoilers #season4

Even a spoiler hound as big as me did not anticipate just how much TB writer Alexander Woo spills in this brand new interview about True Blood Season 4!:

(EW Magazine Illustration)

Want to know the answers to a number of cliffhangers from True Blood's season 3 finale? (Like for example, the definitive answer to: Did Sam shoot Tommy? (It's here.) Do Bill and Sookie really break up? (Uh, I'm not sure I wanted to know but I do now) and, does Bill go to Peru like in the books? And there's much more, depending on how intensely you have been spoiling yourself!

I'm putting all the articles into a silde show album. Click through and read them but be prepared for a few genuine eye-openers!

Credit #1: Pages 1, 2, 3: SFX Magazine and Found & scanned by and thanks to: PaquinAnna.com.
Credit #2: Pages 4 and 5: EW Magazine and Thanks to TrueBlood-Online.com.
Credit #3: Pages 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11: Article credit: Ashley Jude Collie Scanned by and Thanks to TrueBlood-Online.com.
Credit #4: Pages 12-13: Credit: A Few Little Season 4 Spoilers in TV Guide | True Blood News - Season 4 Spoilers
Credit: http://www.trueblood-news.com/a-few-little-season-4-spoilers-in-tv-guide.

Below is an excerpt from the TVGuide article (credit above). If  you have been keeping up with the general  plotline plans for Season 4 at all, then this will be a simple retred of that. Alan Ball has never sounded less enthusiastic about his show. I'm gonna blame the interviewer.

TV Guide Magazine’s Summer Preview (6.o6 -19.11)

Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble! In Season 4, “There are two factions at war: vampires and another fueled by witchcraft and power over the dead,” says creator Alan Ball. Battles go down and Sookie’s lightning-bolt-shooting  EDIT 'microwave' fingers/End EDIT strike again.

“We see her use her powers,” Ball says of Anna Paquin’s steel magnolia.

“Other people see that too, and it’s going to complicate things.” She’s not the only one releasing her inner magic.

Tara (Rutina Wesley) and Lafayette (Nelsan Ellis) get mixed up with Wiccan medium Marnie (Fiona Shaw).

And witches cast a spell on Eric (Alexander Skarsgård): “Sookie will see a different Eric,” Ball says, but she’s still feeling heat with Bill (Stephen Moyer) and Alcide (Joe Manganiello). Adds Ball, “From the Team Eric, Team Bill viewpoints, one of those teams will be happy, one won’t.”

 Moyer says that Season 4 is “very different. Everybody’s taken a real shift. Some time has passed, there are a lot of hierarchical shifts, and there’s a new bad influence in town.”

Source: trueblood-news

First Look at TRUE BLOOD’s Season 4 Promo Poster Art - 3 Posters! #trueblood #tbwithdrawal

True Blood (HBO) - Show Your True Colors?:

I love this one. I hope Alcide gets a crack at Sookie even if it is not until next year.

He runs hot. ;)

I can see these three-- a shifter and two witches paired in this poster since they are either blood-related or employment-related or both, as well. Nicely done shot. Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette) is super-smoldering, as always.

Too much Photoshop on this last one. Looks thrown together plus Jason has exactly no reason to be paired up with Pam and Jessica.

 

VIDEO: True Blood Season 4 - Invitation to the Set (4.17.11) #SPOILERS #trueblood #season4 #screencaps

 

Alexander Skarsgård as Eric Northman in True Blood Season 4 (pre-amnesia):

 

So far, this is the best promo for True Blood Season 4, yet. Finally, a bit of story to chew on, not just quick scenes adding up to zilch. Smartly, I think, Alan Ball & Co. are broadly fleshing out for us what to expect in Season 4--especially showing some more of the more of brand new (Marnie) and nearly brand new (Jesus, Holly) characters--witches all-- in action.

The witches circle when over-lit like I made the screen-caps in order to see detail look pretty, idk cornball? Cheesy? But I imagine the (award-winning) set folks put together a replica of what real witches do.

 In the stark light it looks cheesy, in the darkness with candles and all it looks pretty neat.

Oh My Goodness!, some pretty screen-caps came out of this behind-the-scenes preview/promo/trailer!  

Screencaps! *All images Copyright HBO, inc.*:

Alas, nothing terribly spoilerish.

VIDEO: True Blood Season 4: More Spoilery Goodness & Goofiness via E! #trueblood #PaleyFest #interview

Paley Fest 2011 - More Reveals About Sookie Stackhouse & Cos. Season 4 Story Arcs, Screen Capped:

From

 Anna Paquin, who stars as waitress/telepath/faery Sookie Stackhouse in HBO's True Blood (S4 debuts 6.12.11), discusses the attributes--and the negatives of Alexander Skarsgård's "Eric" as on-the-show boyfriend material. Skarsgård takes full advantage and hams it up, reacting to all her points. Steve Moyer (vampire Bill) has difficulty keeping a straight face as Anna earnestly explains the why and wherefores of Sookie's romantic options in True Blood, season 4.

From PaleyFest via E!

According to True Blood show runner Alan Ball:

"What Sookie (Anna Paquin) said to Bill (Stephen Moyer) at the end of last season, she meant it, and it's going to take a lot from him to win her back if he ever will, and I don't know if he ever will or not."

..."(Also) there are complications with Eric (Alexander Skarsgård) that (Sookie) didn't see coming, and there are complications with Alcide (Joe Manganiello) she didn't see coming."

Ball explained that everyone's favourite vamps best keep a watchful eye out for witches, because they're joining the show this year, and they're gonna be trouble.

Ball said:

"I don't think it's a rule that vampires and witches that don't get along, but there are certain witches who are really dabbling in dark, dark magic, necromancy—powers over the dead. So vampires aren't going to like that."

 Accordingly to E! you should  much 'angsty awesomeness' from Jessica (Deborah Ann Woll) and Hoyt (Jim Parrack) this season!

Parrack says:

"We're living together, and when I get home from work I find she's been sleeping all day because she has to, and everybody told us there would be problems, but...Deborah and I said before the season, let's make this decision: Let's say we told ourselves, 'It'll never be us. We'll never be that. Our love is bigger and stronger. And now...life is starting to say otherwise.'"

  Parrack  further disclosed:

"I like episode three this season; I get to do a great, great scene in that episode. Alan wrote that episode, and I get this wonderful Tennessee Williams-ish scene."

 

From True Blood Season 4 Cast @ Paley Fest 2011 - Anna/Steve/Alex-centric - http://foreverafangirl.com

But Alan Ball & Co. are not finished with Hoyt quite yet. Says Ball:

"Well...[Jim] hasn't even begun. Obviously he hasn't read episode seven or eight yet. Those are major. It's not as easy being a couple as perhaps they thought."

Based on Alan Ball's and Todd Lowe's remarks, the "Is Arlene's baby a demon child?" talk may end up being less than what the ever-excitable Arlene (Carrie Preston) may fear it to be.

Todd Lowe said:

"I don't know if it's devil babies…It's babies. Neonatal, strange, possibly possessed human babies." But here's the thing—as any new mom can tell you, normal human babies behave just like possessed babies, what with the endless screaming and the projectile vomiting. Arlene's probably in the clear, she just won't know it for a while.

Read more: Watch With Kristen

Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm 2005 - 2010 FUN Times - Farm Photos: Family, Animals of Many Stripes - Gourds! - Haunted House - Corn Maze

Update Oct 22, 2010 Goebbert's Farm, 40 W. Higgins Rd., South Barrington, IL, USA -

We go every year because it is a local, fun outside thing to do. http://www.pumpkinfarms.com/

We started going to Goebbert's prior to the common use of digital cameras--so I have tons of photos--in boxes that I should scan to add to this bunch which only cover the last five Octobers.***

We always try to pick an Indian summer-type day to stroll around Goebbert's Pumpkin Farm. The best day to go is a weekday for the thinner crowds--and you save $ on anything that takes tickets.

I guess because I'm not a farmer's market get-up-at-dawn-type, I really savour being able to pick through the many mini gourds at Goebbert's until I find the right colour and texture combo for my cornucopia, now on the table in the living room. The kids have always liked finding the weirdest or ugliest ones they could find, too. Just a really pleasant, relaxing couple of hours, always finished off with yummy baked apple or pumpkin goods.

***Found a bunch. As soon as I have a better than Blackberry connection, they'll be posted, say by Sunday.

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - New Character Posters (10.6.10) - New Poster Size Character Promo & Production Stills - New Cast Promotional Poster

Production Still Source, Poster Size Character Promo Stills: Source: Celebutopia

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Cast Promotional Poster Source: mugglenet

Wow! Are the publicity people hemorrhaging these images or what?!

Jebus! There is no way that anyone but the most devoted Muggle could ever keep up with the volume. My hard drive is sagging under the weight of all these!

So what d'ya think? (Make sure to click through--All of the Cast Promotional Posters are Hi-Res and  many are super-duper big!)

One thing I can't get over is how hairy Harry is! I'm not trying to be funny. Little Harry grew up to be a very hirsute man! Another thing is when photos are blown up as big as some of these--the makeup is really evident--especially wounds. Only the guy with the severe scarring looks like he sustained the wounds. Photoshopping is really noticeable too. In the film with movement (obviously) I don't think these nitpicky things will be evident tho'.

Another observation is that there seems to be quite a mish-mash of photographers involved here--as well as at least one artist who went really, really dark. I don't think anyone is going to even be faintly surprised that HP & TDH is DARK.

Some of the production photos are awesome. For instance, the one of Ron Weasley peering around the corner of a big building in the city looked absolutely uninteresting as I saw it before but now--with a huge crew filming--it's fascinating! Harry running through the woods with a camera crew parallel to him atop what looks like train tracks about 15 feet away is pretty cool as well.

The process of lighting a scene always fascinates me. The snowy photo with a regular scene playing out in the lower 2/3's of the pic with a humongous light looming overhead is pretty spectacular, too. Take some time and click through all of them. They are full-size and worth the time!

Production Still Source, Poster Size Character Promo Stills: Source: Celebutopia

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows - Cast Promotional Poster Source: mugglenet

Turtle Is NOT Angry

via www.fakelocke.com

It's either laugh or cry about the BP Gulf oil spill disaster. I prefer to laugh. Also, I use the "I am disappointed" thing on my kids when the situation merits. It conveys the message loud & clear but skips the "angry Mom" scenario. At least overtly.

LOST - Jacob's Candidates & The Numbers *SPOILERS* HQ Photos 'The Lighthouse' E6x05 - WHO is #108 'Wallace'?

Number 108 is Wallace! Wait. Who is Wallace?

My LOST blog

This is essentially a pictorial SPOILER post involving Jack, Hurley,The Numbers and names attached to The Numbers as well as other names/numbers--the significance of which we are not really sure.

All caps unless otherwise noted thanks to Source: Get Lost Podcast.

In the just-aired-in-the-US & Canada LOST (E6x05, 'The Lighthouse'), Hurley and Jack--at Jacob's behest (of Hurley) went to the Lighthouse wherein were The Numbers and names--written in a fashion much more easy to read than on last week's cave wall--they were on a piece of nautical navigational equipment with "degrees" on it. It was massive (see photos) and it had a triad of mirrors that I suppose would reflect pertinent scenes of the particular person for whom the degree setting was on mark. Hurley was maneuvering the device by pulling a chain and Jack caught a glimpse of what he called his childhood home in the mirrors. He ran over the the dial saw "Shephard" was at 23 degrees and then lost his cool completely. (So very Jack.)

"He's been watching me all my life!!!" he bellowed, while contorting his face in the most violently disturbing way I've ever seen Jack do (and that takes some doing). He yelled at Hurley to bring Jacob there but Hurley can't because that is not one of Hurley's "powers." Hurley interacts with dead people but he does not control when they show up, Hurley sort of explained. Jack became enraged even further and smashed the mirror but not before quite a few names, possible candidates were visible to the viewer including some that the average, non-obsessive LOST fan could recognize. Wait, is there anyone like that?

(There's Lostpedia for the comprehensive fine-tooth-comb list.)

Kate (Austen) is No. 51!

Have a gander at the photos of the Jacob's Candidate/Numbers dial device in the lighthouse and tell me what you think!

Click through for full size.

My big question (besides WHO IS WALLACE?!) is when Jack is saying go back to his number he saw "something," when he did check at 23° he said he saw his childhood home. But. I see a picture of a pagoda, too. Is that another candidate's number/image? UPDATE*/ It is the place Jin and Sun got married. There's another, less-clear photo too that does not look like the image Jack identified as his home. UPDATE/ It is the church where Sawyer's parent's funeral was held.

UPDATE*! Thanks to Vozzek69!

What Dogen said to Hurley in The Lighthouse S6x05

Reflective, Conflicted / My Mustang GT

Industrial area building distortion.

Separated at birth?

Sears (now Willis) Tower as seen from the Kennedy Expressway.

The other tall building around here--the John Hancock has the unfortunate distinction of having been the tallest structure in the USA--then it lost it's title to the World Trade Center. I'm guessing I don't have to say more other than the John Hancock Tower is the tallest man-made structure in the USA.

Just a quick homage to my 2003 Zinc Yellow Mustang GT.

I think I took my last top down ride for the year--that was two in the first week of November.

People hesitate to buy a convertible whilst living in a place like here with less than ideal--crap--weather for a good chunk of the year. The answer is a) it's too fun not to, and b) you can do it 7 months of the year.

I love my car for what it is every. single. ride.  A fun machine.

(Repost above from 11/2006)

2.18.10

I realize I don't post _anything_ personal anymore. I remember enjoying interacting with the dozens of people I met online and regarded as friends. Now I think I need to "say something" before I blog and think if I wrote what I feel I'd offend so I self-censor. Conversely, if I don't write what I feel I get no feedback nor satisfaction having gotten it down.

Yes. I suppose I am feeling reflective and conflicted.

Update - True Blood Episode 2x04 - Shake and Fingerpop - Promo Screen Caps - VIDEO

 

FOR AIRDATE JULY 12TH 2009:

"Shake and Fingerpop"

With Jessica in tow, Bill and Sookie head to Dallas to carry out Erics vampire-reconnaissance mission but a surprise awaits them at the airport. At the Light of Day Institute, Jason falls victim to a practical joke, but has the last laugh when the Newlins anoint him for a higher calling. Maryann throws Tara a birthday party at Sookie's, attracting much of Bon Temps to its Bacchanalian revelry. Sam postpones his departure from town to attend the bash, connecting with Daphne in the process. Having barely escaped Fangtasia, Lafayette finds himself reluctantly pulled back into Erics orbit.

Thanks to WireLover2!

(HBO -True Blood)

The publicity department is making it a challenge to coordinate screencaps (most likely they give it no thought other than,"What cool scenes can we splice together for the promo?"). 

In general, in the Season 2 True Blood promos we see scenes that do not play out "in the next episode" or even sometimes, the one after that. With these caps for the "next new episode" of True Blood,"Shake and Fingerpop," I went weeks back in the promos be they video or stills released from HBO. I'm glad I did because the resolution is way better on the previously released-but-out-of-context photos. I matched them up largely based on what people are wearing--simple but effective though I really hope Jessica starts wearing something other that that yellow sundress. :p

Burton's Alice In Wonderland Sequel - Hi Res Studio Photos - Logo - Concept Art

Above: Official logo for Alice in Wonderland: Very Burton-esque

Earlier this week I posted about Tim Burton's upcoming Walt Disney Studios release, a sequel to Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland. Several photos of the main characters including Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen and  Anne Hathaway as The White Queen were released by Walt Disney, but not much else. Today via SlashFilm.com comes hi res versions of the three images plus high resolution studio photos of Matt Lucas as Tweedledee and Tweedledum and Mia Wasikowska as Alice. In addition, there are several concept art scenes. Included too in this release was the logo to the film which reminds the audience by its style that this is a Tim Burton film.

This version of Alice is ten years older than her prior incarnation. She seems just as impulsive however and as in the original, she follows the White Rabbit down the hole and into Wonderland.

Alice has come at a time when Wonderland-ites are about to revolt and they wish for her to assist them.

Alice in Wonderland will be in U.S. theatres March 5, 2010.

Enjoy viewing the high resolution studio photos after the jump. Don't forget to click on the images to embiggen them.

True Blood *SPOILERS* 2XE2 - "Keep This Party Going" *Photos* *Quotes*

Hmm. Should I continue on my quest to be right about what happens next on True Blood? I said I would not go out on a limb again...but it's fun to guess so here's my halfway-educated guess about what happens next to Lafayette:

1. It's been spoiled that Lafayette drinks a lot of Eric's blood and in the TVGuide piece (below) Nelsan compares that to Sookie and her relationship with Eric. I'm sort of confusing the show and the Sookie Stackhouse books and it doesn't help that I'm in the middle of the most recent one ("Dead And Gone") so it may be that right now Eric's power over Sookie was because of his promise to "not kill humans" in exchange for her being "employed" by Eric to use her telepathic powers whenever he wishes. SPOILER: It's quite possible--sometime--that Sookie will be drinking lots of Eric's blood, too.

2. So then, Lafayette is severely injured and Eric saves him with a "blood transfusion" which makes Lafayette indebted to Eric.

3. It's been stated that "someone" gets shot in Episode 2, "Keep This Party Going." I don't know how it would come to this but does Sookie shoot Lafayette?

 

Previous news on True Blood's Nelsan Ellis (Lafayette)

Sunday's True Blood premiere answered at least one burning question: Is Lafayette alive? Answer: Yes! Nobody is more surprised by this turn of events than Nelsan Ellis, the actor who plays Lafayette.

As a fan of the Sookie Stackhouse novel series, on which Alan Ball based the vampire drama for HBO, Ellis knew that Lafayette, Merlotte's wisecracking cook — and part-time pornographer/drug dealer — is totally dunzo after Book 1. When he arrived on set for the finale episode's table read, he prepared himself for the end. "I thought, this was fun, time to look for the next gig," he says.
But then... what's this? That painted toenail in the car didn't belong to Lafayette after all! "'You know we're not going to kill you, right?'" Ellis remembers Ball telling him. "And I was like, 'Noooo...'" Ball told the actor that he decided to keep Lafayette in the cast after shooting a scene between Ellis and Rutina Wesley, who plays Lafayette's cousin, Tara, in the pilot episode. Ellis and Wesley have combustive chemistry for sure, which Ellis attributes to their long friendship. (They attended Juilliard together in the early '00s.)

So now that Lafayette has been spared, what's next for the flamboyant entrepreneur?
When we last saw him, he was chained up in a dungeon watching a fellow prisoner get disemboweled by a very cranky Eric, his vampire captor. Ellis reveals that, this season, Lafayette's fate will be inextricably tied with that of the vampires, but that their relationship won't always be quite as adversarial. "[Lafayette] stays with the vampires basically throughout the season," he says. "I guess how deep down the rabbit hole he goes with Eric is the biggest teaser I can give."

"Eric makes people beholden to him," says Ellis. "He did it to Sookie, and now he does force Lafayette to work for him to repay him for something he's done for him."  Oh jeez, Lafayette isn't going to become a vampire, is he? Not any time soon, says Ellis. "I have a sneaking suspicion that, in the future, the vampires are going to learn to respect him and not mess with him," he says. "He's going to find a way to elevate his position with them. Lafayette is a survivor, so he's not going to stay in this scared state too long." 

SOURCE:TV Guide

Below: more scenes from True Blood S2XE2 - "Keep This Party Going"

 

'Keep This Party Going" 

Sookie is forced to babysit Jessica, as well as the romantic inconveniences the teen vampire’s presence creates. At the Light of Day leadership conference, Jason makes an impression on its ambitious leaders, Steve and Sarah Newlin. Maryann casts her spell on Merlotte’s patrons.

.

True Blood - Anna Paquin - Miscellaneous Vampire-related-crap Quotes

"I look forward to sleeping on the weekends. I do occasionally get my nails done on the weekend, but usually because there’s some miscellaneous vampire-related crap that ended up under them."

Er, blood? Dirt?
Miscellaneous. Mysterious. The cuter the outfit, the more you’re about to get really messy in it on set. There’s eye blood, there’s mouth blood, there’s congealed blood, there’s liquid blood, there’s old blood, there’s crusty old blood.

What’s the hardest kind of blood to get out in the laundry? 
There was a time last night that they dumped an entire pureed vampire—it was fake—on top of me. It does sort of stain your skin a bit. Fun fact, completely useless: The old-school shaving foam, like Barbasol, is the only thing that gets it out of your skin. It opens up the hair follicles, your pores. It does it for color or, well, debris—you take a nice shower in head-to-toe shaving foam. Aren’t you glad you know that? But that’s just fake blood. No promises for real blood.

On a scale ...Buffy theVampire Slayer (and True Blood) where does True Blood  fall?

...Our show is Sookie and Vampire Bill doing it in the graveyard. These are all grown-ups having consensual vampire relations. It’s grown-up kink.

What’s the trick to soul-shivering screams, like the one that ended last season when you discovered the dead body?

You just scream. Loud. Have older siblings. I’m the youngest, so you scream loud or no one will come and intervene. My older brother stuffed me inside a cello case once. Zipped it up.

No wonder you moved thousands of miles from New Zealand.
No, the cello-case-putter-inner lives in Los Angeles. With his cello case. I, uh, love him. [Laughs]"

The second season of True Blood premieres Sun 14 at 9pm on HBO.

Source

True Blood - Bill Does A Full Frontal *PHOTO* NEW Cast Photos

Beneath the masthead of Friday print editions of the Los Angeles Times is a full front-page ad for the HBO's series "True Blood." A black-and-white close-up of star Stephen Moyer with blood dripping from the corner of his mouth dominates the page.
In news boxes around town, all that's visible is the close-up of actor's menacing gaze and the paper's banner splayed across the top. No other stories or photos appear on the cover, which is actually a separate four-page broadsheet touting Sunday's premiere of the show's second season.
Readers remove the wrap to find the regular front page, anchored by the Lakers' NBA Finals win over the Magic on Thursday night in Orlando. Times spokeswoman Nancy Sullivan says it's the first time the newspaper put its masthead above an advertisement wrapping the paper.
"One of the things for us is that innovation is pretty crucial in both a challenged and cluttered marketplace," Sullivan said. "HBO came to the Times to break through that clutter, and the result is what you see today."
Zach Enterlin, HBO's vice president of advertising and promotions, said HBO had placed front-page ads with Hollywood trade publications in the past, but jumped at the chance to do the same with the Times.
"We saw it as a fantastic opportunity to speak to a consumer audience in an innovative way," he said.

Source: Huff Post

Below: More cast photos, some that are new (to me).

LOST E5X15 - Locke's Impeccable Timing, Season Finale E5X16 E5X17 Promo Screen Caps - The Incident

 
Is the reason Jack looks like this -

In any way related to how he looks here (ick). Was he in the Jughead explosion and his skin is nuked or what?

This worries me. Geez, Jack. WTH?

Kate is puzzled by Jack as well. Jack is pretty squirrely at times but she pulls some major dumb moves because she leads with her heart. Now at least. It's been hammered pretty hard into the audience's skull that three years as a mommy changed Kate.

She's still nice to gaze upon even if she has gone all mushy. ;)

The Three not-so-much Amigos. Reminds me of a western.Those coveralls gotta go though.

LOST 5x15 - "Locke's Impeccable Timing" (below needs to be lightened -sorry)

How did Locke know when exactly to meet himself in the jungle? My head hurts trying to unravel what timeline Locke, Richard, Ben, et al at are in if the incident that I thought was from the past recurred again?! Colour me confuzzled. I sort of agree with showrunner Carlton Cuse that when this season is over "it is time for the time travel craziness to end," he said. "And once it does end, something very, very surprising will happen in its wake,"quoth he at last week's Star Trek premiere.

CLICK the thumbnails to embiggen.

NEW! TRUE BLOOD Over 50 Season 2 May 1 Promo Screen Caps *SPOILER-ISH*

These caps are property of HBO and originate from this promo video.

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Disneyland and Laguna Beach Family Vacation 04/09- Part 1

Last big family trip until the youngest is done with uni. Thank the powers that we have Maple Lake. I'll put up a few more after I go through them. There are some interesting ones of the open-in-2012 "Cars" section of the park. Nifty models and colour plans.

My new favourite Disneyland (California Adventure) ride- "Pixar's Toy Story Midway Madness." <exhale>
Mr. Potato Head is animatronic and interactive. Keeps you company in the line--which we found later can be bypassed by riding single rider--no line at all. I sucked at this paintball shooting game but it was big fun. Lots of people said they liked it more than Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters in Disneyland but they are really different.

I love Disney but I could have stayed here for a week, just chillin'. It's south Laguna Beach at sunset.

I have a ton of Disneyland shots but this too is in Disney's California Adventure whcih they are in the process of a near-complete makeover after only 8 years(!).There were flowers everywhere and after the long Chicago winter everything looked so _alive_.

Battlestar Galactica: Islanded In A Stream Of Stars- Screen Caps, Video Promo/Video from "Someone" - Kara plays All Along the Watchtower *SPOILERS*

Download this gallery as a zip-archive Battlestar Galactica: Islanded in a Stream Of Stars promo video

Someone To Watch Over Me: Kara and her Father Play Piano (Cylon "All Along the Watchtower")

Battlestar Galactica: Recap Someone To Watch Over Me (Video) ZOMG! Boomer Kidnapped Hera And Chief Helped Her! Preview Video NEXT BSG: Islanded In A Stream Of Stars *SPOILERS*

I believe this must be Boomer and Hera but it's not a scene from the show--though it is a Boomer- projected setting used to manipulate Tyrol.

Aaron Douglas Fans.com...

is a pretty fun look into the head of one of the number of excellent actors ending the Battlestar Galactica chapter of their lives and moving forward.

Synopsis:Starbuck discovers a hidden musical ability that bears a mysterious significance to the final five Cylons, and her tune is found to have a connection with three-year-old human-Cylon hybrid Hera. The president authorizes Boomer's release from the Brig so she can stand trial for treason on the Cylon Base Ship.(Thanks to Battlestar Wiki!)

Wasn't Chief a/k/a Galen Tyrol, a/k/a a Final Fifth, a/k/a (IRL) Aaron Douglas great in tonight's episode of BSG, "Someone To Watch Over Me?"

There were a couple of big, scary ZOMG-moments. Physical reactions (yelling and the like--on my part) repeatedly, each lasting for about 2 seconds!

 

Boomer's projected life with Tyrol.

I thought Athena was dead and then my spouse is like "She's alive! She's just tied up!
OMG! I think Grace Park has done some great things with some of her incarnations in Battlestar Galactica but I would have felt really bad for Helo if Boomer had killed Athena.

But no!

That Bitch took the baby!
Now both Athena and Helo are thrown into this awful role of parents with a missing Cylon human hybrid child.
All I can say to the BSG writers is: If you harm the child I will not think you are good people.

Hera has to live.

Aaron Douglas's website

Based on what I been able to cap so far using both the American and the Canadian promos and now this, I'm going to take a guess that Chief, Galen Tyrol is the one at the bottom of this post in the super-blurry screen caps and he is attempting to bust Boomer out of the brig. There is no way the guy that Chief has become--probably always was bubbling under the surface--is going to allow the Cylon Rebels to in his words, "kill (Boomer)."
At first I was a tiny bit puzzled about why it was the Rebels going after Boomer but it was she of course that sided with Cavil--going against the rest of the Eight's as well as the Rebels. They are seeking vengeance while it seems that Adama is willing to set her free.

American Caps and Canadian together NEW 02.26.09 Battlestar Galactica: Synopsis and Screen Caps: Someone To Watch Over Me : Canada's not giving much away this week--mostly dialogue.

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Dialogue from the new caps:

Six to Adama and Roslin: "We don't want her set free. We want to try (sp) Boomer for treason."

Hotdog: "Don't do it! Kara, don't do it!"

Tyrol: "How many of us ended up with the people we really wanted to be with?" (voiceover)

The Canadian Space network promo has dialogue that the American SciFi network promo does not.
Make sure to watch both videos. My first post on this eppy is here. Each has differing strong points.

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The caps above are from a SciFi preview of the next episode. I'm not getting much in terms of things startling. I don't' think Hotdog dies, despite all his grimacing.

Kara is iffy and her quest to discover her "roots" so to speak has been a long one.

I've noticed the writers sneaking in references to the show (pilot) "Caprica" which they have pitched to the SciFi/NBC network so Kara and her possibly being the relative of someone not-human that will be be on that show is possible. It remains to be seen if it's plausible.

And Chief or Tyrol, no one seems to call him Galen much, and Boomer/Sharon Valeri. I say, why not? They sort of rushed it with the killing of Cally and deep-sixing of little Nicky. I'm pretty convinced that the plan was for Boomer and Chief to have a second encounter even if it is not as fun as the first go-round (was until the end).
That's all the American preview is dolling out for next episode.

I've read differing opinions on the "Ellen Entertains the Fleet" (Deadlock, the last) episode and really, Ellen Tigh was never likable. And I did wonder how much of the Final Five's original personalities come back. Already, Tori has acted drastically differently than the Tori of the right-hand-of-Laura Roslin days. Who says their personalities were wiped completely? Good old Bro. Cavil quite possibly couldn't have been that talented.
Tyrol and Tigh have been very different since finding out they are Cylon so why would it be so hard to buy that Ellen is Ellen but she switches gears when she's around certain people?

I agree. WTH!?! with all the lingering shots on Adama mourning his baby,the Galactica? It's been shown again and again that Adama is highly pragmatic when it comes right down to it. This is out of character for him to flip out so much--unless Laura's imminent death is taking it's toll. Maybe so. He's only human.(Sorry.) I give EJO a pass but they could have cut two of those scenes (not the one with a lingering shot of a 6's cute, perky bum though, leave that in).

In many ways "Deadlocked" was about loss and most of us don't like to be reminded of that harsh fact of life when we are trying to be entertained. Maybe the writers sort of rushed through it ,too.

I think I got this studio shot from
io9.com, but read about it at SpoilerTV.com. Both sites talked about Ron Moore's "Cylon Bible" to which he refers about a number of specifics in re:the Cylon world-view and "world" itself.

I'm hoping Someone To Watch Over Me is good.

Boomer is being reintroduced is sort of cool. Plus I'm a big fan of Aaron Douglas as Tyrol.
Starbuck dealing with something not Sam is a good choice for next week.
And whatever is happening to the Galactica--it can make easy sense depending on a number of situations, including the most obvious one.

Synopsis: Someone To Watch Over Me

Friday, February 27th,2009 @ 9:00 my time and 10:00pm yours - Sci-Fi Channel


Starbuck discovers a hidden musical ability that bears a mysterious significance to the final five Cylons, and her tune is found to have a connection with three-year-old human-Cylon hybrid Hera. The president authorises Boomer's release from the Brig so she can stand trial for treason on the Cylon Base Ship.

From the couple dozen clues doled out just prior to Season 4.5's start.

Back then my info about this photo was: "Kara is sitting at an ancient-looking piano with a guy identified as Xeno Fenner,the foreman on the tylium refinery ship Hitei Kan, previously seen in S3E13."

Videos from Multipleverses

Interview: Tricia Helfer Talks BSG On Jimmy Kimmel

Interview with Kate Vernon about being the last cylon after a funny recap of the first part of this last half of the final season

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Romo Lampkin : Redemption

I was really happy with the use of Romo Lampkin in "Blood on the Scales." Very nice work by actor Mark Sheppard. (This is Part 2. Part One, episode 15, "The Oath," is here.)

I couldn't see this chunk of the story from any other angle but redemption. Romo is a thief, a liar, and overall pretty self-serving. That he should reconsider his choice to help someone who is quite literally dying very much gave Romo Lampkin a bit more humanness, certainly his likability factor improved a great deal. And he mentioned  as being taken captive,  that they need to feed Jake, the dog Lee Adama gave him after discovering that Romo's only surviving family member, his wife's cat, Lance had died. His was only one of a number of characters being turned upside-down in "The Oath". My favourite one after Romo was Captain Aaron Kelly, who Tigh, when he recognized him as one of his captors, the former third-in-command of Galactica, called him a "brig rat." Prior to Baltar's trial in Season 3, Kelly had insisted that the only way to keep him from killing Cylons was to put him in the brig.

From his bio on Battlestar Wiki

When the trial of Gaius Baltar draws near, Kelly tries to disrupt the proceedings with a series of bombings. One of the attacks kills Baltar's lawyer. An attack on his next lawyer, Romo Lampkin, is thwarted only by chance. A third attack injures Lampkin. When questioned, Kelly says that he couldn't handle sending off pilots to their deaths anymore, and would continue to try if he is not locked up (The Son Also Rises). Because of this, it is unlikely that he is currently on active duty in his role as LSO.

After the discovery of a devastated Earth (and likely after being freed from the brig by the mutineers), he joins Felix Gaeta's mutiny and leads a squad of marines in pursuit of Admiral Adama and Colonel Tigh. (The Oath)

He later defends an arms locker and runs into Tyrol and after a discussion with him, lets him go. He splits off from Adama's firing squad and later tells Lee and his group where Adama is and joins them in their rescue of him. Kelly takes part in Adama's recapturing of Galactica as well. (Blood on the Scales)

But this is what he should be doing: Captain Aaron Kelly is possibly third-in-command aboard Galactica, ranking behind Admiral William Adama and Colonel Saul Tigh; his standing in relation to Major Lee Adama in the chain of command is unclear. As the LSO (Landing Signal Officer), he is responsible for flight operations - launching and landing spacecraft - on the ship.

I had a friendly disagreement about him. I knew Kelly had attained a high-level in the military and remembered seeing quite a lot of him in the show, but not lately. I'd forgotten about the bomb intended for Baltar's lawyers back during the aftermath of New Caprica. And I did not-- unlike quite a few of the hardcore bad guys I saw-- think he came from Pegasus.

I must note again that the storyline and characters are as good as the group collaboration that brings them together. The actor who plays Kelly, Ty Olsson did a great job in this episode from depicting a man who was acting out of hate and fear to  his realizing how hatred and fear doesn't solve a problem. Finally, the biggest leap for Kelly--that Galen Tyrol, who had been close enough to Kelly once to call him a nickname, despite being a cylon was still Tyrol, still his friend --and so he let him go during the mutiny. That was the tipping point but the massacre of the Quorum, the way in which Adama in particular was captured--as series of wrong and or/violent acts against the Fleet got through Kelly's ("dumbass") skull and the character went through a huge shift in perception. Fun to watch, well-played, well written, (Michael Angeli).

 

Captain Aaron Kelly (Ty Olsson) breaks down in the sanctuary of the memorial to the dead.

Thanks to Battlestar Wiki: Summary-

Zarek and Gaeta’s mutiny continues when Adama and Tigh are arrested, while Laura tries to convince Tory to keep the base ship within the fleet and assist in stabilizing the Colonial government. Meanwhile, Galactica crew and civilians continue to battle throughout the ship, Zarek has the Quorum delegates murdered aboard Colonial One, and Gaeta insists on a court martial of Adama before his execution.

Below: Lee needed some weaponry so Kara shoved a (bad) guy's head into the wall while he was relieving himself standing up. ;)

 

I capped these. It took forever. Labour of love. Rights are SciFi Network/NBC. Plus there are two studio publicity shots mixed in there. You can tell. They are bigger than the others. These are just one-offs for when the video expires. No high res stuff. Sorry.

Note: Battlestar Wiki (source)

In re: Michael Trucco who plays Samuel T. Anders who was shot in the neck in this episode:

In December of 2007, Trucco was involved in a motor vehicle accident. He broke his neck, but managed a full recovery from an injury that most likely should have resulted in paralysis or death. As his injury occurred during the WGA strike, he was fortunate to be able to recover before production resumed. "I didn't want BSG to have to rewrite Anders as a sniveling, whining ball of despair who's hiding out in the corner."

Trucco now has a distinctive scar on the back of his neck. "I've been told they want to incorporate [it] into BSG--but that's all I'm allowed to say."

Please welcome "Lida" a Six model introduced in this episode.

Finally, the recently-aired 10 webisode Internet short series The Face of the Enemy.

For Felix Gaeta his overt hostility towards the Cylon mirrors his coming back to the Galactica and the meeting referenced by Tigh in the webisodes. Beginning with the episode prior to this one (Part 1), "The Oath," is the first Felix is back from his little space adventure with a killer robot. In hindsight Dualla ("Dee") wasn't the only one who needed some serious emotional help.

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Thanks again to the Ultimate Battlestar Galactica reference source: Battlestar Wiki. All the character links below direct you to BSG Wiki.
Battlestar Galactica stars

• Edward James Olmos as William Adama
• Mary McDonnell as Laura Roslin
• Katee Sackhoff as Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
• Jamie Bamber as Lee "Apollo" Adama
• James Callis as Gaius Baltar
• Tricia Helfer as Number Six
• Grace Park as Number Eight

as well as co-stars:

• Michael Hogan as Saul Tigh
• Aaron Douglas as Galen Tyrol
• Tahmoh Penikett as Karl "Helo" Agathon
• Kandyse McClure as Anastasia Dualla
• Paul Campbell as Billy Keikeya (2003-2006)
• Alessandro Juliani as Felix Gaeta

James Callis as Gaius Baltar, Tricia Helfer as Six (NBC Promo photo)

Thanks to Spoiler TV

What's this? A completely new Six!?!
She looks a great deal like Tricia Helfer, the actress who plays all the Six incarnations--plus many hair extensions. What do you figure is going on here? Is she the 2009 version of Head!Six? Someone entirely new? (How did we miss her before?)

Snippets: From TV Guide via SpoilerTV

Here are thumbs of SciFi Magazines interview with all the major characters on Battlestar Galactica (link and zip after scans)

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Are there plans for any other Battlestar Galactica alums to return before the finale? — David
MICKEY: Well, Kate Vernon, who plays Ellen Tigh, tells us that she'll return to the show soon "to reunite with my husband in the good old-fashioned way." Another familiar face will reappear, but my BSG mole has sworn me to secrecy. Ah, gods be damned, I'll tell you this: One of the character's initials is A, and if I gave you the other it would give it away. (And no, it's not Anastasia Dualla — she's definitely dead.)

Battlestar Galactica - The Face of the Enemy - Webisode 3
Gaeta realizes that he knows one of the Eights more than he lets the others believe.

 

Raptor pilot: We're at 68% of ships normal load, too.

Co-pilot:Sixty-eight? At that level you're talking memory loss, irrational behaviour, depression, dizziness...

Felix: You're her.

Drake: Aren't you frakkin' lucky that you've got a mechanic on board.

Felix and the Eight collude on New Caprica.

Drake: Gods dammit. There's a loose connection here.

Drake: I just can't get inside.

Eight: Let me do it.

Eight: Got it.

Gaeta: No pulse. She's dead.

New Caprica Eight: Look at her pliers.

Felix: The insulating grip has been stripped off.

Felix: Who did this?

Drake reacts.

Pilot and co-pilot react.

/end Webisode 3

Happy day. It was top down weather as I took my big drive out to the country to get the works (colour and highlights). Tomorrow--Halloween is supposed to be 70F! One last little bit o' decent weather. So happy about that.

Carved pumpkins last night. I snapped a few shots of the guys.

 

The guy's jack o' lanterns.

I don't carve. I'm a bit phobic about knives (yes, I had an accident once) and I hate the smell of pumpkin guts. I used to paint one--but I have no artistic talent what.so.ever.

Spouse still buys me a pumpkin though. ("They were on sale!")

US politics has been so ulcer-inducing this week--it's pretty freaky when the President of the United States throws up his hands and begs the country to heed him because in his words, "our country could experience a long and painful recession." Then he talks about a plan of Treasury Secretary Paulson's that he backs but just hours later his own party turns against him saying there's never been (a plan) to back Paulson's's plan. Awkward! Anyway this is a cute non-partisan informational video of Palin and Biden --mini bios and thumbnail political backgrounds. A welcome respite.

NYTimes.com QUOTATION OF THE DAY~

"The situation is like that movie trailer where a guy with a deep, scary voice says, ‘In a world where credit markets are frozen, where banks refuse to lend to each other at any price, only one man, with one plan can save us.’"
JARED BERNSTEIN, of the Economic Policy Institute, on the push for a financial bailout.

Not quite finished steps to cottage

 

Aug 26, 2008 at 3:45 AM

Did you know I see a shrink once every 3 months? Now you do. I saw him today. I never stay longer than 5 minutes. He makes upwards of $100 for 5 minutes though I think he can only squeeze in maybe 6 patients per hour, leaving the rest for quickly-scrawled mandatory paperwork. Dx: Depression w/anxiety though I think I've had a handle on the depression for about 5 years now. Prior to that other long stretches as well. First time I've been diagnosed with anxiety but it practically ruled my life prior to the heart failure. (Yes, I've wondered if there was a connection as my heart failure was of unknown causes (kinda spooky, not knowing). Anyway Dr. P. is doing medication management--but forgot to ask about that today. ;)

New store with my name...where's the apostrophe?!

 

OK. Gotta go. Twitter updates and Photoshop just to give you something. I'll be back

*Smooches*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New store with my name...where's the apostrophe?!

I'm not sure if I over-shared this. The Lake had more rain this summer and spring past than it's had in 70 years. That's' before my dad--who is the patriarch--started going up there--before the cottages were built.

My week alone...before spouse groomed the bank ;)

Lake Bottom and my personal flotation device (raft)

Got a little yucky for a short while after storms

 

Twitterific: 8/25/08

Comment spamming my personal blog, catching up. I'm terribly behind.
Twitter is too much for me! Do not deserve the noble moniker "blogger." 10
minutes ago from web

Must finish the great dig--my email--before our trek north Fri to Maple Lake, Ontario, CA. Cottage closing, saying goodbye to the Lake :( (about 2 hours ago from web)

 

Also, I need to drop email from my life completely, forever. *sigh* A fond daydream.

 

Time to make Earl Grey and watch Weeds! about 2 hours ago from web

 

Remembering that I forgot to celebrate 10 yr Anni of not dying from heart failure. Aug 19-a fun day spent at Gameworks for 16 y.o.son's b-day about 2 hours ago from web

Aug 2: Sunset--exactly as it was

 

My guess is that if you are as much of a Battlestar Galactica fan as I am you are starting to miss the series pretty badly by now and "early 2009" doesn't in any way sound soon enough to resume watching the final episodes of the much-lauded Sci-Fi network series a/k/a the best science fiction television show evar.

I've been a big fan of Six--especially Caprica Six since the miniseries where she duped Gaius Baltar and gave the Cylon race ALL of the Colonies's military secrets and codes, enabling the Cylons to wipe out virtually the entire human race.

Tricia Helfer who has played Six sublimely too many times to count, first impressed me with the way she expressed herself as an alien "skinjob" who had lived on Caprica with the humans for two years. Just prior to the Cylon attack, Caprica Six had a meeting (we still don't know who with--herself?!) and on the way back she strolled an open marketplace, stopping to admire a newborn baby in it's stroller and making small-talk with the mother. The mother was a little taken aback at Caprica's remark about how such a tiny neck could bear the weight of holding up the baby's large cranium. Just after saying this, the baby's father beckoned the mother who turned her attention away from the infant briefly. In those few seconds, Caprica Six, aware that the human race including this baby was about to be exterminated, snapped the infant's neck, then quickly walked away into the crowd. That scene still resonates with me.

I've not read an official description of what was "supposed" to have been conveyed by the small but deadly gesture that Caprica Six made. Was she simply curious to see how easily a human infant's neck would snap? Was she showing a bit of mercy on the child whom she's believed would shortly be nuked? I still don't know. Perhaps both.

One of the reasons that I am revisiting death scenes is that rarely is one done on BSG just for the sake of it. There is always at least a second level of meaning--perhaps a third or more.  Death, espcially when it comes to a character that may have been on the series for years--like Jean Barolay (Alisen Down , recurring character)  has more impact. The death of a Six always resonate as the model has been part of the series and the actor one of the first to distinguish herself on the show in her portrayal of "Six."

Unsurprisingly my favourite death scenes, which are not in chronological order start with a couple of Sixs-- who got killed a couple times-on camera in the first half of Season Four, the final of the series.

To start, as quoted from Battlestar Wiki: "A basestar

Six sees Jean Barolay and recognizes her as the human who killed her on New Caprica. When Barolay doesn't show any remorse and says she would do the same again, the Six attacks her and smashes her head into the Raptor's hull, which kills Barolay. Anders pounces on the Six and is ready to kill the Cylon when Thrace manages to talk him down. The Six that killed Barolay speaks to Natalie, obviously dealing with psychological trauma from the death on New Caprica that she had not been able to shake. After kissing the distraught Six, Natalie grabs Anders's hand and pulls the trigger on his gun, killing the Six permanently as there is no Resurrection Ship nearby, carrying out a form of justice for the Colonials, who are shocked."

Thanks for capping, creative muse!

Here it is in scene by scene order. Note: I took out many of Sam Ander's reaction shots to the basestar Six's killing of Jean Barolay. I just thought that whole scene was cringe-inducing in how over-the-top actor Michael Trucco played Sam. I understand that Sam has only known for months that he's Cylon and that he kept his shite together until he shot Felix Gaeta in the leg in a gesture of mutiny and shortly thereafter flipped out on the Cylon rebel basestar where immediately after the shooting he chose to accompany Kara Thrace in her attempt to get information from the basestar's Hybrid (brains of the ship). Trucco could take a page from either Tricia Helfer's or Katee Sackoff's book in how to play this scene as really upset, perhaps on the verge of strung out--but pull back a bit so you don't just seem completely insane. If I showed you the stills you'd see exactly what I mean.

P.S. Please do a search in the right column for "Battlestar Galcatica" for all the posts on BSG I've written thus far. Or, search through the cloud tags, located in the rgt. column further down the page for the same.

Drove almost to Wisconsin to our 2 y.o. nephew's birthday party and his bro's baptism dinner. ZOMG! Top down in the Mustang through the country was awesome. Spouse picked up his aunt in his car as we couldn't all fit n the 'stang.

Got great gas mileage even for an 8 cylinder stick!
I am totally needing a shower!

(Below) Our garden pics snapped at 8 p.m.
I love natural light!

Related posts: Part 1 and 2

Thanks for capping, creative muse!

I was pretty "spoiled" for the final episode of the first half of Season Four," Revelations." I'm not sure but I think it diminished my excitement a bit even though there were numerous great things about this episode.

Can we all  now please agree that these two are in a bro/sister relationship? Thanks.

Kara "Starbuck" Thrace,  President Lee Adama reads The Scriptures 

The Temple Of Aurora

Meanwhile, much is happening on the rebel basestar.

Cylons have taken the marines and pilots captive.

There is disagreement between the three Cylons.

Leoben and D'Anna butt heads about hostage taking.

Though she's smiling sweetly something tells me she would not hesitate to snap his neck as she did Cavil's upon her unboxing.

D'Anna announces that until the Final Four--not Five are given to the Cylons, the Fleet on board the rebel basestar would be held hostage.

Bill reacts swiftly to this...

As does an oddly-coiffed Helo and the rest.

D'Anna explains how it's going to be and they can like it or lump it. She doesn't trust them and doesn't care.

Advice to Bill from the Prez,"Blow this ship to Hell if the Cylons get The Four."

 His reaction.

Meanwhile, on the Galactica...

Gaeta spots something on dradis. Could it be?

Dualla checks it out...

Gaeta makes the final call. Confirmation of a Fleet raptor!

Everyone hustles down to the hangar to see what's up.

Tyrol and Anders--Cylons both--watch from the deck, speculating if they are about to be "outed."

Adama exits the raptor, looking pretty annoyed.

And the reason for his dark expression-- It's D'Anna (Number 3), who exits right on his heels.

Continued Friday!

Episode Name: The Hub
Episode Number: 409
Written by: Jane Espenson
Directed by: Paul Edwards
Original Air Date: 6/6/08 on SciFi Channel

Population: 39,673

Original US airdate June 2008 (Battlestar Wiki). The episode takes place concurrently with "Sine Qua Non"

Thanks for capping, creative muse!

Synopsis:

"Pursuing the Resurrection Hub at the whim of the Hybrid, a team of Viper pilots and Cylon rebels become uneasy collaborators as they formulate a battle plan to unbox the Threes and destroy Cylon resurrection forever. Meanwhile, Roslin and Baltar try desperately to communicate with the panicking Hybrid and Helo discovers a disturbing characteristic within one of the Eights."

There were only two big revelations in this episode. The first was made to Laura Roslin, where a hopped-up- on-morpha Baltar confesses his involvement in the destruction of The Colonies. For this she attempts to murder him.

The second revelation is that, according to the number Three, D'Anna, Roslin is not the final Cylon.

Number Three answering Laura Roslin's question:

D'Anna Biers: Suppose you've got some questions for me.

Roslin: Yes I do. I'd like to talk about the five Cylons in my fleet.

Biers: So you know about the Final Five?

Roslin: I know they're supposed to know the way to Earth.

Biers: But you don't know that you're one of them.

[Roslin freezes shocked]

Biers: [Bursting out laughing] Please your face! [Roslin looks relieved and smirks] Oh, it's ridiculous. No. Look, I'm not giving you any names. Not until I feel like I'm safe. 'Cause information is all I got, sweetie.

Picking up where the last events of "Guess What's Coming to Dinner" ended, Laura Roslin, Karl “Helo” Agathon, and Gaius Baltar are brought before the rebel Cylon basestar's Hybrid. After a Number Eight reconnects the basestar’s Hybrid, it unexpectedly jumps the ship.

During the jump, Laura Roslin finds herself in empty corridors of the Galactica. As she looks around, the deceased priestess Elosha appears behind her. They hug, but the vision stops at the moment the jump completes with Laura finding herself back in the Hybrid's room.

Roslin asks questions about the Hybrid's abilities as the Eight tries to get information from the data-font, but the Hybrid jumps the ship again (and again and again), and Roslin finds herself yet again in the company of Elosha on the empty Galactica.

The two end up in sickbay where they find the sole patient–Laura Roslin--near death.

The Eight determines that the Hybrid is "panicking" due to Natalie’s injury or death. Gaius Baltar tries to calm her claiming that the Hybrid “likes” him, but after a few moments, the Hybrid jumps again. Roslin's vision continues, and she sees Kara Thrace, Doc Cottle, and Bill and Lee Adama standing over her death bed.

Elosha speaks to the dying Roslin, chastising her for her lack of empathy.

Roslin and Baltar attempt to...

talk to the Hybrid about the Opera House vision. Neither meets with success.

The Eight tells Helo that the Hybrid is following the Resurrection Hub and discusses an attack strategy with him.

On the Resurrection Hub, a Three, D'Anna Biers, is awakened by Cavil (#1) and Boomer whom Cavil refers to as his "Pet Eight."


They tell her of the Cylon Civil War and appeal to her to help through her knowledge of the Final Five.

Three makes a disparaging remark about the Eights' , capriciousness, commenting on Cavil's pronouncement about the Eight model's tendency to be "passionate allies"-- "until they see something shiny."



Three snapping Cavil's neck.







In the basestar hangar, Helo and an Eight give a mission briefing to a number of Sixes, Eights and Colonial pilots. Several pilots, including "Redwing" McKay and "Gonzo" Pike, express concerns about their safety and the reliability of the Cylon pilots.



A Six retorts that the rebel pilots are just as well trained as the humans, and the Eight reminds them that they learned to trust Athena, so they can also trust their rebel allies.



After a jump, Baltar begins talking to a Centurian about hierarchy and religion, asserting that the Centurion is loved by God as well. Soon after, they are both blown up.

 



On the Resurrection Hub, Boomer comments with alarm on the arrival of the rebel basestar. Cavil tries to convince Number Three to talk to the rebels and defuse the conflict, but she replies curtly and threatens to "shout out the names" of the Final Five.
 

Boomer reports that the rebel basestar has launched 25 Heavy Raiders. Outside the Hub, the Heavy Raiders release the Vipers they have been towing behind them. The Raiders attack defending basestars, while the Vipers head towards the Hub.
 


Cavil deduces that the rebels are attempting to destroy the Hub... and that would make death permanent for Cylons. On hearing this Three breaks Cavil's neck and Boomer flees.



Missiles take out the FTL drive on the Hub. Helo and the Eight head towards the Hub in a Raptor. On the Hub, they encounter the D'Anna Biers and the dead Cavil.

  
Baltar continues to to blather on about Centurian rights, but as the basestar is hit by a missile salvo, the explosion destroys the Centurion and seriously injures Baltar.




Baltar is carried to a bed by two Marines while Roslin carries in a medkit. Roslin orders them out, bandaging Baltar and injecting him with morpha. In his drug-addled state Baltar talks to Roslin about religion, telling her that he once harbored terrible guilt....he tells Roslin that he unwittingly gave the Cylons the access codes prior to the fall of the Twelve Colonies.

Shocked by Baltar's confession, Roslin tries to kill Baltar by removing his bandages. As he loses blood he repeatedly begs her to stop.
 





Helo announces that he has D'Anna Biers and orders a nuclear strike on the Hub. The Vipers fire nuclear missiles into the Hub, destroying it and at least one of the two enemy basestars.

Quote:

D'Anna Biers: And with a whimper, every Cylon in the universe begins to die.

Number Eight: Yes, that's right, and it's a good thing, D'Anna, because now there's no difference. We can all start trusting each other.



Baltar continues to beg for his life.

There is another jump. In Roslin's vision, William Adama stands over a dying Roslin, while Roslin and Elosha watch them.

Quote:

In Roslin's vision, as Roslin and Elosha watch Adama stand over a dying Roslin:

Elosha: I'm not saying Baltar's done more good than harm in the universe; he hasn't. The thing is, the harder it is to recognize someone's right to draw a breath, the more crucial it is. If humanity is going to prove itself worthy of surviving, it can't do it on a case by case basis. A bad man feels his death just as keenly as a good man.

Believing that by saving Baltar she'd save humanity, Laura desperately checks to see if  he's still breathing. Finding Baltar still alive, Roslin starts to re-bandage him.









Helo brings D'Anna to Roslin... When asked about the Final Five, she jokes that Laura Roslin is one of them--->provoking this reaction from Roslin:

...upon finding out that Three was "just kidding."
 D'anna refuses to provide any information until she feels she is safe; the information being the only thing she has now that she is the only Three left in the universe. She also appears to have a really bad headache.



She says she will tell Roslin who the Final Five are after she is taken back to the human Fleet.


Later, Roslin sits alone listening to the Hybrid. As the Hybrid jumps she has a final encounter with the dead priestess, Elosha.

Admiral Adama's risky strategy of waiting alone for the basestar to rendezvous pays off as he sees the basestar jumping in. In the landing bay, he meets Laura Roslin.

Quote:

Roslin and Adama tenderly greeting each other on the basestar's hangar deck:

Adama: Missed you.

Roslin: Me too.

Roslin [Embracing Adama]: I love you.

Adama [Breaking the embrace; looks into her eyes]: About time.


They (finally!) embrace.

 
Thoughts:

The whole Laura and Bill scene was so satisfying. Despite all the other heavy action going on this scene grabbed me the most by far. Two stellar actors playing out the moment we've (they've?) been waiting for for years.

It was beautifully done--except
Rant/ why did we have to have the stoopid nod to Star-stoopid-Wars and Adama not returning Laura's "I love you"??? She's on the verge of death, people! Unspoken words are not going to cut it. Haven't you heard about "saying" the words?" Laura had to have that hammered into her thick head by a dead person. What does Bill need?!
Why do the fanboy showrunners not know how to write a decent love scene??? This has frustrated me to no end and in this scene I was satisfied in part just because they have given us so little to hold onto with these two that this made up for all the scenes we got cheated out of./end rant

Lucy Lawless was flawless ;) as D'Anna Biers. She just eats up every scene she's in. Funny, cynical, strong, and vicious--D'Anna is all of these and more.

Click for much MORE!!!!! LOST~ Season Finale Episode 4.13, Part 2B - There’s No Place Like Home (Part 3) *SPOILERS*

Above is where you want to click to get the scoop on the ghost/supernatural aspects of LOST's Season Four Finale. The link goes to a sister blog of this one. If you are a LOST fan you'll want to check it out as there are things caught in screen shots that you may have missed.

The ground that is left to cover in the densely packed last quarter of the two hour final is the rescue of the LOSTIES from sea after their helicopter crashed into the sea and their faked rescue a week after that.

Also: Bonus Video: The Penny and Desmond Reunite on the Searcher (boat) scene!

So sweet! Previously, on LOST. The sky has turned pink and the helicopter full of LOSTIES, having run out of fuel, crashes into the ocean.
I did mucho screen capping and I'm pretty sure this one is mine but all of them are always property of ABC

This is perhaps my favourite screen shot from the entire finale. LOVE the look on Aaron's face--got the lip curled, just on the verge of letting loose with a wail. Poor kid. He's not digging any of this. Hurley is darling as well but you know what they say about being in a scene with children or pets...

The helicopter crashed but everyone emerged relatively unscathed (Desmond had drowned for about 2 minutes but Doc Jack did mouth to mouth).

From E! "Kristin"
Jack leaned back in the rubber boat and sighed with relief, "It's OK...It's OK...we're alive." Kate and Sun, despite being alive themselves, had brilliant expressions that read something like, "Speak for yourself, dumbass!" Can't wait for those two grieving widows to discover their lovers (and friends) are alive... and need a ride back home from purgatory.

Pen to the Rescue!

Promo photo: Kate and little Turniphead's "stand-in"

 

It is decided that the group will travel 3000 miles to be re-rescued on a remote island. Des and Penny go their own way, everyone agree to lie about the circumstances of the crash, the time on the Island, and their real rescue.

After the jump: The Faked Rescue

The next montage for Season 4, LOST finale pics w/commentary.

I'm assuming you viewed the show so know that some of the Scooby gang, our Losties got off the Island.

It turned out with this two-part ending that most of the cool visuals came at the end and so too, were the cool screen caps.

The other screen caps from the first half of the 2-part LOST Season Four Finale are here, at another blog of mine. I decided to spread the LOST love a bit.

 
Kate with "Little Turniphead"

Bad Things happened over a short span of last moments, however the best was played by Yunjin Kim. Sun's screams--shrieks, really, reacting to the freighter exploding after just missing getting Jin into the copter, were spine-tingling.
So here is the Freighter exploding (CGI --not awesome) and Sun (and  the other Losties with her) reacting to seeing Jin blown up--awesome. 
\

Sun--on the freighter just prior to escape~

 

 

Jin misses his ride.

 












 

Stuntman/woman: Rule number One: Whenever possible, obstruct your face (Click to see how much _not_ like "Frank Lapidis" the actor's stand-in looks like.)

 

So the freighter was wired to a dead man's trigger and that "dead man" was Keamy courtesy of multiple stabs to the throat from Ben.

A Desmond reaction shot.

The District 211 Gifted Expo is tonight! My son made a working replica of a Ballista, a war weapon made by the Greeks. The theme of the expo? It Takes A Village.


I suppose Chris will be defending the village?
I would say "a funny story" goes along with this  subject but I don't think at this stage of the game anyone is laughing.

Son dropped the ball during the research phase of this--a culmination of two year's learning with the last half of this school year supposedly dedicated to a project worthy of "the village."
I think it's fair to say that son got overwhelmed and due to pride, immaturity, and/or lack of common sense, he failed to tell us.
He left that up to his teacher, a very well-regarded chap who has been running the Critical Thinking program at Fremd High School since it's inception about 20 years ago (he retires this year). Chris's teacher called me about 3 weeks ago with the bad news that to him, Chris had "given up" on the project. I asked what to do and teacher advised conjuring a miracle or dropping the class.

When I talked to son I gave him the options and surprising me, he chose to attempt a miracle. So, for the past three weeks every spare minute has been dedicated to this project with completion just happening 10 minutes before he needed to leave to get to the event 2 hours before it commences, during which all the kids will check out each other's projects and have a meal together.

Spouse, in the construction of the Ballista, must have "run to" Home Depot at least two dozen times. Not exaggerating. This was a huge, hairy deal. It was also very costly though spouse gets to keep lots of shiny new tools.
I had nothing to do with the making of the weapon except for the mom thing. I had a lot more input into teaching Chris some Photoshop tricks for the photos he took of his creation, stage by stage.
He was quite surprised at the length of time one can pour into such endeavors.
Getting the Ballista to function correctly was one thing but the presentation board was a large component as well. Oh yeah. This time I thoroughly vetted the clothes he was to wear. His brother even gave him a shirt that is quite styish. :)

On none of it did his dad or I overtly try to manipulate the project. It is after all, his.
Son and spouse just went ripping out of here so I haven't even seen the finished presentation board. I'll see it at the show for which I now must go get ready and get myself suburban mom-looking.
Cheers!

You simply must read about what I'm doing for the next three days: LINK (hint: It may involve mini golf in Hoffman Estates ) (external link to one of my personal websites on WordPress.org. :)

I played with the saturation in this photo of a neighbour's a Lilac tree. Those are the actual colour of the flowers, though.


Our pansies are bloomin'. Spouse says they are at their peak.

Below: Where I do my "lounging" on our miniature deck. It is
pretty private for a condominium courtyard, with the screen and 3 foot-high bushes (shown in photo--the full-size table is hidden by them from this angle).








 


 
 














Just for fun~
























Brightness and Contrast manipulated~



The Lone Tulip~ across the way (not ours)

This is the one is in the front yard. It’s a beautiful tree in front of an unsightly background of 1. parking lot w/cars and 2. red brick building, approximately of the same shade of red as the leaves on the tree.

Love the tree though. When we move away however, spouse is likely to leave it behind as he did last time we moved. We’ve “visited” the other Japanese Maple that he planted at our old place and it’s doing well–the gardeners haven’t killed it yet.

Bear McCreary's Awesome BSG Score-flavoured Recap of TRLT

As usual, I depend on of BSG's composer Bear McCreary's, awesome interpretation of each episode to jiggle my brainpan and help tremendously in a deeper understanding of each episode.

Also awesome are a couple of Battlestar Galactica sites which you should be checking in with: The Patriot Resource and the sublime Battlestar Wiki. There are many more good BSG sites out there but my site is simply the viewpoint of a fangirl. Hopefully, you'll find an interesting tidbit or two.

"Wiki" confirmed what or who actually, I thought was missing last night from Episode 405/407: The Road Less Travelled--both Commander Adama and President Roslin--for the first time ever were not featured in a BSG episode!

The episode title is derived from the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Almost the entire episode takes place on the waste recycling ship the Demetrius or in the space around it, which led by Kara Thrace, has now been on it's mission to find Earth for 58 frakkin' days.

The crew is completely exasperated, worried about the ever-closing window of time they have to rendezvous with Galactica. They are on the verge of mutiny as in their eyes, Kara has gone completely  off the rails.

Helo, the Captain, is constantly running interference between Kara and the crew, no small job; good thing he's built for it. <swoon>

(I know Tahmoh Penikett was originally meant to have a small but pivotal story arc in the miniseries, then left behind for dead on the nuked Caprica colony, but look at what we would have missed if they hadn't reconsidered and kept him for the duration(!). In my opinion, he and "Chief" Galen Tyrol are two of the most sympathetic and therefore likeable characters in that they both have a solid moral center and are generally kind, decent men.)

So this is pretty much how this Episode goes down:

Episode 405: The Road Less Travelled; Originally aired on May 2, 2008

Synopsis: A Cylon heavy raider docks with the Demetrius and it turns out to be Leoben.The prospect of a truce between humanity and the Cylons encourages Kara to trust a shipwrecked Leoben while her crew begins to openly doubt her competency for command. Conoy offers an alliance between the humans and his faction in the Cylon civil war and Kara wants to accompany him to his baseship in order to learn what the Cylons know about Earth. Kara orders a jump and Helo refuses to execute it. She then turns to Gaeta, who also refuses. Her crew refuses to carry out the order. Kara Thrace's entire crew (except for husband, Sam Anders) has mutinied.

Back on the Battlestar Galactica, Baltar's group of followers is growing and "Chief" Tyrol continues to struggle with Cally's so-called suicide.

Another scene has Tyrol, who has shaved his head, holding a gun to his own head as he screams." From SciFi Channel Promo

The context of the scene referenced above is that Chief quite literally has reached his breaking point.

Drawn to one of Gaius Baltar's "sermons," Gaius notices him in the crowd and beckons him to come forward because "Cally would have wanted that." Gaius notes that Cally was spiritual and again that she would have wanted Tyrol to  move forward and to shake Gaius's hand. 

Tyrol looks as if he's a human bomb about to go off. He spits out that Cally may have forgiven Baltar for all his heinous acts but he hasn't and as Gaius goes on and on about Cally's wishes the foreshadowing of what Chief will do when he reaches Baltar becomes clear as the audience feels the same way about Gaius: Who is he trying to fool? What does he want of Chief? And how dare he be such a pompous, presumptuous bastard? When he reaches Baltar, Chief attempts to throttle him but is restrained by Baltar's followers. Both men appear unhurt by the encounter.

However, Gaius just won't leave it alone and later is escorted undercover to Tyrol's quarters where Tyrol has been staring at family photos from their days on New Caprica before the situation on the planet went from bad to worse. The gun remains on his midsection as he lies stretched out on his bed when Gaius enters. Gaius wishes to apologize for being an ass earlier. Tyrol doesn't react though Gaius is fully aware that it is him, Chief, and Chief's gun alone in the room. It's notable that when surrounded by his followers Baltar referred correctly to "Chief" as Mr.Tyrol (as Admiral Adama has fired Chief Tyrol). However when alone, Gaius switched to calling Tyrol, "Chief," almost a term of endearment.

Gaius continues with his soliloquy about knowing that he committed heinous acts, that once he thought he knew who he was--a scientist but things change for reasons not understood and now he is seeking redemption.

Chief doesn't seem to react  to anything Baltar says but when Gaius turns to leave Chief extends his hand to Baltar.

Big Questions:

As we know now/believe,Tyrol is Cylon. Tyrol's child Nicky is a cybrid. Baltar has a pivotal role to play with the humans and Cylons. Gaius almost always has a hidden agenda--even when he seems sincere. What does he want with Tyrol? Has Tory told Baltar during one of their intimate encounters that she is Cylon and so is Chief or does Baltar sense something, having had plenty very close contact with the Cylons? What role does little Nicky, who seems to have an affinity for Baltar's voice as it comes across the wireless, have?

Further questions:

Does Leoben sense that Anders is a fellow Cylon?  He seems to be skating really close to the truth when he references Anders' knowing that he's always been destined for something greater than star Pyramid player. Anders is clearly shaken by this.

                                                     Leoben Conoy and Sam Anders: having a Cylon to Cylon chat~

When Saul Tigh tries to give chief a lecture about Chief's behaviour, Chief dismisses him saying the scuttlebutt is that Tigh and "the Six" have been spending a lot of time together, so who is judging whom?  Has Tigh taken Caprica Six as a lover or is it the other way 'round? Or neither?

Update from the Funeral Home (below) Also, from Danny's family: The Danny Federici Melanoma Fund

"Fourth Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" featuring Danny Federici, Bruce and E Street, Indianapolis 3/2008.

Danny rejoined the band one last time.

Hard to watch but lovely performance. At the very end of the song Bruces gives Danny a buss on the cheek and says "I love you."

When I saw Springsteen and The E Street Band last month in Milwaukee it was clear to me that I'd missed my last chance to see and hear Danny Federici with the full band.

When Bruce spoke about Danny, he did so briefly but meaningfully. I happened to be watching the monitor with the huge image of Bruce from the shoulders up as he took a short break to explain Danny's absence and to urge folks in the audience to give to the Food Bank in the lobby. When he mentioned that they "hoped" to have Danny "back on the next leg of the tour," a flash of sadness etched Bruce's face. I knew in that moment just about a month ago, that Springsteen knew how grave Danny's condition was. Even when you "know" someone will be dying soon, you often still hope against hope for a miracle. It truly appeared that Bruce was heartbroken but showman that he is, he stashed away that part of himself for the show's duration.

Sadly, Danny Federici's life and so his gift of music, was truncated after he succumbed on Thursday after years of battling melanoma.

RIP (Rock on In Peace), Danny

Federici, left, with the E Street Band.

Photo: Supplied

April 18, 2008 - 2:49PM

Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen whose stylish work helped define the E Street Band's sound on hits from Hungry Heart through The Rising has died. He was 58.

Federici, who had battled melanoma for three years, died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York on Thursday.

News of his death was posted on Springsteen's official website.

He last performed with Springsteen and the band last month, appearing during portions of a March 20 show in Indianapolis.

"Danny and I worked together for 40 years - he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much ... we grew up together," Springsteen said in a statement posted on his website.

Springsteen concerts scheduled for Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Saturday in Orlando were postponed.

Federici was born in Flemington, New Jersey, a long car ride from the Jersey shore haunts where he first met kindred musical spirit Springsteen in the late 1960s.

The pair often jammed at the Upstage Club in Asbury Park, New Jersey, a now-defunct after-hours club that hosted the best musicians in the state.

It was Federici, along with original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez, who first invited Springsteen to join their band.

By 1969, the self-effacing Federici - often introduced in concert by Springsteen as Phantom Dan - was playing with the Boss in a band called Child.

Over the years, Federici joined his friend in acclaimed shore bands Steel Mill, Dr Zoom and the Sonic Boom and the Bruce Springsteen Band.

Federici became a stalwart in the E Street Band as Springsteen rocketed from the boardwalk to international stardom. Springsteen split from the E Streeters in the late '80s, but they reunited for a hugely successful tour in 1999.

"Bruce has been supportive throughout my life," Federici said in a recent interview with Backstreets magazine.

"I've had my ups and downs, and I've certainly given him a run for his money, and he's always been there for me."

Federici played accordion on the wistful 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) from Springsteen's second album, and his organ solo was a highlight of Springsteen's first top 10 hit, Hungry Heart.

His organ coda on the 9/11-inspired Springsteen song You're Missing provided one of the more heart-wrenching moments on The Rising in 2002.

In a band with larger-than-life characters such as saxophonist Clarence Clemons and bandanna-wrapped guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt, Federici was content to play in his familiar position to the side of the stage. But his playing was as vital to Springsteen's live show as any instrument in the band.

I read about Photoshop Express, the free application that includes bountiful storage, ability to resize, correct and otherwise photo-manipulate digital photographs and as I tend to do, especially with something that includes "free" and "photographic" into the description, I went straight over and signed up.

My everyday full-featured photo alteration program is not Photoshop, it's Corel Paint Shop Pro. I've tried using Photoshop a couple of times over the years and I find it lacks intuitiveness--it's clunky and hard for me to get the hang of.

And I have really set my mind to it but I hate trying to find "help" only to dig myself further in, not getting the answer or the result I want, and getting frustrated.

My assumption is that the release of Photoshop Express, which is in beta, is a gesture in two ways. One, it acknowledges what the "futurist-type" techies have been saying and that's that software--all of it--essentially shall be free fairly soon. Secondly, for those dissatisfied with their primary photo manipulation program, Photoshop Express could provide a bridge for potential users to get accustomed to "Express" and then move to Photoshop.

   

Well, I just spent hours editing on my Paint Shop Pro photo program and then attempted to make a simple album in Photoshop Express and it was a dismal failure. Once again, things were not where I'd expect them to be. For example, when I signed up there was a generic-looking shadow figure that was supposed to be replaced by something that represented "me." An avatar, user photo ID, "Gravatar" in WordPress, whatever--and it took me a half a friggin' hour to find how to do it. It wasn't in the place where one would think it would be--which is with other user info. Instead, after I mucked about I found it by accident--and I can't even tell you where. Even when I pressed the last-ditch "help" icon--I was taken someplace foreign that had nothing to do with Photoshop Express as far as I could see. I even tried the Photoshop Express Forum. Besides being ugly aesthetically, it had nothing--nothing when I used various search terms which should've have brought up something so that I'll be able to head towards some kind of answer. But no.

One more thing. When you make an album in Photoshop Express, why does it default to a butt-ugly fake woodframe "book?" That makes no sense at all. And if I do have style choices why are they not readily apparent? Bah. I went back to Picasa--which is not perfect--but that's for another post. I did the full album upload there--no problems. Photoshop Express, Photoshop period. Not for me. In a nutshell, I tried Photoshop Express and I hated it.

Click the "bubble" next to the little yellow guy to move text off photograph.

Fuzzy

Easter means different things to different folks. I may have gone to church as a kid on Easter Sunday but the Sunday that is called "Easter" now means Easter baskets filled with chocolate bunnies, Reese's PNB eggs, jelly beans, and plastic eggs with surprises within. Easter also means colouring hard-boiled eggs. We've done egg colouring since my oldest son was a child and even though my youngest son is now 15 when spouse asked prior to last weekend's grocery run if we were colouring eggs this year, son answered with an unequivocal "yes." Ditto for me. Just as we still fill stockings for Christmas we still colour eggs for Easter because we enjoy the process of a shared family activity. We call it "tradition" and I cannot see why we'd stop just because we've hit a a particular age. It's fun having
fun together.

Pattern

Eggs No More

Eggs: Coloured and Photoshopped

Pastel Fuzz




Basket Full
Mother Nature Fooled
Secret Meeting

• What this album is about: Huge snowflakes
• Cotton ball size snowflakes (sepia)
• Out back, facing southwest, "The Lakes" and a frozen pond.
• Back of house (Tungsten effect)
• Back of House in Black and White
• The Day After The Cotton Balls Snow"flakes." Back of house, no adjustment, day after cottonball-size snowflakes. Very cool clouds this day. That's "The Lakes" apts. that 2/3 surround us. Basically there are lake-ponds and one street that separate us and them. lol. And we went condo.
• Biggest Snowflakes evar! Backyard (actually, many courtyard) looking up, deck perspective, "Snow" setting on Canon Powershot.
• From our back porch: Snowflakes, some stuck to one another but in full, literally the size of cotton balls.
• "The Lakes"-Part of an apartment complex that nearly 2/3 surrounds us. They are on the other side of the lake from us so it's okay, quite pretty at times. "We" actaully used to be apartments as well. We "went condo" but our home is sort of townhouse-ish in that it's two floors. The camera was set to "Snow."

I was thumbing through a copy of Rolling Stone Magazine the other day, one of the last days of my son's high school break. I'm way behind and since this was a special issue, I'd sat it aside and finally decided I'd best make time to check it out thoroughly and anyway, I'm doing a sort of after-holidays clean up-cum-purge. Issue #1000 is a series of essays on people formerly on the cover w/that cover shot reproduced (the criteria for a cover shot varies with "well-known" probably being the most consistent attribute of the people on the 1000 covers).

I went to put the Special Collector's Issue #1000 from June 2006 (!) that I'd just finished reading an essay on Johnny Depp and after, Hunter S. Thompson and a few others, and was about to start Bono by Bono when out slipped what I thought was a thick insert and most likely have been thinking was an insert since I began owning Issue 1000 over 18 months ago. So I swooped down to pick up the insert and in doing so glanced at it and saw:

Aha! This is no ordinary ginormous insert!," I thought.

And the "special foldout" was glued shut!

LOL. Rolling Stone Magazine was acting parental or their age--same thing.

<side note: Tonight (recorded last night) RS sent a real doofus-sounding guy to represent them on the currently- unscripted Jon Stewart Show a/k/a The Daily Show.>

My first thought after seeing words like "skin" and "naked" was because they'd made such a big deal out of this "nude section" and because I've seen some truly Playboyesque Rolling Stone covers over the years, was I glad I found this, not my 15-year-old son. (I'm an idiot, I know. Please don't spoil my delusion(s). After I opened the insert I was surprised at how tame the photos were.

So this is what was inside. No semi-nude Johnny Depp. Boo. Though, a very nice quote from the photographer who did the 2005 head-and-shoulders cover photo (shown after the jump): "Depp is a great beauty. He does everything he can to break that beauty down a little bit. But everything he does just makes him more interesting-looking."~Albert Watson

So, I ask, Why no semi-nude Johnny? Hrmph!

Justin, Brit, Angelina...

(Continued after jump)

 

We had fun. Raven not so much until we came upon the dog-loving folks giving out...doggie treats.

The penguin got shout outs everywhere which surprised us all. He was both a chick and little kid magnet, lol. And there were folks giving out candy who almost bust a gut laughing when he showed up--and gave him extra candy just for the costume! Really surprising.

I'm wanting to go raid the penguin's pillowcase o' candy before he gets home from school.

Each year we go to Goebbert's Farm in South Barrington for our seasonal smaller gourds and then, because the large pumpkins are a bit pricey we go elsewhere for them. This year spouse found "big" pumpkins for $3 each at Meier(sp).

I'm not fond of the yucky stuff inside the pumpkins. When the kids were little I'd make myself help them scrape  the pumpkin guts out (and I did mine as well). Now that the youngest is 15 y.o., he and his dad do the carving and scraping and I do the picture-taking. It seems to suit us all fine.                     

                              

I didn't do the not- photographs--the last two with skull motifs--they are just to brighten things up. El Dia De Los Muertos celebrates life.

                                                                                                         

Spouse's jack o'lantern on the left, son's on the right.

All photos by C. McCrackan

These photos were taken at Maple Lake over Labour Day Weekend (Sept, 2007). My younger son tells me that Canadians initiated Labour Day before the United States. I do so admire Canada's ability to just say "no" to work by having "civic holidays." We took advantage of one in August. :)   

   

       

               

                        

                   

            

               

Misty Morning

            

            

   

   

       

               

                        

Went down to say hello to the Lake at about 4 a.m. It's a ritual/I couldn't sleep and whilst walking the shoreline, startled this little guy out of the water and onto the beach. He's about the size of a big bug.                  

                           

Leopard Frog

            

   

       

               

                        

                     

            

               

Sunset Fishing

This little row boat is weighted down by many kids!

            

            

   

 

       

               

                        

                 Sunset Fishing                     

        Same as above photo with histogram adjusted to better see cabin/woods detail   

 

            

   

I hadn't been to Casa Loma, a _real_ castle in Toronto since I was a little girl.
I had planned to see it through an adult's eyes a few weeks ago but I hit a snag when I found we couldn't leave our dog, Raven alone for more than 10 minutes at a time at our hotel. So spouse and son went and thoughtfully snapped pics for me to muck up. Maybe I'll try to again visit when I'm an old woman.

I've been asked how I created  the effects shown here so:

Using Paint Shop Pro:

-"Adjust" category

-"Brightness & Contrast"

--"Curves" sub-category

---"Factory Defaults" (within Curves)

I've been told that "real" photographers do not alter their photographs but to that I say pffft! It was drizzling rain, it's a gray castle, and instead of making it look like a sunny day I did this instead. :)

NEW 2.26.08 Battlestar Galactica SNEAK PEEK Video S4 E17, Promo Canada- SPACE - Someone To Watch Over Me

Based on what I been able to cap so far using both the American and the Canadian promos and now this, I'm going to take a guess that Chief, Galen Tyrol is the one at the bottom of this post in the super-blurry screen caps and he is attempting to bust Boomer out of the brig. There is no way the guy that Chief has become--probably always was bubbling under the surface--is going to allow the Cylon Rebels to in his words, "kill (Boomer)."
At first I was a tiny bit puzzled about why it was the Rebels going after Boomer but it was she of course that sided with Cavil--going against the rest of the Eight's as well as the Rebels. They are seeking vengeance while it seems that Adama is willing to set her free.

American Caps and Canadian together NEW 02.26.09 Battlestar Galactica: Synopsis and Screen Caps: Someone To Watch Over Me : Canada's not giving much away this week--mostly dialogue.

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Dialogue from the new caps:

Six to Adama and Roslin: "We don't want her set free. We want to try (sp) Boomer for treason."

Hotdog: "Don't do it! Kara, don't do it!"

Tyrol: "How many of us ended up with the people we really wanted to be with?" (voiceover)

The Canadian Space network promo has dialogue that the American SciFi network promo does not.
Make sure to watch both videos. My first post on this eppy is here. Each has differing strong points.

Battlestar Galactica: Synopsis/Screen Caps: Someone To Watch Over Me/Tricia Helfer on Jimmy Kimmel Video and on Six

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The caps above are from a SciFi preview of the next episode. I'm not getting much in terms of things startling. I don't' think Hotdog dies, despite all his grimacing.

Kara is iffy and her quest to discover her "roots" so to speak has been a long one.

I've noticed the writers sneaking in references to the show (pilot) "Caprica" which they have pitched to the SciFi/NBC network so Kara and her possibly being the relative of someone not-human that will be be on that show is possible. It remains to be seen if it's plausible.

And Chief or Tyrol, no one seems to call him Galen much, and Boomer/Sharon Valeri. I say, why not? They sort of rushed it with the killing of Cally and deep-sixing of little Nicky. I'm pretty convinced that the plan was for Boomer and Chief to have a second encounter even if it is not as fun as the first go-round (was until the end).
That's all the American preview is dolling out for next episode.

I've read differing opinions on the "Ellen Entertains the Fleet" (Deadlock, the last) episode and really, Ellen Tigh was never likable. And I did wonder how much of the Final Five's original personalities come back. Already, Tori has acted drastically differently than the Tori of the right-hand-of-Laura Roslin days. Who says their personalities were wiped completely? Good old Bro. Cavil quite possibly couldn't have been that talented.
Tyrol and Tigh have been very different since finding out they are Cylon so why would it be so hard to buy that Ellen is Ellen but she switches gears when she's around certain people?

I agree. WTH!?! with all the lingering shots on Adama mourning his baby,the Galactica? It's been shown again and again that Adama is highly pragmatic when it comes right down to it. This is out of character for him to flip out so much--unless Laura's imminent death is taking it's toll. Maybe so. He's only human.(Sorry.) I give EJO a pass but they could have cut two of those scenes (not the one with a lingering shot of a 6's cute, perky bum though, leave that in).

In many ways "Deadlocked" was about loss and most of us don't like to be reminded of that harsh fact of life when we are trying to be entertained. Maybe the writers sort of rushed through it ,too.

I think I got this studio shot from
io9.com, but read about it at SpoilerTV.com. Both sites talked about Ron Moore's "Cylon Bible" to which he refers about a number of specifics in re:the Cylon world-view and "world" itself.

I'm hoping Someone To Watch Over Me is good.

Boomer is being reintroduced is sort of cool. Plus I'm a big fan of Aaron Douglas as Tyrol.
Starbuck dealing with something not Sam is a good choice for next week.
And whatever is happening to the Galactica--it can make easy sense depending on a number of situations, including the most obvious one.

Synopsis: Someone To Watch Over Me

Friday, February 27th,2009 @ 9:00 my time and 10:00pm yours - Sci-Fi Channel


Starbuck discovers a hidden musical ability that bears a mysterious significance to the final five Cylons, and her tune is found to have a connection with three-year-old human-Cylon hybrid Hera. The president authorises Boomer's release from the Brig so she can stand trial for treason on the Cylon Base Ship.

From the couple dozen clues doled out just prior to Season 4.5's start.

Back then my info about this photo was: "Kara is sitting at an ancient-looking piano with a guy identified as Xeno Fenner,the foreman on the tylium refinery ship Hitei Kan, previously seen in S3E13."

Videos from Multipleverses

Interview: Tricia Helfer Talks BSG On Jimmy Kimmel

Interview with Kate Vernon about being the last cylon after a funny recap of the first part of this last half of the final season

Battlestar Galactica - Season 4, Episode 16 "Blood on the Scales" Screen Caps - Romo Lampkin - Redemption

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Romo Lampkin : Redemption

I was really happy with the use of Romo Lampkin in "Blood on the Scales." Very nice work by actor Mark Sheppard. (This is Part 2. Part One, episode 15, "The Oath," is here.)

I couldn't see this chunk of the story from any other angle but redemption. Romo is a thief, a liar, and overall pretty self-serving. That he should reconsider his choice to help someone who is quite literally dying very much gave Romo Lampkin a bit more humanness, certainly his likability factor improved a great deal. And he mentioned  as being taken captive,  that they need to feed Jake, the dog Lee Adama gave him after discovering that Romo's only surviving family member, his wife's cat, Lance had died. His was only one of a number of characters being turned upside-down in "The Oath". My favourite one after Romo was Captain Aaron Kelly, who Tigh, when he recognized him as one of his captors, the former third-in-command of Galactica, called him a "brig rat." Prior to Baltar's trial in Season 3, Kelly had insisted that the only way to keep him from killing Cylons was to put him in the brig.

From his bio on Battlestar Wiki

When the trial of Gaius Baltar draws near, Kelly tries to disrupt the proceedings with a series of bombings. One of the attacks kills Baltar's lawyer. An attack on his next lawyer, Romo Lampkin, is thwarted only by chance. A third attack injures Lampkin. When questioned, Kelly says that he couldn't handle sending off pilots to their deaths anymore, and would continue to try if he is not locked up (The Son Also Rises). Because of this, it is unlikely that he is currently on active duty in his role as LSO.

After the discovery of a devastated Earth (and likely after being freed from the brig by the mutineers), he joins Felix Gaeta's mutiny and leads a squad of marines in pursuit of Admiral Adama and Colonel Tigh. (The Oath)

He later defends an arms locker and runs into Tyrol and after a discussion with him, lets him go. He splits off from Adama's firing squad and later tells Lee and his group where Adama is and joins them in their rescue of him. Kelly takes part in Adama's recapturing of Galactica as well. (Blood on the Scales)

But this is what he should be doing: Captain Aaron Kelly is possibly third-in-command aboard Galactica, ranking behind Admiral William Adama and Colonel Saul Tigh; his standing in relation to Major Lee Adama in the chain of command is unclear. As the LSO (Landing Signal Officer), he is responsible for flight operations - launching and landing spacecraft - on the ship.

I had a friendly disagreement about him. I knew Kelly had attained a high-level in the military and remembered seeing quite a lot of him in the show, but not lately. I'd forgotten about the bomb intended for Baltar's lawyers back during the aftermath of New Caprica. And I did not-- unlike quite a few of the hardcore bad guys I saw-- think he came from Pegasus.

I must note again that the storyline and characters are as good as the group collaboration that brings them together. The actor who plays Kelly, Ty Olsson did a great job in this episode from depicting a man who was acting out of hate and fear to  his realizing how hatred and fear doesn't solve a problem. Finally, the biggest leap for Kelly--that Galen Tyrol, who had been close enough to Kelly once to call him a nickname, despite being a cylon was still Tyrol, still his friend --and so he let him go during the mutiny. That was the tipping point but the massacre of the Quorum, the way in which Adama in particular was captured--as series of wrong and or/violent acts against the Fleet got through Kelly's ("dumbass") skull and the character went through a huge shift in perception. Fun to watch, well-played, well written, (Michael Angeli).

 

Captain Aaron Kelly (Ty Olsson) breaks down in the sanctuary of the memorial to the dead.

Thanks to Battlestar Wiki: Summary-

Zarek and Gaeta’s mutiny continues when Adama and Tigh are arrested, while Laura tries to convince Tory to keep the base ship within the fleet and assist in stabilizing the Colonial government. Meanwhile, Galactica crew and civilians continue to battle throughout the ship, Zarek has the Quorum delegates murdered aboard Colonial One, and Gaeta insists on a court martial of Adama before his execution.

Below: Lee needed some weaponry so Kara shoved a (bad) guy's head into the wall while he was relieving himself standing up. ;)

 

I capped these. It took forever. Labour of love. Rights are SciFi Network/NBC. Plus there are two studio publicity shots mixed in there. You can tell. They are bigger than the others. These are just one-offs for when the video expires. No high res stuff. Sorry.

Note: Battlestar Wiki (source)

In re: Michael Trucco who plays Samuel T. Anders who was shot in the neck in this episode:

In December of 2007, Trucco was involved in a motor vehicle accident. He broke his neck, but managed a full recovery from an injury that most likely should have resulted in paralysis or death. As his injury occurred during the WGA strike, he was fortunate to be able to recover before production resumed. "I didn't want BSG to have to rewrite Anders as a sniveling, whining ball of despair who's hiding out in the corner."

Trucco now has a distinctive scar on the back of his neck. "I've been told they want to incorporate [it] into BSG--but that's all I'm allowed to say."

Please welcome "Lida" a Six model introduced in this episode.

Finally, the recently-aired 10 webisode Internet short series The Face of the Enemy.

For Felix Gaeta his overt hostility towards the Cylon mirrors his coming back to the Galactica and the meeting referenced by Tigh in the webisodes. Beginning with the episode prior to this one (Part 1), "The Oath," is the first Felix is back from his little space adventure with a killer robot. In hindsight Dualla ("Dee") wasn't the only one who needed some serious emotional help.

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Thanks again to the Ultimate Battlestar Galactica reference source: Battlestar Wiki. All the character links below direct you to BSG Wiki.
Battlestar Galactica stars

• Edward James Olmos as William Adama
• Mary McDonnell as Laura Roslin
• Katee Sackhoff as Kara "Starbuck" Thrace
• Jamie Bamber as Lee "Apollo" Adama
• James Callis as Gaius Baltar
• Tricia Helfer as Number Six
• Grace Park as Number Eight

as well as co-stars:

• Michael Hogan as Saul Tigh
• Aaron Douglas as Galen Tyrol
• Tahmoh Penikett as Karl "Helo" Agathon
• Kandyse McClure as Anastasia Dualla
• Paul Campbell as Billy Keikeya (2003-2006)
• Alessandro Juliani as Felix Gaeta

Battlestar Galactica: S4E16, Blood on the Scales, Promo Slideshow/ A New Six?!/ SciFi Mag. Scan Photos

James Callis as Gaius Baltar, Tricia Helfer as Six (NBC Promo photo)

Thanks to Spoiler TV

What's this? A completely new Six!?!
She looks a great deal like Tricia Helfer, the actress who plays all the Six incarnations--plus many hair extensions. What do you figure is going on here? Is she the 2009 version of Head!Six? Someone entirely new? (How did we miss her before?)

Snippets: From TV Guide via SpoilerTV

Here are thumbs of SciFi Magazines interview with all the major characters on Battlestar Galactica (link and zip after scans)

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Are there plans for any other Battlestar Galactica alums to return before the finale? — David
MICKEY: Well, Kate Vernon, who plays Ellen Tigh, tells us that she'll return to the show soon "to reunite with my husband in the good old-fashioned way." Another familiar face will reappear, but my BSG mole has sworn me to secrecy. Ah, gods be damned, I'll tell you this: One of the character's initials is A, and if I gave you the other it would give it away. (And no, it's not Anastasia Dualla — she's definitely dead.)

Battlestar Galactica - The Face of the Enemy - Webisode 3: Full Video and Screen Caps

Battlestar Galactica - The Face of the Enemy - Webisode 3
Gaeta realizes that he knows one of the Eights more than he lets the others believe.

 

Raptor pilot: We're at 68% of ships normal load, too.

Co-pilot:Sixty-eight? At that level you're talking memory loss, irrational behaviour, depression, dizziness...

Felix: You're her.

Drake: Aren't you frakkin' lucky that you've got a mechanic on board.

Felix and the Eight collude on New Caprica.

Drake: Gods dammit. There's a loose connection here.

Drake: I just can't get inside.

Eight: Let me do it.

Eight: Got it.

Gaeta: No pulse. She's dead.

New Caprica Eight: Look at her pliers.

Felix: The insulating grip has been stripped off.

Felix: Who did this?

Drake reacts.

Pilot and co-pilot react.

/end Webisode 3

Carving up our jack o' lanterns

Happy day. It was top down weather as I took my big drive out to the country to get the works (colour and highlights). Tomorrow--Halloween is supposed to be 70F! One last little bit o' decent weather. So happy about that.

Carved pumpkins last night. I snapped a few shots of the guys.

 

The guy's jack o' lanterns.

I don't carve. I'm a bit phobic about knives (yes, I had an accident once) and I hate the smell of pumpkin guts. I used to paint one--but I have no artistic talent what.so.ever.

Spouse still buys me a pumpkin though. ("They were on sale!")

QUOTATION OF THE DAY~

US politics has been so ulcer-inducing this week--it's pretty freaky when the President of the United States throws up his hands and begs the country to heed him because in his words, "our country could experience a long and painful recession." Then he talks about a plan of Treasury Secretary Paulson's that he backs but just hours later his own party turns against him saying there's never been (a plan) to back Paulson's's plan. Awkward! Anyway this is a cute non-partisan informational video of Palin and Biden --mini bios and thumbnail political backgrounds. A welcome respite.

NYTimes.com QUOTATION OF THE DAY~

"The situation is like that movie trailer where a guy with a deep, scary voice says, ‘In a world where credit markets are frozen, where banks refuse to lend to each other at any price, only one man, with one plan can save us.’"
JARED BERNSTEIN, of the Economic Policy Institute, on the push for a financial bailout.

Overshare

Not quite finished steps to cottage

 

Aug 26, 2008 at 3:45 AM

Did you know I see a shrink once every 3 months? Now you do. I saw him today. I never stay longer than 5 minutes. He makes upwards of $100 for 5 minutes though I think he can only squeeze in maybe 6 patients per hour, leaving the rest for quickly-scrawled mandatory paperwork. Dx: Depression w/anxiety though I think I've had a handle on the depression for about 5 years now. Prior to that other long stretches as well. First time I've been diagnosed with anxiety but it practically ruled my life prior to the heart failure. (Yes, I've wondered if there was a connection as my heart failure was of unknown causes (kinda spooky, not knowing). Anyway Dr. P. is doing medication management--but forgot to ask about that today. ;)

New store with my name...where's the apostrophe?!

 

OK. Gotta go. Twitter updates and Photoshop just to give you something. I'll be back

*Smooches*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New store with my name...where's the apostrophe?!

I'm not sure if I over-shared this. The Lake had more rain this summer and spring past than it's had in 70 years. That's' before my dad--who is the patriarch--started going up there--before the cottages were built.

My week alone...before spouse groomed the bank ;)

Lake Bottom and my personal flotation device (raft)

Got a little yucky for a short while after storms

 

Twitterific: 8/25/08

Comment spamming my personal blog, catching up. I'm terribly behind.
Twitter is too much for me! Do not deserve the noble moniker "blogger." 10
minutes ago from web

Must finish the great dig--my email--before our trek north Fri to Maple Lake, Ontario, CA. Cottage closing, saying goodbye to the Lake :( (about 2 hours ago from web)

 

Also, I need to drop email from my life completely, forever. *sigh* A fond daydream.

 

Time to make Earl Grey and watch Weeds! about 2 hours ago from web

 

Remembering that I forgot to celebrate 10 yr Anni of not dying from heart failure. Aug 19-a fun day spent at Gameworks for 16 y.o.son's b-day about 2 hours ago from web

Aug 2: Sunset--exactly as it was

 

Battlestar Galactica S4: My Favourite Death Scenes~E6 "Faith" Basestar Six vs. Jean Barolay,

My guess is that if you are as much of a Battlestar Galactica fan as I am you are starting to miss the series pretty badly by now and "early 2009" doesn't in any way sound soon enough to resume watching the final episodes of the much-lauded Sci-Fi network series a/k/a the best science fiction television show evar.

I've been a big fan of Six--especially Caprica Six since the miniseries where she duped Gaius Baltar and gave the Cylon race ALL of the Colonies's military secrets and codes, enabling the Cylons to wipe out virtually the entire human race.

Tricia Helfer who has played Six sublimely too many times to count, first impressed me with the way she expressed herself as an alien "skinjob" who had lived on Caprica with the humans for two years. Just prior to the Cylon attack, Caprica Six had a meeting (we still don't know who with--herself?!) and on the way back she strolled an open marketplace, stopping to admire a newborn baby in it's stroller and making small-talk with the mother. The mother was a little taken aback at Caprica's remark about how such a tiny neck could bear the weight of holding up the baby's large cranium. Just after saying this, the baby's father beckoned the mother who turned her attention away from the infant briefly. In those few seconds, Caprica Six, aware that the human race including this baby was about to be exterminated, snapped the infant's neck, then quickly walked away into the crowd. That scene still resonates with me.

I've not read an official description of what was "supposed" to have been conveyed by the small but deadly gesture that Caprica Six made. Was she simply curious to see how easily a human infant's neck would snap? Was she showing a bit of mercy on the child whom she's believed would shortly be nuked? I still don't know. Perhaps both.

One of the reasons that I am revisiting death scenes is that rarely is one done on BSG just for the sake of it. There is always at least a second level of meaning--perhaps a third or more.  Death, espcially when it comes to a character that may have been on the series for years--like Jean Barolay (Alisen Down , recurring character)  has more impact. The death of a Six always resonate as the model has been part of the series and the actor one of the first to distinguish herself on the show in her portrayal of "Six."

Unsurprisingly my favourite death scenes, which are not in chronological order start with a couple of Sixs-- who got killed a couple times-on camera in the first half of Season Four, the final of the series.

To start, as quoted from Battlestar Wiki: "A basestar

Six sees Jean Barolay and recognizes her as the human who killed her on New Caprica. When Barolay doesn't show any remorse and says she would do the same again, the Six attacks her and smashes her head into the Raptor's hull, which kills Barolay. Anders pounces on the Six and is ready to kill the Cylon when Thrace manages to talk him down. The Six that killed Barolay speaks to Natalie, obviously dealing with psychological trauma from the death on New Caprica that she had not been able to shake. After kissing the distraught Six, Natalie grabs Anders's hand and pulls the trigger on his gun, killing the Six permanently as there is no Resurrection Ship nearby, carrying out a form of justice for the Colonials, who are shocked."

Thanks for capping, creative muse!

Here it is in scene by scene order. Note: I took out many of Sam Ander's reaction shots to the basestar Six's killing of Jean Barolay. I just thought that whole scene was cringe-inducing in how over-the-top actor Michael Trucco played Sam. I understand that Sam has only known for months that he's Cylon and that he kept his shite together until he shot Felix Gaeta in the leg in a gesture of mutiny and shortly thereafter flipped out on the Cylon rebel basestar where immediately after the shooting he chose to accompany Kara Thrace in her attempt to get information from the basestar's Hybrid (brains of the ship). Trucco could take a page from either Tricia Helfer's or Katee Sackoff's book in how to play this scene as really upset, perhaps on the verge of strung out--but pull back a bit so you don't just seem completely insane. If I showed you the stills you'd see exactly what I mean.

P.S. Please do a search in the right column for "Battlestar Galcatica" for all the posts on BSG I've written thus far. Or, search through the cloud tags, located in the rgt. column further down the page for the same.

A moment or two in my garden of life~ 06.22.08

Drove almost to Wisconsin to our 2 y.o. nephew's birthday party and his bro's baptism dinner. ZOMG! Top down in the Mustang through the country was awesome. Spouse picked up his aunt in his car as we couldn't all fit n the 'stang.

Got great gas mileage even for an 8 cylinder stick!
I am totally needing a shower!

(Below) Our garden pics snapped at 8 p.m.
I love natural light!

Battlestar Galactica, Half-Season Four Finale ~410~Revelations~ Screen Caps, *SPOILERS* Part 3

Related posts: Part 1 and 2

Thanks for capping, creative muse!

I was pretty "spoiled" for the final episode of the first half of Season Four," Revelations." I'm not sure but I think it diminished my excitement a bit even though there were numerous great things about this episode.

Can we all  now please agree that these two are in a bro/sister relationship? Thanks.

Kara "Starbuck" Thrace,  President Lee Adama reads The Scriptures 

The Temple Of Aurora

Meanwhile, much is happening on the rebel basestar.

Cylons have taken the marines and pilots captive.

There is disagreement between the three Cylons.

Leoben and D'Anna butt heads about hostage taking.

Though she's smiling sweetly something tells me she would not hesitate to snap his neck as she did Cavil's upon her unboxing.

D'Anna announces that until the Final Four--not Five are given to the Cylons, the Fleet on board the rebel basestar would be held hostage.

Bill reacts swiftly to this...

As does an oddly-coiffed Helo and the rest.

D'Anna explains how it's going to be and they can like it or lump it. She doesn't trust them and doesn't care.

Advice to Bill from the Prez,"Blow this ship to Hell if the Cylons get The Four."

 His reaction.

Meanwhile, on the Galactica...

Gaeta spots something on dradis. Could it be?

Dualla checks it out...

Gaeta makes the final call. Confirmation of a Fleet raptor!

Everyone hustles down to the hangar to see what's up.

Tyrol and Anders--Cylons both--watch from the deck, speculating if they are about to be "outed."

Adama exits the raptor, looking pretty annoyed.

And the reason for his dark expression-- It's D'Anna (Number 3), who exits right on his heels.

Continued Friday!

Battlestar Galactica, S409, "The Hub" Screen Caps, Quotes, Roslin-Adama Scene *SPOILERS*

Episode Name: The Hub
Episode Number: 409
Written by: Jane Espenson
Directed by: Paul Edwards
Original Air Date: 6/6/08 on SciFi Channel

Population: 39,673

Original US airdate June 2008 (Battlestar Wiki). The episode takes place concurrently with "Sine Qua Non"

Thanks for capping, creative muse!

Synopsis:

"Pursuing the Resurrection Hub at the whim of the Hybrid, a team of Viper pilots and Cylon rebels become uneasy collaborators as they formulate a battle plan to unbox the Threes and destroy Cylon resurrection forever. Meanwhile, Roslin and Baltar try desperately to communicate with the panicking Hybrid and Helo discovers a disturbing characteristic within one of the Eights."

There were only two big revelations in this episode. The first was made to Laura Roslin, where a hopped-up- on-morpha Baltar confesses his involvement in the destruction of The Colonies. For this she attempts to murder him.

The second revelation is that, according to the number Three, D'Anna, Roslin is not the final Cylon.

Number Three answering Laura Roslin's question:

D'Anna Biers: Suppose you've got some questions for me.

Roslin: Yes I do. I'd like to talk about the five Cylons in my fleet.

Biers: So you know about the Final Five?

Roslin: I know they're supposed to know the way to Earth.

Biers: But you don't know that you're one of them.

[Roslin freezes shocked]

Biers: [Bursting out laughing] Please your face! [Roslin looks relieved and smirks] Oh, it's ridiculous. No. Look, I'm not giving you any names. Not until I feel like I'm safe. 'Cause information is all I got, sweetie.

Picking up where the last events of "Guess What's Coming to Dinner" ended, Laura Roslin, Karl “Helo” Agathon, and Gaius Baltar are brought before the rebel Cylon basestar's Hybrid. After a Number Eight reconnects the basestar’s Hybrid, it unexpectedly jumps the ship.

During the jump, Laura Roslin finds herself in empty corridors of the Galactica. As she looks around, the deceased priestess Elosha appears behind her. They hug, but the vision stops at the moment the jump completes with Laura finding herself back in the Hybrid's room.

Roslin asks questions about the Hybrid's abilities as the Eight tries to get information from the data-font, but the Hybrid jumps the ship again (and again and again), and Roslin finds herself yet again in the company of Elosha on the empty Galactica.

The two end up in sickbay where they find the sole patient–Laura Roslin--near death.

The Eight determines that the Hybrid is "panicking" due to Natalie’s injury or death. Gaius Baltar tries to calm her claiming that the Hybrid “likes” him, but after a few moments, the Hybrid jumps again. Roslin's vision continues, and she sees Kara Thrace, Doc Cottle, and Bill and Lee Adama standing over her death bed.

Elosha speaks to the dying Roslin, chastising her for her lack of empathy.

Roslin and Baltar attempt to...

talk to the Hybrid about the Opera House vision. Neither meets with success.

The Eight tells Helo that the Hybrid is following the Resurrection Hub and discusses an attack strategy with him.

On the Resurrection Hub, a Three, D'Anna Biers, is awakened by Cavil (#1) and Boomer whom Cavil refers to as his "Pet Eight."


They tell her of the Cylon Civil War and appeal to her to help through her knowledge of the Final Five.

Three makes a disparaging remark about the Eights' , capriciousness, commenting on Cavil's pronouncement about the Eight model's tendency to be "passionate allies"-- "until they see something shiny."



Three snapping Cavil's neck.







In the basestar hangar, Helo and an Eight give a mission briefing to a number of Sixes, Eights and Colonial pilots. Several pilots, including "Redwing" McKay and "Gonzo" Pike, express concerns about their safety and the reliability of the Cylon pilots.



A Six retorts that the rebel pilots are just as well trained as the humans, and the Eight reminds them that they learned to trust Athena, so they can also trust their rebel allies.



After a jump, Baltar begins talking to a Centurian about hierarchy and religion, asserting that the Centurion is loved by God as well. Soon after, they are both blown up.

 



On the Resurrection Hub, Boomer comments with alarm on the arrival of the rebel basestar. Cavil tries to convince Number Three to talk to the rebels and defuse the conflict, but she replies curtly and threatens to "shout out the names" of the Final Five.
 

Boomer reports that the rebel basestar has launched 25 Heavy Raiders. Outside the Hub, the Heavy Raiders release the Vipers they have been towing behind them. The Raiders attack defending basestars, while the Vipers head towards the Hub.
 


Cavil deduces that the rebels are attempting to destroy the Hub... and that would make death permanent for Cylons. On hearing this Three breaks Cavil's neck and Boomer flees.



Missiles take out the FTL drive on the Hub. Helo and the Eight head towards the Hub in a Raptor. On the Hub, they encounter the D'Anna Biers and the dead Cavil.

  
Baltar continues to to blather on about Centurian rights, but as the basestar is hit by a missile salvo, the explosion destroys the Centurion and seriously injures Baltar.




Baltar is carried to a bed by two Marines while Roslin carries in a medkit. Roslin orders them out, bandaging Baltar and injecting him with morpha. In his drug-addled state Baltar talks to Roslin about religion, telling her that he once harbored terrible guilt....he tells Roslin that he unwittingly gave the Cylons the access codes prior to the fall of the Twelve Colonies.

Shocked by Baltar's confession, Roslin tries to kill Baltar by removing his bandages. As he loses blood he repeatedly begs her to stop.
 





Helo announces that he has D'Anna Biers and orders a nuclear strike on the Hub. The Vipers fire nuclear missiles into the Hub, destroying it and at least one of the two enemy basestars.

Quote:

D'Anna Biers: And with a whimper, every Cylon in the universe begins to die.

Number Eight: Yes, that's right, and it's a good thing, D'Anna, because now there's no difference. We can all start trusting each other.



Baltar continues to beg for his life.

There is another jump. In Roslin's vision, William Adama stands over a dying Roslin, while Roslin and Elosha watch them.

Quote:

In Roslin's vision, as Roslin and Elosha watch Adama stand over a dying Roslin:

Elosha: I'm not saying Baltar's done more good than harm in the universe; he hasn't. The thing is, the harder it is to recognize someone's right to draw a breath, the more crucial it is. If humanity is going to prove itself worthy of surviving, it can't do it on a case by case basis. A bad man feels his death just as keenly as a good man.

Believing that by saving Baltar she'd save humanity, Laura desperately checks to see if  he's still breathing. Finding Baltar still alive, Roslin starts to re-bandage him.









Helo brings D'Anna to Roslin... When asked about the Final Five, she jokes that Laura Roslin is one of them--->provoking this reaction from Roslin:

...upon finding out that Three was "just kidding."
 D'anna refuses to provide any information until she feels she is safe; the information being the only thing she has now that she is the only Three left in the universe. She also appears to have a really bad headache.



She says she will tell Roslin who the Final Five are after she is taken back to the human Fleet.


Later, Roslin sits alone listening to the Hybrid. As the Hybrid jumps she has a final encounter with the dead priestess, Elosha.

Admiral Adama's risky strategy of waiting alone for the basestar to rendezvous pays off as he sees the basestar jumping in. In the landing bay, he meets Laura Roslin.

Quote:

Roslin and Adama tenderly greeting each other on the basestar's hangar deck:

Adama: Missed you.

Roslin: Me too.

Roslin [Embracing Adama]: I love you.

Adama [Breaking the embrace; looks into her eyes]: About time.


They (finally!) embrace.

 
Thoughts:

The whole Laura and Bill scene was so satisfying. Despite all the other heavy action going on this scene grabbed me the most by far. Two stellar actors playing out the moment we've (they've?) been waiting for for years.

It was beautifully done--except
Rant/ why did we have to have the stoopid nod to Star-stoopid-Wars and Adama not returning Laura's "I love you"??? She's on the verge of death, people! Unspoken words are not going to cut it. Haven't you heard about "saying" the words?" Laura had to have that hammered into her thick head by a dead person. What does Bill need?!
Why do the fanboy showrunners not know how to write a decent love scene??? This has frustrated me to no end and in this scene I was satisfied in part just because they have given us so little to hold onto with these two that this made up for all the scenes we got cheated out of./end rant

Lucy Lawless was flawless ;) as D'Anna Biers. She just eats up every scene she's in. Funny, cynical, strong, and vicious--D'Anna is all of these and more.

LOST Reblog! Cutest LOST Photo Ever! Hurley and an Unhappy Baby Aaron During Season 4 Finale E13 - There’s No Place Like Home *SPOILERS*

Click for much MORE!!!!! LOST~ Season Finale Episode 4.13, Part 2B - There’s No Place Like Home (Part 3) *SPOILERS*

Above is where you want to click to get the scoop on the ghost/supernatural aspects of LOST's Season Four Finale. The link goes to a sister blog of this one. If you are a LOST fan you'll want to check it out as there are things caught in screen shots that you may have missed.

The ground that is left to cover in the densely packed last quarter of the two hour final is the rescue of the LOSTIES from sea after their helicopter crashed into the sea and their faked rescue a week after that.

Also: Bonus Video: The Penny and Desmond Reunite on the Searcher (boat) scene!

So sweet! Previously, on LOST. The sky has turned pink and the helicopter full of LOSTIES, having run out of fuel, crashes into the ocean.
I did mucho screen capping and I'm pretty sure this one is mine but all of them are always property of ABC

This is perhaps my favourite screen shot from the entire finale. LOVE the look on Aaron's face--got the lip curled, just on the verge of letting loose with a wail. Poor kid. He's not digging any of this. Hurley is darling as well but you know what they say about being in a scene with children or pets...

The helicopter crashed but everyone emerged relatively unscathed (Desmond had drowned for about 2 minutes but Doc Jack did mouth to mouth).

From E! "Kristin"
Jack leaned back in the rubber boat and sighed with relief, "It's OK...It's OK...we're alive." Kate and Sun, despite being alive themselves, had brilliant expressions that read something like, "Speak for yourself, dumbass!" Can't wait for those two grieving widows to discover their lovers (and friends) are alive... and need a ride back home from purgatory.

Pen to the Rescue!

Promo photo: Kate and little Turniphead's "stand-in"

 

It is decided that the group will travel 3000 miles to be re-rescued on a remote island. Des and Penny go their own way, everyone agree to lie about the circumstances of the crash, the time on the Island, and their real rescue.

After the jump: The Faked Rescue

LOST - Season 4 Finale : Episode 13 (Part 2/3) - "There's No Place Like Home" *SPOILERS*

The next montage for Season 4, LOST finale pics w/commentary.

I'm assuming you viewed the show so know that some of the Scooby gang, our Losties got off the Island.

It turned out with this two-part ending that most of the cool visuals came at the end and so too, were the cool screen caps.

The other screen caps from the first half of the 2-part LOST Season Four Finale are here, at another blog of mine. I decided to spread the LOST love a bit.

 
Kate with "Little Turniphead"

Bad Things happened over a short span of last moments, however the best was played by Yunjin Kim. Sun's screams--shrieks, really, reacting to the freighter exploding after just missing getting Jin into the copter, were spine-tingling.
So here is the Freighter exploding (CGI --not awesome) and Sun (and  the other Losties with her) reacting to seeing Jin blown up--awesome. 
\

Sun--on the freighter just prior to escape~

 

 

Jin misses his ride.

 












 

Stuntman/woman: Rule number One: Whenever possible, obstruct your face (Click to see how much _not_ like "Frank Lapidis" the actor's stand-in looks like.)

 

So the freighter was wired to a dead man's trigger and that "dead man" was Keamy courtesy of multiple stabs to the throat from Ben.

A Desmond reaction shot.

It Takes A Village-- and a Ballista

The District 211 Gifted Expo is tonight! My son made a working replica of a Ballista, a war weapon made by the Greeks. The theme of the expo? It Takes A Village.


I suppose Chris will be defending the village?
I would say "a funny story" goes along with this  subject but I don't think at this stage of the game anyone is laughing.

Son dropped the ball during the research phase of this--a culmination of two year's learning with the last half of this school year supposedly dedicated to a project worthy of "the village."
I think it's fair to say that son got overwhelmed and due to pride, immaturity, and/or lack of common sense, he failed to tell us.
He left that up to his teacher, a very well-regarded chap who has been running the Critical Thinking program at Fremd High School since it's inception about 20 years ago (he retires this year). Chris's teacher called me about 3 weeks ago with the bad news that to him, Chris had "given up" on the project. I asked what to do and teacher advised conjuring a miracle or dropping the class.

When I talked to son I gave him the options and surprising me, he chose to attempt a miracle. So, for the past three weeks every spare minute has been dedicated to this project with completion just happening 10 minutes before he needed to leave to get to the event 2 hours before it commences, during which all the kids will check out each other's projects and have a meal together.

Spouse, in the construction of the Ballista, must have "run to" Home Depot at least two dozen times. Not exaggerating. This was a huge, hairy deal. It was also very costly though spouse gets to keep lots of shiny new tools.
I had nothing to do with the making of the weapon except for the mom thing. I had a lot more input into teaching Chris some Photoshop tricks for the photos he took of his creation, stage by stage.
He was quite surprised at the length of time one can pour into such endeavors.
Getting the Ballista to function correctly was one thing but the presentation board was a large component as well. Oh yeah. This time I thoroughly vetted the clothes he was to wear. His brother even gave him a shirt that is quite styish. :)

On none of it did his dad or I overtly try to manipulate the project. It is after all, his.
Son and spouse just went ripping out of here so I haven't even seen the finished presentation board. I'll see it at the show for which I now must go get ready and get myself suburban mom-looking.
Cheers!

You simply must read about what I'm doing for the next three days...

You simply must read about what I'm doing for the next three days: LINK (hint: It may involve mini golf in Hoffman Estates ) (external link to one of my personal websites on WordPress.org. :)

I played with the saturation in this photo of a neighbour's a Lilac tree. Those are the actual colour of the flowers, though.


Our pansies are bloomin'. Spouse says they are at their peak.

Below: Where I do my "lounging" on our miniature deck. It is
pretty private for a condominium courtyard, with the screen and 3 foot-high bushes (shown in photo--the full-size table is hidden by them from this angle).








 


 
 














Just for fun~
























Brightness and Contrast manipulated~



The Lone Tulip~ across the way (not ours)

Japanese Maple

This is the one is in the front yard. It’s a beautiful tree in front of an unsightly background of 1. parking lot w/cars and 2. red brick building, approximately of the same shade of red as the leaves on the tree.

Love the tree though. When we move away however, spouse is likely to leave it behind as he did last time we moved. We’ve “visited” the other Japanese Maple that he planted at our old place and it’s doing well–the gardeners haven’t killed it yet.

Battlestar Galactica: The Road Less Traveled: S4. E6 a/k/a/ S4. E8 *SPOILERS*

Bear McCreary's Awesome BSG Score-flavoured Recap of TRLT

As usual, I depend on of BSG's composer Bear McCreary's, awesome interpretation of each episode to jiggle my brainpan and help tremendously in a deeper understanding of each episode.

Also awesome are a couple of Battlestar Galactica sites which you should be checking in with: The Patriot Resource and the sublime Battlestar Wiki. There are many more good BSG sites out there but my site is simply the viewpoint of a fangirl. Hopefully, you'll find an interesting tidbit or two.

"Wiki" confirmed what or who actually, I thought was missing last night from Episode 405/407: The Road Less Travelled--both Commander Adama and President Roslin--for the first time ever were not featured in a BSG episode!

The episode title is derived from the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

Almost the entire episode takes place on the waste recycling ship the Demetrius or in the space around it, which led by Kara Thrace, has now been on it's mission to find Earth for 58 frakkin' days.

The crew is completely exasperated, worried about the ever-closing window of time they have to rendezvous with Galactica. They are on the verge of mutiny as in their eyes, Kara has gone completely  off the rails.

Helo, the Captain, is constantly running interference between Kara and the crew, no small job; good thing he's built for it. <swoon>

(I know Tahmoh Penikett was originally meant to have a small but pivotal story arc in the miniseries, then left behind for dead on the nuked Caprica colony, but look at what we would have missed if they hadn't reconsidered and kept him for the duration(!). In my opinion, he and "Chief" Galen Tyrol are two of the most sympathetic and therefore likeable characters in that they both have a solid moral center and are generally kind, decent men.)

So this is pretty much how this Episode goes down:

Episode 405: The Road Less Travelled; Originally aired on May 2, 2008

Synopsis: A Cylon heavy raider docks with the Demetrius and it turns out to be Leoben.The prospect of a truce between humanity and the Cylons encourages Kara to trust a shipwrecked Leoben while her crew begins to openly doubt her competency for command. Conoy offers an alliance between the humans and his faction in the Cylon civil war and Kara wants to accompany him to his baseship in order to learn what the Cylons know about Earth. Kara orders a jump and Helo refuses to execute it. She then turns to Gaeta, who also refuses. Her crew refuses to carry out the order. Kara Thrace's entire crew (except for husband, Sam Anders) has mutinied.

Back on the Battlestar Galactica, Baltar's group of followers is growing and "Chief" Tyrol continues to struggle with Cally's so-called suicide.

Another scene has Tyrol, who has shaved his head, holding a gun to his own head as he screams." From SciFi Channel Promo

The context of the scene referenced above is that Chief quite literally has reached his breaking point.

Drawn to one of Gaius Baltar's "sermons," Gaius notices him in the crowd and beckons him to come forward because "Cally would have wanted that." Gaius notes that Cally was spiritual and again that she would have wanted Tyrol to  move forward and to shake Gaius's hand. 

Tyrol looks as if he's a human bomb about to go off. He spits out that Cally may have forgiven Baltar for all his heinous acts but he hasn't and as Gaius goes on and on about Cally's wishes the foreshadowing of what Chief will do when he reaches Baltar becomes clear as the audience feels the same way about Gaius: Who is he trying to fool? What does he want of Chief? And how dare he be such a pompous, presumptuous bastard? When he reaches Baltar, Chief attempts to throttle him but is restrained by Baltar's followers. Both men appear unhurt by the encounter.

However, Gaius just won't leave it alone and later is escorted undercover to Tyrol's quarters where Tyrol has been staring at family photos from their days on New Caprica before the situation on the planet went from bad to worse. The gun remains on his midsection as he lies stretched out on his bed when Gaius enters. Gaius wishes to apologize for being an ass earlier. Tyrol doesn't react though Gaius is fully aware that it is him, Chief, and Chief's gun alone in the room. It's notable that when surrounded by his followers Baltar referred correctly to "Chief" as Mr.Tyrol (as Admiral Adama has fired Chief Tyrol). However when alone, Gaius switched to calling Tyrol, "Chief," almost a term of endearment.

Gaius continues with his soliloquy about knowing that he committed heinous acts, that once he thought he knew who he was--a scientist but things change for reasons not understood and now he is seeking redemption.

Chief doesn't seem to react  to anything Baltar says but when Gaius turns to leave Chief extends his hand to Baltar.

Big Questions:

As we know now/believe,Tyrol is Cylon. Tyrol's child Nicky is a cybrid. Baltar has a pivotal role to play with the humans and Cylons. Gaius almost always has a hidden agenda--even when he seems sincere. What does he want with Tyrol? Has Tory told Baltar during one of their intimate encounters that she is Cylon and so is Chief or does Baltar sense something, having had plenty very close contact with the Cylons? What role does little Nicky, who seems to have an affinity for Baltar's voice as it comes across the wireless, have?

Further questions:

Does Leoben sense that Anders is a fellow Cylon?  He seems to be skating really close to the truth when he references Anders' knowing that he's always been destined for something greater than star Pyramid player. Anders is clearly shaken by this.

                                                     Leoben Conoy and Sam Anders: having a Cylon to Cylon chat~

When Saul Tigh tries to give chief a lecture about Chief's behaviour, Chief dismisses him saying the scuttlebutt is that Tigh and "the Six" have been spending a lot of time together, so who is judging whom?  Has Tigh taken Caprica Six as a lover or is it the other way 'round? Or neither?

Update/Danny Federici, Springsteen and E Street's Longtime Keyboardist, Dies At 58

Update from the Funeral Home (below) Also, from Danny's family: The Danny Federici Melanoma Fund

"Fourth Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)" featuring Danny Federici, Bruce and E Street, Indianapolis 3/2008.

Danny rejoined the band one last time.

Hard to watch but lovely performance. At the very end of the song Bruces gives Danny a buss on the cheek and says "I love you."

When I saw Springsteen and The E Street Band last month in Milwaukee it was clear to me that I'd missed my last chance to see and hear Danny Federici with the full band.

When Bruce spoke about Danny, he did so briefly but meaningfully. I happened to be watching the monitor with the huge image of Bruce from the shoulders up as he took a short break to explain Danny's absence and to urge folks in the audience to give to the Food Bank in the lobby. When he mentioned that they "hoped" to have Danny "back on the next leg of the tour," a flash of sadness etched Bruce's face. I knew in that moment just about a month ago, that Springsteen knew how grave Danny's condition was. Even when you "know" someone will be dying soon, you often still hope against hope for a miracle. It truly appeared that Bruce was heartbroken but showman that he is, he stashed away that part of himself for the show's duration.

Sadly, Danny Federici's life and so his gift of music, was truncated after he succumbed on Thursday after years of battling melanoma.

RIP (Rock on In Peace), Danny

Federici, left, with the E Street Band.

Photo: Supplied

April 18, 2008 - 2:49PM

Danny Federici, the longtime keyboard player for Bruce Springsteen whose stylish work helped define the E Street Band's sound on hits from Hungry Heart through The Rising has died. He was 58.

Federici, who had battled melanoma for three years, died at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre in New York on Thursday.

News of his death was posted on Springsteen's official website.

He last performed with Springsteen and the band last month, appearing during portions of a March 20 show in Indianapolis.

"Danny and I worked together for 40 years - he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much ... we grew up together," Springsteen said in a statement posted on his website.

Springsteen concerts scheduled for Friday in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Saturday in Orlando were postponed.

Federici was born in Flemington, New Jersey, a long car ride from the Jersey shore haunts where he first met kindred musical spirit Springsteen in the late 1960s.

The pair often jammed at the Upstage Club in Asbury Park, New Jersey, a now-defunct after-hours club that hosted the best musicians in the state.

It was Federici, along with original E Street Band drummer Vini Lopez, who first invited Springsteen to join their band.

By 1969, the self-effacing Federici - often introduced in concert by Springsteen as Phantom Dan - was playing with the Boss in a band called Child.

Over the years, Federici joined his friend in acclaimed shore bands Steel Mill, Dr Zoom and the Sonic Boom and the Bruce Springsteen Band.

Federici became a stalwart in the E Street Band as Springsteen rocketed from the boardwalk to international stardom. Springsteen split from the E Streeters in the late '80s, but they reunited for a hugely successful tour in 1999.

"Bruce has been supportive throughout my life," Federici said in a recent interview with Backstreets magazine.

"I've had my ups and downs, and I've certainly given him a run for his money, and he's always been there for me."

Federici played accordion on the wistful 4th Of July, Asbury Park (Sandy) from Springsteen's second album, and his organ solo was a highlight of Springsteen's first top 10 hit, Hungry Heart.

His organ coda on the 9/11-inspired Springsteen song You're Missing provided one of the more heart-wrenching moments on The Rising in 2002.

In a band with larger-than-life characters such as saxophonist Clarence Clemons and bandanna-wrapped guitarist Little Steven Van Zandt, Federici was content to play in his familiar position to the side of the stage. But his playing was as vital to Springsteen's live show as any instrument in the band.

Photoshop Express: What A Disappointment!

I read about Photoshop Express, the free application that includes bountiful storage, ability to resize, correct and otherwise photo-manipulate digital photographs and as I tend to do, especially with something that includes "free" and "photographic" into the description, I went straight over and signed up.

My everyday full-featured photo alteration program is not Photoshop, it's Corel Paint Shop Pro. I've tried using Photoshop a couple of times over the years and I find it lacks intuitiveness--it's clunky and hard for me to get the hang of.

And I have really set my mind to it but I hate trying to find "help" only to dig myself further in, not getting the answer or the result I want, and getting frustrated.

My assumption is that the release of Photoshop Express, which is in beta, is a gesture in two ways. One, it acknowledges what the "futurist-type" techies have been saying and that's that software--all of it--essentially shall be free fairly soon. Secondly, for those dissatisfied with their primary photo manipulation program, Photoshop Express could provide a bridge for potential users to get accustomed to "Express" and then move to Photoshop.

   

Well, I just spent hours editing on my Paint Shop Pro photo program and then attempted to make a simple album in Photoshop Express and it was a dismal failure. Once again, things were not where I'd expect them to be. For example, when I signed up there was a generic-looking shadow figure that was supposed to be replaced by something that represented "me." An avatar, user photo ID, "Gravatar" in WordPress, whatever--and it took me a half a friggin' hour to find how to do it. It wasn't in the place where one would think it would be--which is with other user info. Instead, after I mucked about I found it by accident--and I can't even tell you where. Even when I pressed the last-ditch "help" icon--I was taken someplace foreign that had nothing to do with Photoshop Express as far as I could see. I even tried the Photoshop Express Forum. Besides being ugly aesthetically, it had nothing--nothing when I used various search terms which should've have brought up something so that I'll be able to head towards some kind of answer. But no.

One more thing. When you make an album in Photoshop Express, why does it default to a butt-ugly fake woodframe "book?" That makes no sense at all. And if I do have style choices why are they not readily apparent? Bah. I went back to Picasa--which is not perfect--but that's for another post. I did the full album upload there--no problems. Photoshop Express, Photoshop period. Not for me. In a nutshell, I tried Photoshop Express and I hated it.

Click the "bubble" next to the little yellow guy to move text off photograph.

Eggs No More

Fuzzy

Easter means different things to different folks. I may have gone to church as a kid on Easter Sunday but the Sunday that is called "Easter" now means Easter baskets filled with chocolate bunnies, Reese's PNB eggs, jelly beans, and plastic eggs with surprises within. Easter also means colouring hard-boiled eggs. We've done egg colouring since my oldest son was a child and even though my youngest son is now 15 when spouse asked prior to last weekend's grocery run if we were colouring eggs this year, son answered with an unequivocal "yes." Ditto for me. Just as we still fill stockings for Christmas we still colour eggs for Easter because we enjoy the process of a shared family activity. We call it "tradition" and I cannot see why we'd stop just because we've hit a a particular age. It's fun having
fun together.

Pattern

Eggs No More

Eggs: Coloured and Photoshopped

Pastel Fuzz




Basket Full
Mother Nature Fooled
Secret Meeting

Winter 2008: Endless Snowfall

• What this album is about: Huge snowflakes
• Cotton ball size snowflakes (sepia)
• Out back, facing southwest, "The Lakes" and a frozen pond.
• Back of house (Tungsten effect)
• Back of House in Black and White
• The Day After The Cotton Balls Snow"flakes." Back of house, no adjustment, day after cottonball-size snowflakes. Very cool clouds this day. That's "The Lakes" apts. that 2/3 surround us. Basically there are lake-ponds and one street that separate us and them. lol. And we went condo.
• Biggest Snowflakes evar! Backyard (actually, many courtyard) looking up, deck perspective, "Snow" setting on Canon Powershot.
• From our back porch: Snowflakes, some stuck to one another but in full, literally the size of cotton balls.
• "The Lakes"-Part of an apartment complex that nearly 2/3 surrounds us. They are on the other side of the lake from us so it's okay, quite pretty at times. "We" actaully used to be apartments as well. We "went condo" but our home is sort of townhouse-ish in that it's two floors. The camera was set to "Snow."

RS~Hottest Covers of ALL TIME..sorry if you have dial-up

I was thumbing through a copy of Rolling Stone Magazine the other day, one of the last days of my son's high school break. I'm way behind and since this was a special issue, I'd sat it aside and finally decided I'd best make time to check it out thoroughly and anyway, I'm doing a sort of after-holidays clean up-cum-purge. Issue #1000 is a series of essays on people formerly on the cover w/that cover shot reproduced (the criteria for a cover shot varies with "well-known" probably being the most consistent attribute of the people on the 1000 covers).

I went to put the Special Collector's Issue #1000 from June 2006 (!) that I'd just finished reading an essay on Johnny Depp and after, Hunter S. Thompson and a few others, and was about to start Bono by Bono when out slipped what I thought was a thick insert and most likely have been thinking was an insert since I began owning Issue 1000 over 18 months ago. So I swooped down to pick up the insert and in doing so glanced at it and saw:

Aha! This is no ordinary ginormous insert!," I thought.

And the "special foldout" was glued shut!

LOL. Rolling Stone Magazine was acting parental or their age--same thing.

<side note: Tonight (recorded last night) RS sent a real doofus-sounding guy to represent them on the currently- unscripted Jon Stewart Show a/k/a The Daily Show.>

My first thought after seeing words like "skin" and "naked" was because they'd made such a big deal out of this "nude section" and because I've seen some truly Playboyesque Rolling Stone covers over the years, was I glad I found this, not my 15-year-old son. (I'm an idiot, I know. Please don't spoil my delusion(s). After I opened the insert I was surprised at how tame the photos were.

So this is what was inside. No semi-nude Johnny Depp. Boo. Though, a very nice quote from the photographer who did the 2005 head-and-shoulders cover photo (shown after the jump): "Depp is a great beauty. He does everything he can to break that beauty down a little bit. But everything he does just makes him more interesting-looking."~Albert Watson

So, I ask, Why no semi-nude Johnny? Hrmph!

Justin, Brit, Angelina...

(Continued after jump)

Delicious Ambiguity, Self: 48

 

Hallowe'en 2007

We had fun. Raven not so much until we came upon the dog-loving folks giving out...doggie treats.

The penguin got shout outs everywhere which surprised us all. He was both a chick and little kid magnet, lol. And there were folks giving out candy who almost bust a gut laughing when he showed up--and gave him extra candy just for the costume! Really surprising.

I'm wanting to go raid the penguin's pillowcase o' candy before he gets home from school.

You Don't Know Jack ("Photoshopped" Pumpkins)

Each year we go to Goebbert's Farm in South Barrington for our seasonal smaller gourds and then, because the large pumpkins are a bit pricey we go elsewhere for them. This year spouse found "big" pumpkins for $3 each at Meier(sp).

I'm not fond of the yucky stuff inside the pumpkins. When the kids were little I'd make myself help them scrape  the pumpkin guts out (and I did mine as well). Now that the youngest is 15 y.o., he and his dad do the carving and scraping and I do the picture-taking. It seems to suit us all fine.                     

                              

I didn't do the not- photographs--the last two with skull motifs--they are just to brighten things up. El Dia De Los Muertos celebrates life.

                                                                                                         

Spouse's jack o'lantern on the left, son's on the right.

All photos by C. McCrackan

Pretty/Cool

These photos were taken at Maple Lake over Labour Day Weekend (Sept, 2007). My younger son tells me that Canadians initiated Labour Day before the United States. I do so admire Canada's ability to just say "no" to work by having "civic holidays." We took advantage of one in August. :)   

   

       

               

                        

                   

            

               

Misty Morning

            

            

   

   

       

               

                        

Went down to say hello to the Lake at about 4 a.m. It's a ritual/I couldn't sleep and whilst walking the shoreline, startled this little guy out of the water and onto the beach. He's about the size of a big bug.                  

                           

Leopard Frog

            

   

       

               

                        

                     

            

               

Sunset Fishing

This little row boat is weighted down by many kids!

            

            

   

 

       

               

                        

                 Sunset Fishing                     

        Same as above photo with histogram adjusted to better see cabin/woods detail   

 

            

   

Casa Loma Dark and Light

I hadn't been to Casa Loma, a _real_ castle in Toronto since I was a little girl.
I had planned to see it through an adult's eyes a few weeks ago but I hit a snag when I found we couldn't leave our dog, Raven alone for more than 10 minutes at a time at our hotel. So spouse and son went and thoughtfully snapped pics for me to muck up. Maybe I'll try to again visit when I'm an old woman.

I've been asked how I created  the effects shown here so:

Using Paint Shop Pro:

-"Adjust" category

-"Brightness & Contrast"

--"Curves" sub-category

---"Factory Defaults" (within Curves)

I've been told that "real" photographers do not alter their photographs but to that I say pffft! It was drizzling rain, it's a gray castle, and instead of making it look like a sunny day I did this instead. :)