Got restraints? 

No?  You may be the only one left who doesn't.

For the record, I consider myself to be an enlightened kind of girl.  I grew up in the city and the suburbs and for the most part don't consider myself to have led a sheltered life.  I spend a considerable amount of time on the internet and feel comfortable saying that my breadth of knowledge is fairly vast, if not always comprehensive.  In other words, I know a little bit about a lot of things.

That said, the acronym BDSM was not something that came across my path very often until about a year and a half ago.  Now it seems I'm practically tripping over it ever where I go.  (Where have YOU been hanging out Abstract_Truth?  Yeah I know...I called your question from way over here in cyberville!)  Surprisingly enough, I haven't been going out of my way to find it.

Now for the sake of full disclosure I will admit that the majority of my exposure (heh) stems from reading and reviewing romance and erotica novels, but as ubiquitous as the "tie me up, tie my down" scenes have become in Romancelandia..it certainly isn't limited to it.  From The Dirty Show to local conventions, this once hidden culture is suddenly everywhere. 

As for me, I think anyone who really knows me knows that I'm no prude, and although I don't advertise it I have a pretty high tolerence for viewing things that rank high on the erotic scale. Even so, I have to admit my eyebrows went to my hairline when I was directed to the Canadian Mini-Cooper ad sporting the "Mini Cooper Dominates Winter" tagline.  Check it out:

www.mini.ca/DominateWinter/ 

Uh huh...have fun clicking through that one.  (Side note: Smartbitchestrashybooks.com had a funny thread going where commenters debated whether the chick is a real dominatrix or just plays one on a website.)

Now I'll admit, I got a good chuckle clicking away and spanking the car (::snort::) and it was a good way to kill a few minutes.  I also felt as though it was probably all in good fun and likely to be viewed (mostly) by folks who have reached the age of majority.  However, I was not amused when I went to look up a word on dictionary.com during Nanowrimo and was treated to a prominent ad (and ass) banner outfitted in poured on leather.  (Whip included to complete the look).  How's this for a site that gets your attention:

www.fittingroup.com/

And I know that dictionary.com subscribes to clickad.net (or some such advertising sponsor) and they have no control over what pops up randomly, but damn it's getting damn hard to control the content coming at the kiddies these days when it's not even safe to look up a word anymore.

But honestly, this post wasn't intended to be a rant about racy ads and evil sex demons trying to take over the world.  I just think it's interesting how far left the pendulum has come crashing in the wake of the conservative clusterfuck (haa haa) of the past few years.  One does have to pause and wonder, what next?

Don't be surprised if within a year you turn on the TV and see Tyra or Oprah sitting with wide-eyed fascination while Mistress X gives instructions on how to give a proper spanking to a rapt audience of eager house-wives.

Just saying...
 

I think I made it to work on time one day this week.  

Yep. Just once.

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For Bones fans:

Agent Booth?!!!  For reals?

Oh NOooooooooeeeeez!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Am I the only one who turns into a complete space case when going to get the oil changed or getting the vehicle inspected?  I swear, you'd think I was taking a test to become an FBI agent by how frazzled I get.  Suddenly I can't distinguish the windshield wiper gauge from the left turn/right turn indicator.  I don't remember how to shut the lights off and God help me if they want me to locate my emergency indicators with any kind of swiftness.

Arggh...I feel so stupid.

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John Edwards endorsement FOR THE WIN!

I keep getting this image of Barack Obama smackin't the table in front of HRC while yelllin' "DOMINO MUHFUKKA!!"  a la Ice Cube in "Boyz in the Hood."

Not that Obama would do something so ghettoliciously crude...I'm just saying.

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Did anyone else see Tonya Harding on The Today Show this week?  

WTF was she talking about??  Did she give an acceptance speech at the end of her interview?  She was all "And I wanna thank my publisher for giving me a chance, and I also wanna thank Blah Blah Blah for believing in me...."  I was laughing my ass off.

And LOL @ Meredith Viera pointing out Obama using her name as in "pull a Tonya Harding" and Tonya Harding trying to turn it into people not focusing on the issues but focusing on her.

Bitch please....take your infamy, own it, and move on.  Nobody cares anymore.

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McDonald's Sweet Tea is laced with crack...I'm convinced.  I can't stop drinking that stuff!

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My love for Anderson Cooper increases exponentially by the day.  What the hell is John King gonna do after the election is over and there is no more need for the magic board?  He's like the John Madden of politics with that thing.

"Hillary lost another superdelate...DOINK!"  ::draws lines on the screen...moves the dark blue line forward::

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I just finished watching SNL and I'll be damned...I had a feeling that geezer John McCain could bring the funny funny.

Oldness indeed.

To compensate for my lack of blog inspiration I thought it would be cool to blog my favorite things, sans the Oprah Winfrey yells of "You get a car, you get a car, and YOU GET A CAR!!"  After all,  though I may temporarily be deficient in my passion for lj-ing, I still gotta live, right?  And I can't deny that LJ sustains me.

So to ease my antsy spirit and to appease my compulsive need to list things, I present to you some of my favorite things:

Now tell me my dear friends..what are some of your favorite things? 

Okay...

So you've read the book.  You saw the movie.  The TV show is da' bomb.  Now you want to run out and find someone to discuss it with only to find...there is no one to talk to about it.  

But Oh What Happy Modem!  There are the internetz!

And it is good.

Casting out the net with the help of your favorite search engines and social networks you go seeking more information.  New release dates, additional materials, and other fans...anything you can find.  And then you find them.  Fellow enthusiasts.  Your peeps.  Other members of the brood.

And it is good.

Like a long overdue reunion, you're excited to have found one another.  FINALLY someone to talk to, gush to, squee with, bounce theories off of and the like.  They understand you and you understand them.  They actually "get" the obscure references and life is FUN again.  Fandoms are toys for the mind.

But before you know it, friction flares up.  You're disagreeing over character motivation, story arcs, dialogue interpretations, psychological analyses, and future events.  You find yourself debating the viability of relationships and the subtle nuances of fictitious scenes/conversations with the tenacity of a person defending a PhD dissertation complete with quotes, references, and support documention.  You may even feel the urge to tell the writers themselves that they "got it wrong" because they don't understand their own characters!  

Words and acronyms fly around like nobody's business.  Canon, OTP, OOC, fanon, fanfic, IIRC, etc.  To the occassional observer it can resemble a food fight in a cafeteria full of special ed students.  Clearly these people have lost touch with reality.  They talk about these things as if they were REAL.  And the passion and emotion is so intense.  Folks get mad.  Feelings get hurt.

And then it's not so good.

The thing is, I'm sure some folks do start to take the content a little too seriously, but I think that many times it's more about arguing a point and winning the debate moreso that actually lacking the ability to separate fantasy from reality.  3 years ago, I had no idea what a "fandom" even was.  Now thanks to my friendship with a Big Name Fan, I know all too well just how batshit nuts it can get.  I've observed quite a bit and even fell prey to my own slice of wank once or twice (though nothing major).

I guess what I find interesting weird is how personal it can get.  It's almost as if even though the characters live in a fictional world, they are nonetheless worthy of protection, and fans will gladly rise to the challenge even if it's only fight against those who resemble themselves.  The emotional investment can reach frightening levels.  Even so, at least in my case, I think it becomes less about the characters and stories, but more about our own egos.  It's about how we want things to be.  I am right...you are wrong.  Bend to my POV or prepare to die!!!

I don't really have any keen observations about this to tell the absolute truth.  I guess I just wanted to acknowledge to myself and any of the folks on my flist who may have gotten into an online verbal smackdown contest over something that has left you shaking your head at the intensity of your own nerd fury....

...don't worry, I know you're probably not crazy fer reals.  

Fandom can indeed make you blackout every now and again.

The Time!

The Grammys!

::Passed out from Squee::

(To be updated as the show goes on)

I'm riding in the car with the kid and this conversation commences:

Kid: "Mommy, what's "booty?"
Me: "What?!"
Kid: "Mr. Krab on SpongeBob is always talking about his booty,"
Me: "Oh, he means "pirate's booty." He means his loot. You know, his money, treasures, jewels and whatnot."
Kid: "Oh."

::silence for about 30 seconds::

Me: "So, you think you wanna be a pirate?"
Kid: "No, I wanna be a baseball player. I'll bet they get LOTS OF BOOTY!"
Me: ::ded:: ::holding back wracking laughter as tears stream down my face::
Me: "Indeed they do, Honey....indeed they do."

Priceless.

*******************

Speaking of booty, I can't stand Sara Silverman, but can my love for Matt Damon climb any higher? I don't think it can.



That's.Just.Awesome.  And Jimmy looked salted like hell.  LMAO!

Matt D-A-M-O-N!!!

Who remembers "The Lost Boys?"



"Death by stereo!"

Oh yes, before Keifer decided to take on the task of saving us all in a mere 24 hours on a yearly basis, he was very much a badass of the immortal variety.  Aww, the 80s....those were the days.

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"Got a problem? Odds against you? Need help? Call - The Equalizer."




Based on the tv show, "The Equalizer"  is being made into major motion picture.  This could be sooo cool especially since the movie version is bound to be more intense than the TV show of the 80s.  I wonder who will star in it.

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Real Genius



"Self-realization. I was thinking of the immortal words of Socrates, who said, "I drank what?" - Chris Knight (Val Kilmer)

As cheesy as it was, I LOVE this movie.  Val Kilmer was so funny and snarky as the slacker genius in this low budget '80s B movie.  I watch this movie every time I catch it on TV.  And seriously has William Atherton ever played anything but a sleazy asshole...EVER?

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And finally, you all need to applaud me for this purchase:



"There's no stoppin' us, no stopping......no one does it better!!"

Turbo dancing with the broom.  Nuff said!

For the bargain basement price of $17.99, I got Breakin', Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo, Beat Street, and a Break Dance documentary featuring The New York City Breakers and the Rock Steady Crew.  

In the words of Victoria Beckham, now that's MAJOR!

::takes a bow::

I Refuse to be a TV Junkie in Denial

Especially since I've just recently been strung out.  I don't know why, but I take small comfort in that.  That said, I must own up to the monkey that is firmly anchored to my back.

TV Addiction = Get a life!

The thing is, I have a life.  A very very hectic one.  I think that's why I'm latching on to mindless escapes all of the sudden.  It's been building up over the past 2-3 years.  That would also explain the awesomely awful books I've been reading these past couple of months. When it's all said and done, I am grateful that such diversions exist.  I am fortunate I know, as many people in the world do not have this luxury...and it IS a luxury. 

But oh!  What now?

As of this past week I have:

No more "Heroes" until ???
No more "Blood Ties" which may get cancelled leaving a hole in my soul after the most heartbreaking season finale ever. (So cruel!)
No more "Torchwood" until 2008.

:-/

The one thing that is great is that I have discovered internet television uploads which is giving me the opportunity to catch up on shows that I didn't watch for that 5 year period when I hardly watched anything other than the "Sopranos."  I'm currently enjoying the highly entertaining, yet also cancelled too soon show "The Dresden Files."  TV execs suck just as much as record execs it seems.  When will we start getting indie TV shows?  This cannot continue.

Anyway, enough mindless blubbering from me.  Can anyone suggest some shows that I can enjoy while the folks in Hollywood cook up more ways to screw up TV for the masses?

Until then, my name is Sonya...and I am a sci-fi TV junkie.

::waves to the room::

Henry Dancing...

Jesus God.

Somebody pleeeeaase...

Make it stop!!

I've died twice from laughing and resurrected.

Can't.take.any.more.

...and now they are talking about possibly ending it?

At least that's been the word on the internetz for the past few hours or so.

Lemme get this straight:

The Lifetime Channel (Yes, I did say Lifetime...of "Golden Girls" and battered women movies fame) finally has a top show..an original series no less.  It's about a sexy vampire, a sexy kick-ass private investigator (finally someone not being all victimized), and a sexy detective...waaay better than that broody "Moonlight" crap on CBS as far as I can tell...their ratings have been climbing by double digits in recent months in the non-geriatric 18-34 age range...it fits right in as a signature paranormal show which is all the rage on television these days...AND YOU DON'T WANNA RENEW THE DAMN THING???  They won't even show the final two episodes of the season on the air, but they expect people to either buy them from iTunes or view them online? 

What kind of fuckery is this?

Are they smoking bad crack?  Are they THAT hell bent on showing victimized women and psychic friends seances?

Let me also qualify this post by stating the following:

1.  Contrary to what it may seem like as of late, I am not a TV junkie.  I do not normally get obsessively addicted to TV shows, at least not to the point where I'm counting down the days until the next episode. 
2.   I normally avoid the Lifetime Channel like the Plague wrapped in an STD.
3.   Paranormal shows have only recently popped up on my radar.  I watch "Blood Ties" and "Heroes."
4.   I saw my first episode of this show earlier this month.  I've watched all 19 episodes since then (but I can't find time to clean my house...heh).
5.   This show has made me its bitch.

If I didn't know any better, I'd think this show was feeding subliminal messages to me and the masses.  It would explain the shitstorm that has erupted over at the Lifetime website over the news of them possibly dropping the show.  I can't imagine they have experienced that phenomenon before.  It's weird.  Perhaps "The Kids" would react the same way if "The Golden Girls" weren't on for 6 hours everyday.  I don't know.

I didn't sleep well last night.
And I was in a foul mood all day.
I feel cheated.

Is it because of this show?

Maybe...
Possibly...
Probably
:-(

Sounds really stupid I know, but I feel as though I work hard and I'm entitled to my indulgences though they may be silly.  It's been a REALLY crappy month, so I've found myself latching on to ANYTHING that will take my mind off of the steady stream of mierda that I've been dealing with.  "Blood Ties" fit the bill, and no one is more shocked by that than me.

So anyways.  I've emailed the network and spoke my peace.  But right now I feel like someone gave me a really cool present and then took it away.

That is all.  Now I'm going to see if this week's "Ugly Betty" is a rerun.

</emo>

Last night was the premiere of Season 4 Project Runway and I was right there at 10pm glued to the TV set to see what divalicious craziness would ensue.

My initial reaction to the episode:  Why do all the designers seem way overqualified for this show?  Part of the appeal from the earlier seasons for me was the fact that not everyone had garments with their name stitched into them.  They were for the most part just people with a passion for fashion and wanted to see if they really had what it takes to be a fashion designer.  Not so this time.  Everyone seems to be some sort of professional designer, costume designer, model, clothier, or somehow has ties to the fashion industry as their main career.  I was a litle disappointed by that.

The designers:  Surprisingly, no drama in this first episode, but I guess that's good.  Looks like there may be some next week though.  Everyone is extremely confident in their abilities and good natured.  Everyone also seems so over the top.  I liked it better when it was just a handful of colorful characters.  This season looks like they picked the most flamingly artistic guys they could find, and then tossed in a few mildly interesting women to tone it down a bit.  Right then.

The thing is, most of the designers look like remixes of many of the designers from previous seasons.  I've noticed that there is definitely a formula at work here.  Get a really flamboyant type (Austin, Andre, Kayne, Christian), one black person (Kara Saun, Zulema, Michael, Carmen), a foreigner (Vanessa, Kara, Malan, Uli, Rami), an asian and/or latino or both (Mario, Chloe, Stacey, Raymundo, Diana, Lupe, Victorya), throw in a nut or two with a splash of snark (Wendy, Jay, Santino, Daniel F., Laura, Vincent, Kit, Elisa), add some cry babies and a liberal dousing of gayisms and voila!  Project Runway!!  They really should try to surpise us sometimes.

Regarding the challenge and designs:  This was a pretty easy challenge in my opinion.  The garments were really nicely done and looked great which is probably due to the enormous amounts of experience that the designers possess.  Designers whose outfits I really liked: 

                        
Christian                             Jack                                                Chris                                    Rami

And bringing the hate:

                
Simone                                    Elisa                                         Kit

My reaction to Elisa's dress (before Heidi's "poo" comment aired):  "That blue dress looks like she's shitting a rainbow salad" 

Not good.

I predicted that Christian would win and Simone would be out.  I was 1 for 2.  Rami's dress was indeed the most elegant, but I thought his was almost too obvious, but he deserved it.  No real surprises there.  Simone's crappy sew job may have passed in Season 1, but not in this crowd.  Sorry Simone, you're 3 seasons too late!

That said, last night's episode was pretty much drama free by PR standards, although the teaser preview for next week looks like some of the niceness wears off.  I can't wait.  I still say it's going to be hard to top Season 2, but I'm hoping for at least a few new catch phases.

I love Tim Gunn, but "Make it Work" is starting to work my nerves.

Damnit.

As hard as I have tried, I am STILL not caught up on "Heroes."  I have last week's episode to watch and last night's before I will be caught up with the rest of the world.  Last night I watched the fourth episode from this season (2), "The Kindness of Strangers" which I can honestly say was the first one that I really got wrapped up in since the new season started.  Just a couple of random thoughts:

Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar) has the LONGEST eyelashes I have EVER seen.  It seems so unfair that men get the prettiest lashes.  Thank God the beard is gone.  I love a man with a beard, but not that Grizzly Adams look that you were giving darling.

Sylar - You're so bad you're good.

Micah could clean up in da hood reconnecting utilities with his "ability."

Damn Matt, who knew your ex-wife would turn out to be such a skank-ho!  Cheatin' on your husband with no protection?  Ewww!!!  Good riddance to her. (Although I kinda get the impression she may have lied about the baby's paternity for some strange reason.)   AND, yo' daddy is the "Nightmare Man."  Sorry, dude.

And what is up with those big ass nuclear reactor cockroaches they always show?!!

Nathan and Matt working together:  Yay!
Micah still not getting a haircut:  Boo!
Monica sweet and also a "Hero":  Yay!
No Peter Petrelli this episode: Boo!
Matt and Mohinder playing "My Two Dads":   LOL!

Finally, what the hell was up with West's shirt?

  

Did wardrobe wash his shirt in super hot water AND forget to iron the damn thing?  Look at how young that thing is on him!  This shirt is struggling to stay buttoned...or is this some sort of fashion thing that I'm out of the loop on?  This had me laughing for a good while.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to catching up on these latest two episodes.  Then I'll have to wait a whole week for my "Heroes" fix just like everyone else.  I just hope this show stays good for a long time.  This is a very welcome distraction these days.