Goodbye 2008

Glitter Graphics - GlitterLive.com

And all the best in 2009!!.

Song of the Moment: Fisher-Too Late

I think I've mentioned that I'm a big fan of the band Fisher (who I discovered a couple of years ago watching fan made videos like the one above).

Their songs always have such great lyrics and this one is a perfect example. Unfortunately there is no official music video, but I was able to find one set to clips from one of my favourite shows.

I didn't realize this until I watched it, but this song is a perfect fit for the show (I'm sure fellow Xena fans will agree with with me).

Oh, and I should also mention that the video was not made by me. But the person who made it did a wonderful job. I never get tired of this song, it's a little meloncholy but I love it.

Update on Kelly Clarkson's new single

Kelly Clarkson is back with a new video blog!

The 26-year-old songstress recorded the video message from the photo shoot for her upcoming single, “My Life Would Suck Without You”, off her new fourth studio album (rumored to be released March 17, 2009).

The song is set to be officially released to radio the week of January 19, 2009. So expect a leak of the song sometime before that!

Her new official website: KellyOfficial.com.

Source: JustJared.com

Just another one of the many things I'm looking forward to in January 2009. Oh, and glad to see Kelly as a blonde again.

Birthday musings

They say that age is just a number, but it's a number that we after a certain point start to dread.

Why is that?.

Is it the painful reminder of time passed, opportunities lost?.

Isn't it funny how when we are young all we want to do is grow up, but once that actually happens all we want to do is go back to a time when we were younger.

It's a strange conundrum. I often find myself wishing I could go back to those carefee times of my life, but as much fun as those years were, with age comes a wisdom and maturity that I don't think I would want to give up.

So what is it about the number itself that inspires so much anxiety . For some it may be because it's closer to a certain round figure (like the big 3-0 in my case).

It could also be the fact that with a certain age come certain expectations (societal or otherwise) and it's the fear of not meeting them that leads to the age- phobia. Or perhaps it's just the simple fact of getting older I don't know....

I think this Pink song sums it up best.

I hide my pain like the rest of them
That's why I'm always laughing
I'm troubled, I'm brilliant and miserable too

That's why I am so funny
I swallow down all my fears
With a bottle made of silver
I've only been here for 27 years
But already my life is over

And I need to unwind, yes, and I
I need to unwind, yes, and I
Want all the time
To be loved, to unwind

My life is like a fairytale
That nobody believes in
I can't remember anything
Not the people, not the places I've been

Just one more day you can make it, babe
That's what I tell myself
And everything that I love in life
It is killing me, 'cause it's bad for my health

And I need to unwind, yes, and I
I need to unwind, yes, and I
Want all the time
To be loved, to unwind

"Unwind"

And, yes in case you didn't catch on to my not-so-subtle hints today is indeed my Birthday, thus the introspection.

To all my readers.....

Have a good one!.

Keeping with the holiday spirit

Here are some videos I took of this year's Santa Clause Parade (at the end of November) in my neighbourhood. Ignore the chatter (it's just me talking with my mom).









You can see more videos from this event on my YouTube Channel.

Martina Hingis: Walk down memory lane

I think it has to be a Swiss thing.

When they play ball…serenity is all that prevails. We quite often see it with Federer,

It holds to perfection with Hingis too. When I watch her play I can unwind; I can relax; I can stretch my feet and breathe light;I can pour myself a scotch and savor the vintage essence of it. All will be well because I know she’ll take care of the rest.

All will be well because such was her shot-making ability. At her best, nothing was ever in any risk of being missed. Nothing ever was inconsistent; nothing really could go wrong and most of the time…nothing ever did. She made you feel safe as her fan when she was playing, a sort of antithesis to F.Gonzo fans.

When I was in twelfth grade, this kid rocked up to win Wimbledon. There was a toothy grin and an effervescent smile on her. Beneath that was the heart of a cold, calculating, smiling assassin. Her court sense was second to none, and ingenuity ,not power, was the cornerstone of her game.

Hingis had every shot in the book, but her signature double fisted back-hand down the line was exemplary. In her hey-days what she lacked in power and physical frame, she made up with her strategy and working opponents out quite easily.

Her sheer variety of shots confounded opponents, the elegance in those very same was magnetic to tennis aficionados. Equally versatile at the net and baseline, her second serve was her biggest Achilles heel. "You gotta make Martina feel bad about her second serve", would claim Davenport once.

Her effervescent persona embraced the laid back Australian ambiance so well that she reached six finals there in consecutive years, winning three of them. A Czechoslovakian by origin who played for Switzerland, she was named after Martina Navratilova.

Her mum (Melanie Molitor) was her closest confidante and coach. She was a self-confessed equestrian who loved to ride horses during her own time (and to her mum’s dismay, fall off them during slams too) and was a promoter of the ultra-refined product, Omega watches.

With six slam titles in her closet (three Australian, one each at Wimbledon and The Open), she was three points away from holding up the Roland Garros trophy.

However, we now begin to move from the bright to the darker shades of her personality, which, quite logically, only makes her even more intriguing.

Quite snobbish at times during her teen days (although, really, who amongst us hasn’t been there?). I personally embrace her personality of letting the world know exactly what she thought about things, most of the times to her "PR" team’s utter consternation.

An adorable spoiled brat at times, she was never scared to throw tantrums in the biggest of stages in the world. The Roland Garros Final of1999 beckons, this was a classical meltdown…up 6-4 2-0, Hingis would question a side line call and actually walk across the net to point out the ball mark on clay, the crowd jeering.

She would refuse to continue playing demanding the organizers to come out, all this while incensing the infamously volatile French crowd that was already rooting for Graf. She would lose the second set 5-7, after serving for the championship at 5-4 (15-0).

Appearing constantly irritated, she would further be involved in an elongated discussion when the crowd unabashedly took Graf’s side in the third set. Even the normally composed Graf would lose her composure and would walk up to the umpire to get on with playing.

She would top it by serving underhand once, would eventually go down 2-6 in the final set. Inconsolably distraught, if it wasn’t for her mum she probably would not have come back to the presentation ceremony. An eighteen year old’s monumental meltdown was to be throwing tantrums in front of a global audience.

That was Hingis…little did she care, or may be little did she knew at that age—but neither of those is any less endearing to someone who loves personalities. I have been there, we all have I'm sure, but cameras from around the world don’t monitor our meltdowns…and televise it to masses.

A hiatus due to foot problems that ended up with her shoe company being sued, in combination with the emerging power-play of Davenport and Williams sisters expedited her semi-retirement. The long winding road at the top came to a temporary standstill in 2002, at the age of 22.

After a hiatus of four years, she would come back for a brief stint in 2006. Her game was still radiated elegance, and the results were not disappointing either, for she would reach the quarters at both the Australian and the French.

But she still got mauled by the power play bound "Big Babes’"of tennis. She reached an impressive No. 6 which is by no means an ordinary accomplishment. The subtlety between someone like Hingis and others lies below.

When you are a Federer, Roddick, Hingis, Hewitt or Davenport, you’ve been to the pinnacle of the sport and you’ve tasted the slam champagne. Once you’ve experienced that, as impressive as anything else might be…it’s never quite the same, never the same adrenaline rush.

It almost becomes a binary option—a slam win and No. 1 ranking—or everything else is pretty much the same. Hingis was not going to be satiated with semis and quarters appearances, when she had gone all the way before. I think even she surprised herself, to say "I’ll take whatever comes along my way" is much easier said, than done.

She floated along the tour at No. 6 with an odd victory or two over the "Big Babes"… then the news hit the stands eventually that she had tested positive for cocaine during Wimbledon 2007. It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the moralistic and legal facets of the issue, and neither am I condoning it.

With that on the record and having seen Hingis for more than a decade, I am taking the unsafe option of actually going with the athlete once, in terms of taking her word on it. Sure, no athlete (Marion Jones) is ever prepared to accept the grave error in judgment, vehemently maintaining "innocence".

Let’s just take a step back and think about the cornerstones of her game. It was not stamina or power, it was ingenuity and court sense, little does she need a performance enhancing drug (on top of the 11 year clean slate on the tour), and cocaine is not one either.

I think the error in judgment might have occurred by using it (maybe at a mate’s b-day party before Wimbledon in the Swiss mountains…maybe, I am sure some of us have been there) as a recreational drug, and that is still not condonable. Those drugs take a surprisingly long time to entirely get flushed out of the physical system.

But the true blue tennis aficionados, at some level will agree with me on this one. It was indeed an error in judgment, but more recreational than performance enhancing.

Hingis as she always had, copped it on the chin, quietly stated that she did not take cocaine…and left the stage through the back door without any inclination to drag the case out for a long time to come. Succinct, to the point, and her way—vintage Hingis.

She had indicated that she desired to move on to other things in life, an ironic, unfortunate way to end such an illustrious career…but she still bowed out with any form of dignity that she could salvage at the end of the day

With the end of 2008 beckoning, I wanted to reflect on the enormous impact on the game that she had, in terms of bringing a refreshing novel brand of a game based on versatility and unparalleled elegance, and she did all that with a "Devil May Care" attitude and above all…a smile.

A smile that adorned and graced the tennis courts from Melbourne, Paris, London to New York…a smile I would miss for a long time to come.

Yeah, a smile I would miss for a long time to come, for this was a walk down memory lane. That’s Martina Hingis in a nutshell—Jekyll and Hyde…all rolled into one.

Good Luck Marty!

Source: bleacher report

A great sum up of Hingis's career.

I always enjoy pieces written by actual fans. It highlights virtually all of the reasons why I became a fan of hers back in the 90's (and why I still continue to admire her years later).

Just a small correction Hingis only has 5 total Grand Slam titles not 6.

Christmas wishes from your favourite tennis stars

With Christmas just around the corner the ATP World Tour and Sony Ericsson WTA Tour organizers got some of their tennis stars together to spread a little holiday cheer.



It's a good thing singing is not their day job *LOL*.

Eddie Murphy as 'The Riddler' in new Batman flick?

FUNNYMAN EDDIE MURPHY will play The Riddler in the next Batman movie, The Sun can reveal.

The Beverly Hills Cop star, 47, has been signed up by British director CHRISTOPHER NOLAN to reprise the role played by JIM CARREY in 1995’s Batman Forever.

The surprise move follows speculation linking Pirates of the Caribbean star JOHNNY DEPP to the part.

The film, set for a 2010 release, is being developed under the working title Gotham.

Execs have also signed up rising Transformers star SHIA LABEOUF, 22, to play Robin.

CHRISTIAN BALE will return as Bruce Wayne, while MICHAEL CAINE will again play Bruce’s assistant Alfred.

Meanwhile, Brit RACHEL WEISZ is said to be up for the Catwoman role.

Insiders also revealed to The Sun the flick will end on a cliffhanger over whether Batman survives a blast at Wayne Towers.

Nolan had been tight-lipped about the future of the Batman films after being rocked by the January death of HEATH LEDGER — tipped to receive a posthumous Oscar for his role as The Joker in The Dark Knight.

A film insider said: “Chris wasn’t sure if he wanted to do another movie but as soon as he decided to, he got the wheels in motion.

“Eddie’s a fantastic addition. Everyone’s excited to see what he does as the Riddler.”

Source: The Sun

I don't know when I think of 'The Riddler' he doesn't scream Eddie Murphy to me, Jim Carrey, Johnny Depp yes (he's the master of weird characters) but Eddie Murphy? not so much.

Don't get me wrong I have enormous respect for him as an actor (and I still enjoy all of his great comedies), but I just can't picture him in this role.

Who knows he may prove me wrong we'll see. As for Rachel Weisz and Shia Labeouf those two could definitely work.

Lindsay Davenport expecting again!

NEW YORK - TRIPLE grand slam winner Lindsay Davenport is pregnant with her second child and has pulled out of next month's Australian Open.

The 32-year-old former world number one will be off the tour indefinitely.

'Of course this unexpected but exciting surprise now means I will be putting tennis on hold for the foreseeable future,' Davenport said in a statement on Wednesday.

The American returned to the tour last year after giving birth to her first child and has since won four titles. -- REUTERS

I'm happy for her, but it's really too bad that she will no longer play tennis, (despite all her injuries and ailments) I was really looking forward to watching her in Aussie Open 2009.

Congrats to Lindsay and her husband :).

T.V. Networks cut their budgets

News Corp.-owned 20th Century Fox Television is implementing across-the-board production cuts at all of its series, joining a growing list of companies trimming budgets in the wake of the economic downturn.

All 20th producers have been told to reduce their budgets by 2%, a spokesman for the studio confirmed Tuesday. The move affects both existing hits such as “24” and “Family Guy” as well as newer shows such as “Life on Mars” and “Dollhouse.”

"In these challenging economic times, we've asked all of our showrunners to trim their production budgets by 2%, an assignment which they have all embraced,” a 20th spokesman said. “Everyone understands that revenues are down and these steps are necessary to protect our business."

The cuts at 20th follow ABC Studios’ decision to ask its producers to trim 2% from their respective budgets. NBC Universal and CBS Corp. also have recently undergone waves of layoffs in reaction to the gloomy economic climate.

Source-tvweek

Hope that doesn't effect Dollhouse too greatly, it's already had enough troubles and it's not even out yet!.

TSCC 2009 promo

Well, since the fall finale of Sarah Connor Chronicles aired this passed Monday, we've now got a long wait unit February 13th of next year.

In the mean time enjoy this brand new awesome trailer courtesy of the sarahconnorsociety



Looks like we're in for a whole lot of surprises. I love this show! :).

Btw. can someone please tell me who the actor uttering the famous phrase of "come with me if you wanna live" is?.

He looks so familiar but I just can't place him.

Yet another informative Evan Rachel Wood interview

What can I say, it's the December lull or is that dull? *lol*. Enjoy;).

When we first met seven years ago, Evan Rachel Wood was a mere 13, on the cusp of success.

Now at a confident 21, the beautiful young actress has survived adolescence, the prying eyes of the media and early fame, as she continues to take on challenging roles, such as Mickey Rourke's estranged daughter in "The Wrestler".

She also completed a starring role in Woody Allen's latest comedy opposite Larry David and is about to play MJ in "Spider-Man" - on Broadway. Wood talked exclusively to PAUL FISCHER.

Question: Evan you only had basically two scenes in The Wrestler, but they're obviously very, very important, and powerful. Was it the opportunity primarily to work with Darren that drew you to this, or was it the nature of the character?

Wood: Both really, but mainly Darren. He was in my top five directors that I really wanted to work with, I met with him, and he said - if Mickey did it, he really wanted me to do it, because he thought our chemistry would be good together. But if Mickey didn't, he wasn't sure who would, and if it would work or not, so I wasn't getting my hopes up. Then I heard Mickey wasn't doing it, so I was crushed and then all of a sudden out of the blue, it worked out, and we both did it.

Question: What surprised you the most about working with Darren and Mickey?

Wood: Really, just how spontaneous everything was. There was no rehearsal. I had a really close relationship with Darren, in working on the character's back story and Darren kind of works by getting to know who you are, and then putting that to the character. So we talked a lot before hand. But I didn't talk to Mickey before it was shot.

Question: Is that partly because of the nature of your on-screen relationship?

Wood: Yeah. It was an agreement. We all thought, "Let's see what happens if we just don't say anything to each other, unless we're doing a scene." So I didn't really meet Mickey until after the movie was done.

Question: What kind of an actor is he to work with?

Wood: Very intense and incredibly dedicated. As big of a wild child that he is, when he's on set, he takes it incredibly serious. I've never seen an actor more into a character, or more focused than him.

Question: Your character is obviously justifiably a very angry young woman. What are the difficulties or the challenges for you to play that kind of realistic emotion?

Wood: Well, I guess just feeling safe enough and that's why Mickey and Darren were such a blessing, because you have to know that you're in good hands to go to those places. But I think it was hard, too, because I really did relate to the character a lot. And - had similar - having Daddy issues. So, having to face all these feelings and emotions that I hadn't been in touch with for a long time was probably the hardest part.

Question: What was the biggest sense of identification you had with your character now?

Wood: Probably - I had the same suspense as she had. even when her father does try to reconcile. She doesn't trust him, and doesn't want to get hurt. But I kind of got the happy ending that she didn't. You know? After filming the movie is when I hooked back up with my Dad. And we had a scene very similar to the boardwalk.

Question: Really?

Wood: But it didn't end in tears. It ended well. I think the film is kind of what led me to call him, because after the filming was done, I wanted to share this experience that I just had, this incredible thing I just went through, and nobody really got it. I figured that the only one that would, would be him.

Question: You've been at this a long time. What do you think you've learned the most during that time? And what has surprised you the most about where you are today as an actress?

Wood: I feel like I've really stayed true to myself and that I didn't lose myself in the craziness. I stuck to my guns, I did the films that I wanted to do and I'm still here. I don't feel like I have to do really big-budget films to stay noticed. So, it's kind of gone how I wanted it to.

Question: Has the transition from various stages of adolescence through to young adulthood been easy for you?

Wood: Not necessarily, no. And I think because there are so many horror stories about teenagers, and child actors, that people were really protective of me. And they were overly protective. So, I feel like it wasn't until I turned 18 that I really had the freedom to figure out - who I was, because I'd just been doing what everybody was telling me was the right thing to do. So I feel like I'm much happier.

Question: Do you play on doing anything in terms of your education? I mean, are you interested in doing some further studying?

Wood: Maybe eventually, yes. But I feel like I've gotten a pretty good education. I got to travel around the whole world for about eight months, and I learned so much, just doing what I do, and the people that I meet. But I do love to write.

Question: What kind of writing do you like to do?

Wood: I write poetry and songs. But I also write short films. I've started trying to get some practice in by trying to adapt some short stories, and things like that, into short films.

Question: So, do you think you're going to become a filmmaker?

Wood: I'd like to, eventually. more than one person - more than one director has kind of told me that I have to, or they're going to kill me. I feel like I could do it. I'm starting to really get into photography, and starting to get visual about things. So, we'll see. I don't think it'll be soon.

Question: Now, you recently worked with a somewhat different director to Darren, Woody Allen. He is not known as the most communicative person in the world.

Wood: But very sweet. It's not that he's cold. It's just that he's shy.

Question: What kind of lessons do you take away, though, from working with somebody like Woody Allen?

Wood: I learned a lot. I mean, just about myself, what I could handle and somebody like him putting their trust in me. I didn't audition. I hadn't really done a comedy like that before. So, he was - taking a chance. He's smart enough.

Question: You're not known as an actress of comedy. I mean, you've played a lot of very dark roles. Is this a typical Woody Allen comedy, in terms of the dialogue, and the way he uses dialogue?

Wood: Definitely, yeah. It's very old-school Woody Allen. And - he shot back in New York again, which he hasn't done that in years. So. It was really fun to be in New York with Woody Allen.

Question: Tell me about working with - I mean, I can't see the combination of Woody Allen and Larry David?

Wood: Really?

Question: No. Although they're both New York Jews.

Wood: Exactly.

Question: How did Woody get along with Larry David?

Wood: They got along great. I loved watching them talk to each other, because they are similar, but they are very different. And I think that's why Woody cast him, because - if you read the script, the character seems like it is Woody Allen. You don't see how anybody else could play it. I think he really brought something different, so that it's not just the Woody Allen character.

Question: How did you enjoy working with Larry?

Wood: I loved Larry. Larry's great. And we kind of looked out for each other, because he had never done a film, or had to memorize lines. And I'd never done comedy. So, you know. We kept each other's spirits up in that way.

Question: Would you do another comedy, after doing this?

Wood: Absolutely, yeah. I love comedy. And it was such a great change of scenery for me to go on set and see Larry David, and Michael McKean and Ed Begley Junior. people I grew up watching, but have never seen behind the scenes. So, it was so cool. [LAUGHTER] I was so excited.

Question: What kind of a girl do you play in that?

Wood: She's a very sweet, Southern belle and so naïve that she comes across dumb, because she just wants to see the good in everything. She just loves everything. So she shacks up with Larry David, who's the complete opposite. He's like, an Ebenezer Scrooge kind of character. Just, "Bah humbug" to everything. So, it's just opposites attracting.

Question: What kind of stuff are you looking for now that you're in your early 20s, that you weren't looking for when you were in your teens?

Wood: Just strong women. I'm going to be doing a movie pretty soon I don't think I can talk too much about yet. But she's very kind of a Sarah Connor. And those are the women I love. Kind of Ripley.

Question: Is it an action movie?

Wood: Not really action

Question: Do you want to do an action movie?

Wood: If it was the right times, yeah, I would.

Question: I mean, you do tend to resist the big Hollywood movies.

Wood: They just tend to not have as much heart. I'm not saying they're all like that, but - at least for girls my age, it's hard to find kind of weird, edgy ones.

Question: And you're pretty selective in what you do, aren't you?

Wood: Yeah. Very, very much. It's not for the money. [LAUGHTER]

Question: R Are you living on the East Coast or the West Coast?

Wood: I live on the West Coast.

Question: Somehow you strike me as a New York kind of girl, for some reason. I don't know why I think that.

Wood: I love New York. I do kind of fit in with New York a little better. I'm going to be living there this year, all this year and next year. I'm doing Broadway, so I'll be back over there.

Question: You're doing Broadway?

Wood: Spider-Man.

Question: You're playing MJ?

Wood: Yep. [LAUGHTER]

Question: Wow. It's a musical?

Wood: Yeah. Yeah. Bono and the Edge are doing the music, and Julie Taymor, who did Across the Universe, is going to do it.

Question: Well, that's pretty cool.

Wood: It's very cool. [LAUGHTER] It's very cool.

Question: Who's Spidey?

Wood: We don't know yet.

Question: Do you get to test with any of the young hot stage actors that are around,?

Wood: I don't know. I don't know. [LAUGHTER] I'm waiting to see who I'm going to be kissing upside down.

Question: Well, that's very exciting. When is it opening?

Wood: October, I think.

Question: Is it based on the first movie, or is it a completely original story?

Wood: It kind of takes from all of it, really. There's old and new things. I think people will be really pleasantly surprised.

Question: So, if it was scary working with Woody Allen, how much more scary is it going to be for you to be on Broadway?

Wood: I think it'll be scary the first night, but I'll probably just want to cry after the first time I sing alone on stage. I haven't done that since I was - I started off in musical theatre, and I haven't done that since I was little.

Source-Moviehole

Song of the Moment: Ron Sexsmith-Tell Me Again

Huh, I never realized this before but this song sounds a little Christmas-y. Unintentionally appropriate.

Evan Rachel Wood to star in Spider-man: The Musical

Looks like Evan Rachel Wood fans, will soon be able to see her on Broadway. She has signed on to play Mary-Jane Watson in the Spider-man Musical.

I remember reading about this earlier in the year, didn't think it was true, frankly I thought it was a ridiculous joke.

Now that I know who's involved with it, I'm taking it a lot more seriously. And instead of shaking my head at the thought I find myself strangely intrigued.

I guess ever since starring in Across the Universe Evan has really caught the singing bug. And rightfully so, a lot of people know her for her great acting ability, but not many know that she's also a singer of equal skill.

As a long time fan of her acting I've always known that she's a great singer. I'm glad that she has decided to finally show that talent off.

Maybe one of these days she'll actually do an album. Oh, and speaking of Across the Universe the Spider-man Musical is turning into a reunion of sorts.

The musical is being directed by Julie Taymor and Across the Universe co-star Jim Sturgess is rumored to be up for the leading role (of Peter Parker).

And if that's not enough Bono of U2 (who also sang and appeared in the aforementioned movie) wrote the music for it.

Rehearsals for the musical start in June.

Joss Whedon is fine with 'Dollhouse' on Fridays

There was an outcry heard 'round the Web among Joss Whedon devotees after Fox announced it was sending his heavily anticipated TV series "Dollhouse" to Friday nights.

But in an interview Wednesday morning, Whedon said that Fridays are "a better fit" for the show.

"It's not a slam dunk, 'We love everything you're doing' slot. Everybody knows that," he said. "Dollhouse" will air Fridays after new episodes of the similarly sci-fi-themed drama "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles." Whedon says he trusts the network. "The executives I’m dealing with are canny guys."

By canny, does he mean Fox has given him assurances that it will be patient with the show? More or less. "They’re bringing down expectations regarding how big of an audience they think it will bring in the beginning, and then as the show progresses. They need to do that."

“Dollhouse” revolves around a team of programmable people — or dolls — with various skills and abilities rented out for assignments by high-paying clients. Early on, one of the dolls, Echo (Eliza Dushku), begins to become self-aware.

The show's troubled production has already branded it as perhaps an overly complicated project, which may have sent it to Friday nights. Whedon admitted the show "is not simple" but added "we're not trying to lecture or bore people either. It's fun. It's designed to entertain, but in a way that plays on a lot of levels."

That said, Whedon says he anticipated the Friday move — and not as a bad thing. "If I were an executive, I would have put it on Friday too, honestly, and not as a dig. The people who want this will find it, and hopefully more will as well. Fox is aware that TV just doesn’t exist the same way. People watch it online, on DVD, on their TiVos. It’s not the end of the world, but of course everyone's been predicting the end of the world for 'Dollhouse' since it was announced."

Whedon also noted that while Fox executives will likely have to wait patiently for building returns on the show, he hopes fans will be just as patient with the story line. "We’re trying to create something that’s more than the sum of its parts. And not just in an 'Oooh, we’re heavy with mythology' way. Dare I say we're reaching for something more philosophical? Am I allowed to say philosophical? Or does that just mean my show will fail?"

"Dollhouse" premieres Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. on Fox.

Source-L.A. Times

I can't wait for this show to start so that Joss can prove all those critics/naysayers and network exec's wrong, and exceed all their expectations (or lack thereof).

We need more smart women empowered shows on television so we can finally get a break from the constant onslaught of dumber and dumber reality shows (with the exception of The Amazing Race and Dancing with the Stars).

Taylor Hanson welcomes baby #4!!

People.com reports that Hanson baby #7 has arrived.

Taylor and his wife Natalie have welcomed yet another son into their ever expending family.

Viggo Moriah was born this past Tuesday Dec. 9th in Tay's home town of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

And I couldn't be happier for them, but let's deal with the name for a second shall we, Viggo?!.

And if that's not bad enough a friend of mine informed me that the second name is typically given to a girl. WTF?!.

Honestly every time I think they cannot possibly top themselves with horrible name choices, they go and prove me wrong.

I really wish they would stop in fact I insist on it. And by 'they' I mean all the brothers, but I think Taylor's choice definitely wins the price.

I feel so sorry for poor little Penelope, who's now completely surrounded by boys. On the other hand she will have no problem with speaking up and standing up for herself when she becomes an adult.

Once again congratulations to the proud parents :). And here's to baby #5 in 2009 *LOL*.

Though it's any one's guess which one of the guys will have one next, my money is on Zac.

Top Ten Google Searches 2008

Well, we're nearing the end of yet another year and you know what that means. Yep, once again it's time for Google's top 10 searches of the year (aka 2008 year-end Zeitgeist).

I found the Global Top 10 to be the most interesting this time around.


1. Sarah Palin (no real surprise here since practically the entire world was captivated with the U.S. election. Personally I am not a big fan, I did however immensely enjoy the numerous and hilarious Tina Fey SNL parodies.

2. Beijing 2008 (can't say I really followed it all that much since I'm more of a Winter Olympics fan, but those opening ceremonies will definitely stick in my mind for years to come. One thing is for sure we (meaning Canada has it's work cut out for 2010).

3. Facebook login (aka Crackbook , this network is growing at a frighteningly rapid pace, maybe that's why it has been running at a snails pace lately. They should really invest some money into new servers, because it's only gonna get worse. Among other things someone should also look into fixing the laughable program they call the facebook "chat").

4. Tuenti (Spanish social network) (it seems that social networks were a real trend this year. It's also worth noting that one of the biggest social networks Myspace is nowhere to be found).

5. Heath Ledger (perhaps one of the saddest and most shocking celebrity deaths, there are times when I still can't believe it).

6. Obama (what I find most surprising is that the international Internet audience found Sarah Palin more interesting then Obama, or should I say scary).

7. Nasza Klasa (Polish social network) as a person who's actually from Poland I was pretty happy to see this on the list. Although gotta say I'm a member of it and I had no idea it was so international *lol*).

8. Wer Kennt Wen (German social network)

9. Euro 2008 (as someone who actually watched it again this year I'm sure I contributed to the search numbers quite a bit :).

10. Jonas brothers (um....really?!)

Also for the first time ever this year Google has compiled search data from 35 countries.

In addition to the overall top 10 search queries, you can also find search data on images, books, translate and news searches. Which is my second favourite.

For comparison's sake this is what the top 10 U.S. search queries looked like last year. And here is what they look like for 2008:

1. Obama
2. Facebook
3. ATT
4. iPhone
5. YouTube
6. FOX News
7. Palin
8. Bejing 2008
9. David Cook (for those who may not know he was this year's American Idol winner)
10. Surf the Channel (I love this site you can watch pretty much every t.v. show ever made)

Interesting the iPhone fell from #1 to 4, Myspace is once again non-existant. Facebook got more attention from the U.S. this year moving all the way to #2. And YouTube stayed in the exact same spot at 5.

That's about it for similarities the rest are all brand new, but unsurprising and pretty self explanitory.

With the exception of #10, I've always thought it was my little secret, but I guess the cat is out of the bag :D. Oh and this has to be said, FOX News?, really?.

Sorry, but that network will never be on any top ten (or otherwise) list of mine. I'll take CNN or BBC any day of the week thank you.

TTSCC 2x13 "Earthlings Welcome Here" promo

Ooh, looks good!. I've been waiting for a Riley vs Cameron smack-down :D. It's also the last episode of this year.

Come February 13th 2009 the show will be moving to it's new night at 8pm on FOX (where as I've mentioned it will be a lead in to Joss Whedon's Dollhouse).

And yes the 13th happens to be a Friday, let's hope that for once it won't be a bad omen.

Top 10 Reason's Gmail Rocks

When friends push friends onto Gmail, it usually involves talking up the seemingly limitless storage space, the fast-moving interface, or its inter-connectedness with other Google applications, like Calendar. Those features are all fine and good, but Gmail does a lot of helpful things that some users never get to dig into. From one short web address, you can video chat Skype-style with contacts, ensure you didn't leave yourself logged in elsewhere, help mom gradually migrate from her old dial-up-era email address, and pluck a single message out of tens of thousands. Let's dig in and take a look at Gmail's less-touted features for power users.

10. Change Gmail's look entirely with themes.

Adam did the yeoman's work of compiling screenshots and thumbnails of Gmail's new Themes, accessible through a Settings tab, and one can see that they're more than just a font switch and background image. Gmail's themes cover a nice range of aesthetic choices, geekiness, cute-overload, elegant color tweaks, and, for those who put a lot of time in on the screen, dark-themed schemes. If you haven't checked them out yet, they're certainly worth a look, if only to give your eyes a rest from all the variants of light blue.

9. Launch video and audio chats, no Skype required.

It's Windows-only at this point, and still requires a little browser plug-in, but it's surprising how little fanfare Gmail's native video chat application has received. It's comparable quality to most software-based solutions, it's got a full-screen mode, and, well, if the person's not all that intriguing, you can minimize them and get back to your email.

8. Back up your email from any system.

Just because Google wants you to put your digital life in the cloud doesn't mean you can't have your own copy of your own messages and attachments. There are lots of ways to get your entire Gmail dump onto your desktop. We're currently into Gmail Backup, which is graphical for Windows and command line for Linux and Mac OS X. You can also grab it with the command-line-based Fetchmail, grab them via POP with Thunderbird, or use the web-based StashMyMail for 99 cents, if you don't mind the third-party-ness of it. To back up another email account using Gmail's generous storage space, you can always BCC: your outgoing messages to a Gmail account to make sure you've always got an online searchable copy of your mail.

7. See all the places where you're signed in, and remotely sign out.

Friends' and significant others' computers, work, public terminals—people sign into Gmail from all kinds of places, and don't always remember to hit that privacy-ensuring "Sign Out" in the upper-right corner. At the very bottom of any Gmail inbox, though, is a text line showing where else the account is open, along with a list of sign-in times and IP addresses and a button that signs you out of everything but the browser you're in right then. No need to worry, then, that your friends' willpower will ever be tested by discovering you're still signed in on their system.

6. Serve as a central, synchronized, smarter contact list.

Used to be that Gmail put everyone you sent five emails to went into your contacts, but they've wised up and created two lists: Your true contacts, and those oft-mailed but not well-known folks into "Suggested" contacts. That makes Google a much nicer, cleaner place to sync your computers and devices from. Mac users can pull Google Contacts into their Address Book with or without an iPhone, Blackberry owners can hook up too, and fans of Thunderbird have got their own tool as well. Oh, and the Google-centric Android platform does it too, of course.

5. Consolidate all your email accounts.

Gmail eliminates the need to ever have to send one of those very late, apologetic "Don't check this email often" replies from your ancient accounts. Gina's explained how straightforward it is to consolidate multiple email addresses into Gmail, with full importing of messages from any POP or IMAP-compliant account (almost all of them are) and the ability to keep sending emails from your old address, eliminating the need for mass pleas to update address books.

4. Help friends find their own Gmail messages or bookmark your own.

"You honestly do not have my email explaining how to take care of my dogs and disable the alarm system? Okay, no, it's no big thing, Steve. Hit this link, it should take you to the right message: http://mail.google.com/mail/#search/buster+alarm+code+Pedigree" That kind of universal search link is pretty helpful, but the addresses of any email you open in Gmail are also permalinks for the account owner, meaning you can create lists of emails you need to get back to, bookmark an important thread in your browser favorites, and save them for any other purpose or list.

3. Keep your Gmail account(s) on your desktop.

More than one of the Lifehacker editors had gotten used to keeping Gmail and Lifehacker's Google Apps email open in two browser tabs, clicking over when a new message hit the title bar. With the just-launched Google Desktop Gadget, though, all the basic actions of email—read, star, label, delete, respond—can fit into a corner of your desktop. If you're good with Gmail's keyboard shortcuts, the gadget works with those, too, and can be opened in multiple instances for different accounts. Pretty neat stuff, but if it's not worth installing the whole Google Desktop suite for, check out the other ways our readers get their Gmail notifications.

2. Give you total search power.

It's easy to forget that the company providing Gmail is, by and large, a search specialist, and has given its webmail app some serious search, filter, and organization tools. Don't waste time scrolling through page after page of your mom's email—find that one email she sent a few months back, with the attached JPEG file and mentioning that cat, Mr. Nibbles or Snibbles or whatnot--from:Stacey after:2008/09/01 has:attachment (nibbles OR snibbles). You can start at learning the basic operators, then take Adam's tips on building advanced filters and persistent searches

1. Do much, much more with Gmail Labs experimental features.

It started out as a modest set of tweaks and small Oh Neat items, but Gmail's Labs section has become a powerhouse of email features. From Labs' increasingly-long list of tools, you can set up canned responses for standard replies, stop yourself from forgetting attachments, get your Google Calendar agenda and Remember the Milk tasks, get at all your various attachment types with Quick Links, and many, many more tweaks. Labs isn't particularly hidden away or obscure, but if you haven't taken the time to scroll down the list of options, you're almost certainly missing out on something that makes your webmail home a bit more comfortable.

Source-lifehacker.com

Number 10 is my absolute fave at the moment, the themes are all so pretty :D. My Gmail is looking very Winter-y right now (much like the outside world).

And I am going to try my darnest next year to switch my family (who's all in Europe) over from Skype to Gmail Chat.

BTVS Cast: Where Are They Now?

You just can't keep a good Slayer down. Recent rumours suggest that Buffy Summers and the remnants of her Scooby Gang could well be heading for cinema screens in the near future - over five years since Joss Whedon's legendary television series concluded. But do the actors really need to exhume their old characters for a career boost? Cult Spy looks at how the Sunnydale dwellers, or at least those who weren't killed off early, have fared since leaving the wonderful world of wooden stakes.

Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy)

The blonde bombshell's desire to move on to pastures new was often cited as the reason for Buffy ending, but Gellar didn't initially stray too far from the show's supernatural leanings. 2004 horror film The Grudge, in which Gellar played the lead, was a major box office smash to go along with the commercial success of her two spooky Scooby-Doo flicks.

Since then though, Gellar has been the box office equivalent of a Buffy Big Bad. Not even playing a pornstar in Southland Tales - director Richard Kelly's hugely anticipated Donnie Darko follow-up - could lure in the punters. Other flops followed in the shape of The Air I Breathe and Suburban Girl, so it wasn't much of a surprise to hear that she's planning a small screen retreat in HBO's The Wonder Maladys, a drama that deals with parental loss, in 2009.

In need of Buffy movie career boost?: Probably

---

David Boreanaz (Angel)

There was still a year left of LA-based spinoff show Angel to run after Buffy concluded in 2003, and it looked like Boreanaz couldn't avoid juicy steaks as well as he dodged wooden stakes - for the pounds piled on. He soon regained his old trim physique and won the lead as FBI Agent Seeley Booth in forensic television drama Bones.

The show, which attracts sizeable audience numbers stateside, is currently in its fourth season. Less impressive is Boreanaz's film career. He's made several cinematic entities post-Buffy, but how many can you name? Exactly.

In need of Buffy movie career boost?: Not really

---

Alyson Hannigan (Willow)

Hannigan perhaps used one of Willow's spells to ensure she became a staple of hit American teen flicks shortly after Buffy ended, with key parts in the American Pie trilogy and Date Movie. A recurring part in Veronica Mars, which shared many traits with a certain Sunnydale-based show, kept her fans happy. However, a starring role in CBS comedy How I Met Your Mother has propelled her into the limelight again. Now in its fourth season and bolstered by a couple of Britney Spears cameos, the programme attracts an impressive 10 million viewers.

In need of Buffy movie career boost?: Not right now

---

Nicholas Brendon (Xander)

With his disarming smile and comic timing, it's a surprise that Brendon has failed so spectacularly to capitalise on his Buffy success. A vehicle entitled Kitchen Confidential lasted only four episodes before getting the chop, while battles with the bottle didn't help his career prospects.

A couple of very obscure movies have helped things to tick along, plus a guest appearance last year in mainstream TV show Criminal Minds did at least jog the memory of a few viewers as to his existence on the planet.

In need of Buffy movie career boost?: Yes, yes, yes

---

Anthony Head (Giles)

The housewives' favourite has swapped the libraries and magic shops of Sunnydale for a range of BBC projects that have certainly raised his mainstream profile in the United Kingdom and finally laid to rest the 'Gold Blend ad man' stigma. Currently playing the callous yet occasionally compassionate King Uther Pendragon in Merlin, the legend turned a few heads with his recurring roles as the poor Prime Minister in Little Britain.

Head also fronted drama The Invisibles and excellently portrayed shapeshifting Krillitane Mr. Finch in the Doctor Who episode 'School Reunion'. However, his big screen ambitions took a hit when scheduling issues forced Tim Burton to massively cut down his role in Sweeney Todd, while the curiously titled Repo! The Genetic Opera has struggled to secure decent distribution - despite the on-screen pairing of Head and Paris Hilton!

In need of Buffy movie career boost? Nope

---

Michelle Trachtenberg (Dawn)

The cute actress starred in gross-out teen 'comedy' Eurotrip in 2004, trading the innocence of Buffy's younger sister for a far more sexualised part. Since then, she's predominantly focused on television roles that are similarly detached from the good-natured Dawn.

Most notably, she played a popstar brat in several episodes of the acclaimed Six Feet Under and a nasty cow in Gossip Girl. This partially makes up for her appearance in the catastrophic movie remake of Black Christmas, although hopes are still high for a big screen career as she stars alongside Zac Efron in upcoming flick 17 Again.

In need of Buffy movie career boost? Definitely maybe

---

James Marsters (Spike)

Since sparing his follicles from more peroxide, Marsters has used his charisma (not Carpenter!) in two key cult roles that strongly echo the detestable but loveable ambiguity of Spike. First up was the part of baddie Brainiac in Smallville, followed by Captain John in Torchwood.

Despite his advancing years (which doesn't bode well for playing a non-aging vampire), Marsters still has the old swagger. He also played a supporting role in the movie P.S. I Love You, regularly tours with his band and can next be seen as the baddie, under heavy make-up, in the film Dragonball.

In need of Buffy movie career boost? A little push would help

---

Eliza Dushku (Faith)

Randy rogue slayer Faith was one character screaming out for an Angel-style spinoff, but instead Dushku graduated to short-lived series Tru Calling - a tenuously named show about a morgue worker called Tru speaking to dead people. A similarly morbid project was 2003 horror film Wrong Turn - a moderate commercial success bolstered by Dushku donning a tight, white vest in tru Bruce Willis style.

A string of lesser profile projects followed, including stage roles and video game appearances. However, her career received a massive boost when Buffy creator Joss Whedon snapped her up as the lead in his new (and much delayed) Dollhouse series.

In need of Buffy movie career boost? The answer lies in the Dollhouse

---

Emma Caulfield (Anya)

Okay, so events in the Buffy finale might not bode well for her return, but stranger things have happened on the show. Unlike several of her co-stars, Caulfield managed to steer clear of roles in other cult shows - although this did involve staking herself in the foot when she turned down offers to audition for the roles of Starbuck and Number Six in the superb Battlestar Galactica.

She's since admitted her frankly fracking crazy decision. Still, she did star in horror film Darkness Falls, which did soar to the heights of first place on the US box office.

In need of Buffy movie career boost? Yes, but not as much as her former on-screen boyfriend.

Source: digitalspy


Nice to get somewhat of an update on the Scooby Gang. It's quite sad that poor Nicholas Brendon's career is not fairing well.

He's such a great comedic actor, lots of wasted potential. Hopefully someone will realize that soon and cast him in something decent.

More Criminal Minds may not be a bad move.

Alyson, David, James, Tony and even Michelle, seem to have better careers post Buffy then Buffy herself (ah, irony).

I'm hoping Eliza will join that list come next year with the premiere of Dollhouse (fingers crossed).

I would also really like to see Emma Caulfield's career get a bigger boost, because she's another wasted talent.

Oh, and whatever happened to Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia)?. Last time I saw her she was on Veronica Mars and How I Met Your Mother. What has she done since then I wonder.

Same goes for Kristine Sutherland (Joyce Summers aks Buffy's mom), is she even still acting? (if anyone knows the answer feel free to leave a comment).

Also it's too bad the author of this article omitted Amber Benson (Tara) who was on the show for 2 and a half years, because she continues to be the busiest cast member.

She has all kinds of different movies (ones she stars in and ones she directs) as well as writing graphic novels, and a whole host of other projects (that I can't remember at the moment). On second thought maybe that's why she was omitted in the first place.

TTSCC 2x12 Alpine Fields clips

Here's an early sneek peak at tomorrow's episode. Looks like there's gonna be plenty of action.

Sum up of a luckluster WTA season

You know who I kind of feel bad for this holiday season? Anne Worcester, the inimitable Pilot Pen Tennis tournament director.

Why, you ask? Well, less than a decade ago, Worcester was defying all sorts of logic with the success she and everyone else at the Pilot Pen were achieving with their women's tennis tournament. They were landing big-name players year after year, even though they were a Tier II tournament wedged between a Tier I event (Canada) and a Grand Slam (U.S. Open).

Venus Williams, Lindsay Davenport, Justine Henin, Martina Hingis, Jennifer Capriati, Elena Dementieva. The semifinal matches were legitimate, final-weekend-of-a-major type of matchups. But it's just not the same anymore. And it's not their fault.

Sure, the Olympics are a major problem every four years, including this past August, luring top players overseas the same month that the U.S. Open begins. Top players aren't going to kill themselves by playing in China, New York and possibly Canada, and still squeeze in a week of tennis in New Haven. No chance. It's even less likely than a New York football player shooting himself in the leg. What are the odds?

But that's not the main problem for Worcester and the Pilot Pen. See, probably the biggest reason the Pilot Pen isn't attracting as many big-name women's players anymore is, well, who in the heck are the big-name women's players? Honestly. Ten years ago, women's tennis was arguably more interesting than men's tennis. Now it's at best in a transitional phase, and at worst a disaster. Let's examine.

The 2002 Pilot Pen field included the following players: Venus Williams (who was at the top of her game), Henin, Davenport, Hingis, Amelie Mauresmo, Dementieva, Daniela Hantuchova, an unseeded Patty Schnyder, Anastasia Myskina. I mean, are you kidding? I'm not sure you could hand-pick eight players from today's game who would draw more interest than those eight. It's almost hard to believe. And it wasn't the only year in the first half of the decade that the Pilot Pen pulled off an impressive field.

As we head to the 2009 season, the No. 1 player in the world is Jelena Jankovic, she of exactly zero major championships. Aside from second-ranked Serena Williams, the only top-five player with a Grand Slam championship is No. 5 Ana Ivanovic, who at 21 years old has the makings of a big star, even though she absolutely plummeted after winning the French Open this year.

Other top-10 players include No. 3 Dinara Safina, a talented player on the rise; No. 4 Dementieva, a solid-but-never-elite player who's past her prime; No. 7 Vera Zvonereva, a fierce baseliner and tough competitor who probably would exceed expectations if she ever won a major; No. 8 Svetlana Kuznetsova, who has been astoundingly inept in big matches since her unexpected 2004 U.S. Open title; and No. 10 Agnieszka Radwanska, a talented 19-year-old who is already in the top 10 despite never reaching the semifinals of a major.

Right now I can accept Ivanovic as a truly marquee name in women's tennis, despite her putrid 11-9 post-Roland Garros record. Then there are the WTA Tour's three biggest active stars: Venus (ranked sixth) and Serena Williams and No. 9 Maria Sharapova. That's slim pickings. Four superstars.

Now, under normal circumstances, those four players might be enough to captivate casual tennis fans, at least during the four Grand Slam events. But these are not normal circumstances. We simply cannot count on those players to play deep into majors three or four times a year, and with that being the case, where are the rivalries and compelling matchups coming from? Where's Federer-Nadal, or Nadal-Djokovic, or Murray-Federer?

This will be a big year for Ivanovic, who needs to recover from her prolonged French Open hangover, and she probably will. Venus Williams is 28 years old, often hurt and not fond of playing a full schedule, which is understandable since full tennis schedules shorten careers, a fact the governing bodies continue to overlook (another column for another day, perhaps). In the last three years, Venus has played in 10 of 12 majors; she's won two (both at Wimbledon), reached one additional semifinal, and four times has not gotten past the third round. The last time she won a major besides Wimbledon was 2001.

Serena Williams has nine career Grand Slam titles, including the 2008 U.S. Open. She continues to be a threat in every tournament she plays, which, like her sister, is not too many. Since mid-2003, she's missed five majors and has reached the semifinals in less than one-third of the Grand Slams in which she's appeared. By no means is she dominant.

Sharapova has to be the most interesting case. She burst onto the scene in 2004 when she won Wimbledon (and immediately after did a promotional event in New Haven for the Pilot Pen, a major coup for Worcester), and at 6-foot-2 with a booming serve and unshakable determination and competitiveness, she seemed destined to take over the game. It simply has not happened.

Sharapova, who missed much of 2008 with an injury, will turn 22 years old early next season, so her best tennis is almost certainly ahead of her. But she struggles on clay, and despite having a game that appears to be tailored to grass, she's not reached a Wimbledon final since her 2004 triumph. No one really knows what to expect from her right now.

A best-case scenario for women's tennis is this: The Williams sisters are focused and competitive for the next couple of years while Ivanovic and Sharapova begin to fulfill their potential and build a rivalry, leading to some interesting matchups between the Williamses and the new stars. Safina must continue her development. Perhaps 29-year-old Mauresmo has one more run in her. In the meantime, young players like Radwanska, Caroline Wozniacki and others not yet even on the radar (as well as Anna Chakvetadze and Nicole Vaidisova, who seemed to forget how to play tennis in 2008 after showing so much promise) need to become the next wave of stars. Not just top-five tennis players, but stars. If that all happens, Worcester and other tournament directors will have better chances to build quality fields. If I were them, however, I wouldn't hold my breath.

Source

Yep, the WTA has been a real suck-fest this year, no wonder I haven't been watching it. And unless things drastically improve I will continue to do so.

Thoughts on the Christmas rush

I was having a chat with my mom the other day about our mutual hate of Christmas rush preparations.

Particularly when it comes to decorations (the shopping is more understandable since the beginning of December is when all the best deals are).

But do we really need to put up all our decorations right at the beginning of December? or for many people the end of November?.

I'm all for celebrating, but that's what the 2 weeks are for. If you put up all that stuff really early I find it sort of cheapens the whole experience.

Not to mention that by the time you actually get to Christmas itself you get really sick of everything.

It's the same as when you start hearing all those Christmas Carols on the radio all throughout the holiday month.

You get so sick of them by the end of the first week, you just don't wanna listen to them anymore, well that's how it is for me anyway.

Now I understand that for a lot of people it's probably a case of not having any time for decorating closer to Christmas (with having to run around for gifts and last minute shopping), but still.

So many of us often have our decorations up well after the new year anyway, so again I say why all the rush?.

There's something to be said for enjoying the moment, and milking that moment takes away all the joy.

Song of the moment: Travis-Love Will Come Through

I really need to check out some songs from his latest album.