Best Movie

Notice I said "Best Movie" not Best Film? Just pointing that out....
ok so this year's winner is no surprise:

The Dark Knight...

In preparation for the awards, I rewatched this last week, and I was just as engrossed, creeped out, and amazed the second time around (6 months later) as I was the first time. Yep, this is a keeper. Much attention has been given to Heath Ledger, and it should, but let's not forget the great performances by all the cast, especially Christian Bale, who, I think found himself playing second fiddle to Ledger's untimely death. We'll know soon if the hoity toidy of the film world agree with us at the Oscars.

Runner Ups

Tropic Thunder-I can't explain it, just see it!
Pineapple Express-How did Franco walk away with a nom for this movie and not Milk?
The House Bunny--Cute! This was so formulaic, but Anna Faris is so endearing. And I love Colin Hanks and with this flick and his amazing performance on Mad Men, it's been a good year for him.

Movies I am sure should be on this list, but I haven't seen them yet:

Milk
Slumdog Millionaire
Gran Torino
Doubt
Frost/Nixon

Did I miss anything?

Covent Garden in London...pretty, no?

Wishing you and yours (your what? I don't understand that phrase, but is sounds Christmas-y) a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday. Don't forget the SAGA (Second Annual Gigs Awards) start on Dec 26!

What I'm currently listening to

Bob Segar's Greatest Hits
Jersey Boys soundtrack
Last Christmas by Jimmy Eats World
Confessions by Madonna
Twentysomething by Jamie Cullem
Oldies 103.3

Matthew Settle plays the DAD on Gossip Girl...that's when I knew I was too old to watch this show.

But has that stopped me? Oh, no, if anything it has only encouraged my obses...er, um, my tv viewing schedule.

Monday night's Gossip Girl was the best ep yet! There is even Emmy talk for Ed Westwick, who plays Chuck. I wouldn't go that far...but he was pretty good. All angry and hell bent on revenge, and guilty that he may have played a part in his father's death (Is Bart Bass really dead? Coming up in January...) And WHY do I like Lily even more now that I know she :

a. was pregnant with Rufus' child and had an abortion
b. gave birth to Rufus' child and gave the baby away
c. gave birth to Rufus' child and raised him/her as another man's child! Eric!

The boys of GG. That would be Chuck on the right.

Let's hope the child isn't Serena....that would raise the whole ick factor of her relationship with Dan. We're dating! We broke up! We're sibilings!

I'm so glad this show is on...it's totally filled my Days of Our Lives void that I have been living with since high school.

P.S. Wallace Shawn is as awesome as ever!

Photo taken from www.reservelresult.com

So the rumor is that not only will Heath Ledger be nominated for Best Supporting Actor Oscar, but that Dark Knight will be nominated for Best Picture! If it wins, this will mark the first time in history that Gigs and the Academy agree on what was the best film of the year. But let's not get our hopes up....Gigs and the Academy never agree on anything. Except that members of the academy have the best email addresses ever! gigs@oscars.org --has a nice ring to it!

Give it on up for Turkeyville" won't happen?

Justin hosts SNL on Weekend Update!



and the Brothers Gibb one!



Want to see more? Visit Hulu!

Yowza..it's been awhile!

Some things I've been thinking about.....

• Obama is our next President...no comments, just thinking.
• Little Brother by Cory Doctorow...did I like the book? Did I hate it? Was it to "real?"
• Jenny and Nate on Gossip Girl...I cringed every time he kissed her....I know they are actors, but he's 22 and she's 15 in real life! I don't know what that creeps me out. Also, Dan on GG...what happened to that character?
• Twilight...ENOUGH ALREADY!!!
• Bones...the show that gave me my next fav cult couple...hooking up the actors who played Sam Weir on Freaks and Geeks and Lizzie Exley on Undeclared was genius! It's like early Apatow is coming full circle. Not since the casting of Alyson Hannagan and Jason Segal on How I Met Your Mother has me inner geek felt so fulfilled.
  
• Did Shakespeare really write Shakespeare?
• Will Heroes really be any better w/out Jesse Alexander and Jeph Loeb?
• Kiefer Sutherland hasn't aged in the past 10 years.
  
• I'd really like some M&Ms right about now.
• Oh, and some pumpkin chocolate chip whoopie pies.
  

My Favorite Quote

"It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice."

Next stop-tv producer!!!

Ok, I admit I was kidding when I posted that last thing about Fringe producers wanting me so desperately, they sent out audition notices, but after this past week, I am convinced that Hollywood is not only reading my blog, but taking my suggestions seriously!!!

Case in point:
On last Monday night's Chuck, all the hoopla was about Nicole's Ritchie's guest appearance, which was all well and good. But the previews didn't mention that one Ben Savage was playing her husband!! Remember what I said last year? And ratings were up. Ha! It was a pretty good ep too. We learn a bit about Sarah's past, which to be honest, was needed, as the show's premise was getting a tad old. Who am I kidding? Did you see the girlfight set to Prodigy? Hawt! And of course Casey as a DJ. Awesome!

Fringe producers are looking for ME!

According to Michael Ausiello over at EW.com:

"the show is casting two people from his past -- one, a knockout thirtysomething female who'll warn him that folks are after him..."

OMB! It's like they knew if they waited a week, I would fit that age description! The knockout thing, well I've had that in the bag for YEARS!

Insomnia October

'Tis the season for not getting any sleep. Between the Sox, the debates, and regular ol' tv, you really have to plan to take naps during the day. Gigs is so tired! She plans on taking a nap when she gets home today. But it will all be worth it when the Sox win, the votes are cast, and Jack Bauer comes back. So, what's been keeping you up at night? A new show? A great book? Your snoring partner?

Well, that was redeeming.

And I can't wait to find out where this storyline goes! Go on, read the recap, esp the second to last sentence.

Librarians, Librarioes, and Guybrarians

I just found out that one of my favorite librarians retired from Assumption College. And it got me thinking about all the other librarians that have inspired me in one way or another over my young lifetime. So I'd like to take a moment to thank them:

Larry Spongeberg-the aforementioned librarian. He always knew when you felt lost or stressed and had just the right cheesy joke to get you laughing again. Congrats, Larry and thanks for the smiles.

First Lady Laura Bush-the classiest librarian ever.

Bonnie O'Brien-for giving me my first, second, third and fourth library jobs, and being a damn fun lady to hang out with.

George Brown-for supporting me through all my crazy programming ideas, and for being one of the most interesting and smartest people I know.

Maureen Ambrosino-for showing me that there was more to librarianship than checking out books and answering questions.

Debbie Alger- for reminding me not to take myself too seriously. There's still fun to be had!

Sharon Terry- for accompanying me on all my crazy adventures--and never being embarrassed by me. And for trusting me when I say those are librarian shoes.

"Uncle" Tony Stankus-the greatest Science Librarian EVER! He's too cool for this profession.

Thanks to everyone who has inspired me along the way. I must have hit my quarter life crisis or something. This is sounding like a speech or something!

Gigs is taking a few days off, and to quote George Brown, "As the German grape stompers say, 'Our feet are stained!'

People get off the damn phone!

I usually don't get into anything heavy in my blog, but let this be the one exception. With news coming out that the engineer of the train that crashed last week in LA may have been texting while working, led to the death of 25 people. Everywhere I go, people are running red lights, not paying attention, and driving recklessly with a phone attached firmly to their ear.

And I'm not talking about teens; I'm talking about everyone! And those little bluetooth headsets look dorky but if it helps keeps your eyes on the road and you hands on the wheel, use them!

I readily admit that I cannot drive and talk on the phone, but it seems that others think they can. I don't wanna die (and I am sure those who lost their lives in the train crash would agree) b/c you couldn't unplug.

You may live in the 90201 but you're still a zero!

It's 8:12 PM on Tuesday night, and I have a stack of wonderful books next to my couch. But what am I doing? Watching 90210-2.0 Is it good? No. It's stupid. But damn is it worth it to hear Jessica Walter belt out "Mama Who Bore Me."

So really why have I spent all afternoon in front of the tv?
Because I have discovered Mad Men. And right now, no book that I am reading can compare to the stories this drama tells. Wow...it is wonderful. Almost makes me go out and sign up for cable so I can get AMC. But right now, I will have to settle on the DVDs. This show is visually stunning, and set in a world which I really don't think ever existed--at least I hope it never did. All that drinking, smoking, and sex is amazingly compelling stuff, but how did people get any work done?

But the cast. Wow. Perhaps the best ensemble I've seen in a very long time. Vincent Kartheiser (remember him as Connor on Angel?) is so good as Pete, a cad who I find myself actually caring about. He's trying to play with the big boys, but can't quite pull it off. And January Jones as Mrs. Draper gives new meaning to the term housewife. The scene where she's shooting at her neighbor's pigeons--classic.

Total side note: Gossip Girl--the character--is totally hawking Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist. Mad Men would be proud of that cross promotion.

I'm sorry that the first season of Mad Men is only 13 eps. Season 2 might just become my new iTunes must have.

I was wrong...and I admit it.

I'd like to print a retraction to a comment I made last week. In reference to the almost meeting Josh Jackson, I said I was dragged to Spooky World by my college roommate. I was in fact not dragged but bounced through the front gates like a 12 year old at a Jonas Brothers concert. Chappy, my roommate, was kind enough to remind me of that this weekend. I apologize to Chappy and others for the erroneous statement I made. I guess I remember myself as cooler than I was. Then again, I think it was cool that we went to support Josh!

FRIIINNNNGGGEEEE!

Josh Jackson returns for our weekly viewing pleasure! Tonight at 8!



And what a fine actor he is. I mean, to have put up with some of those baaad storylines on Dawson's Creek, and STILL make the audience love him, I mean, well...I LOVE YOU PACEY!...ahem. sorry bout that.

OK so we all know that J.J. Abrams' new show Fringe premires tonight oon Fox, and as if you could not have guessed, it stars former Skulls (did you see that movie? You should) actor Josh Jackson. Do you think JJ has over stayed his tv welcome (Lost, Felicity, Alias)? Should he concentrate on movies (Mission IMpossible 3)?

Hey did I ever tell you I was supposted to meet Josh? It's true!
He was going to come to Spooky World (remember that?) but had to cancel at the last moment. So Kerr Smith from Dawson's Creek came. He was cool. It should be noted that Gigs was dragged there by her college roommate and would never have done something so lame as to go on her own. I prefer my celebrity encounters to be of the random kind...in an elevator, at the Magic Kingdom, while looking for a lost water bottle.

"Oh dear lord, can someone please help me?"

Gossip Girls premier--yes I watched and it was totally awesome! Is anyone else sick of Serena and Dan? I loved the Chuck and Blair storyline, tho! I love that Mother Chucker, to paraphrase Blair.

90210- please, like Gigs would waste any more time on frivolous teen dramas. Yeah right. ARGH! ok ok yes i watched all 2 hours of it yesterday. What a train wreck. I think they stole some plot points from Saved By the Bell. Having not been a fan of the original, I had no idea what was going on with the adults' storylines.

Tonight brings us a new Bones. I love this show! I actually think I like David B. better as Seeley Booth than Angel.

Let's see...OMB so you MUST check out Gigs fav, Brad Meltzer's new book, The Book of Lies. Just LOOK at this trailer:



Yes that's more of Gigs fav writers Joss Whedon., Brian K. Vaughn, and Damon Lindelof. There is just NO WAY I can wait for my name to come to the top of the hold list at the library. Must Buy!!!

EEEEEEEE!!!!

So the Olympics are over. NOW what will I do? I was so obsessed with the swimming, the gymnasts, the wrestling, the basketball, hell, even the volleyball kept me awake at night with antici.......pation.

But don't feel too bad for me. September marks the return of new tv! Gossip Girls is a mere week away. And as if I needed another reason to watch Heroes, Michael Ausiello posted this over on EW.com!

"
Heroes is getting its very own geek squad.

Real-life BFFs and frequent collaborators Seth Green and Breckin Meyer are nearing a deal to join the cast of Heroes for multi-episode arcs, sources confirm to me exclusively.

As I first teased in this week's episode of Ausiello TV, the Robot Chicken duo will play Atlanta-based comic book nerds aficionados who cross paths with (and perhaps serve as advisors to) one of the Heroes. I'm told the names of their characters are still in flux, so there's a chance the cheeky monikers I referenced in ATV won't stick. Then again, they very well may. (Fingers crossed that at least one of them does.)

Got any theories as to what higher purpose Green and Meyer may serve in the Heroesverse? Is it just me, or do these two bring to mind a certain nerdy advisory panel from another popular sci-fi franchise? C'mon, it can't just be me."

Hence the EEEEEE! of the title! YAY more Seth Green!

FINALLY! A GOOD Twilight trailer!

Well. I can't wait for this one. How about you?

“Superman is how America views itself. Batman is how the rest of the world views America.” - Michael Caine

So Gigs FINALLY saw The Dark Knight--and was not disappointed. It was great. It was scary. It was criminal how they underused Michael Caine. But still a great movie. The best I've seen this year. I really hope they make another one with this team. And I know everyone is saying it, but Heath Ledger's performance really is Oscar worthy. When you can watch a character on the screen and really have no idea who is playing him, that's incredible. I still can't believe that was him. Even when he was shown for a split second without the makeup, it was like, OMB that's Heath! And can i just say how much better Maggie Gyllenhaal was as Rachel than Katie Holmes--who was good in a Joey Potter kinda way.

Scary quote at the top, there. Do you agree?

Mamma Mia, let me go

So Dark Knight opened last weekend? Did I see it? No of course not. I saw Mamma Mia! Ugh. Was dragged to it by a friend. Do you like musicals? Then you will LOVE this flick. The singing! The dancing! The way no one reacts when characters break out in songs--from the 70's! And they didn't even include my favorite ABBA song! Tho, I did forget what a guilty pleasure ABBA is.

Ok so it was alright. Meryl Streep, I admit, was very good. As was her two friends. But the real magic happens during the closing credits. Not gonna tell, but even if you don't want to see the movie, sneak in for the credits.

Next up is Dark Knight (i hope).

Mamma Mia! The FBI is 100 years old today!

I just have to share this video that my dad sent me. Now that George has discovered the wonders of YouTube, he has been finding the most random vids.

It's pretty funny if you are familiar with Armenian Music. If you aren't you might just find it weird--in a good way.



Posted by rokirkk on YouTube.

My name is Gigs, and I am a Hoodie.

If you haven't checked out BBC's series Robin Hood, you really must. Though the second season is airing on BBC America now, production is under way for season 3. You can see from May 29th's post, I am a fan. Thank goodness for iTunes. I don't get BBC America so I rely on purchasing the episodes online to get my fix. I can't wait for the DVDs to come out. But for those of you who do not want to spend money of any kind on the show, you can check out the season 1 DVDs from you local library. And LOOK what I just found online! The season 3 trailer!!!!





It should be noted that this trailer was made by a fan and posted on YouTube by HeathDances.

Did I mention all the hotties in the show? Pure eye candy. Especially that bad boy Gisborne.

Special Edition! Summer movies!

With the 4th of July weekend behind us, we are the the full swing of summer movie season. Due to high movie prices, and the cost of gas, I haven't seen ANY of the flicks I have been looking forward to! But that is about to change! Starting this weekend, I am committed to seeing at least one movie a week. Here's my list of must sees, in no particular order:

The Dark Knight-Why? Because Gigs hearts Christian Bale AND Michael Caine. And b/c Batman Begins was sooooo coool. Add in Heath Ledger as the Joker, and, you've got a surefire hit, with bittersweet results.

Hancock-Why? Independence Day, anyone? Will Smith is so cool, that even this looks watchable.

Hellboy 2-Why? Three words--Guillermo del Toro. Need two more? Pan's Labyrinth.

WALL-E-Why? Why not? Gigs has been a Pixar fan since Toy Story.

Mamma Mia!- Why? Colin Firth! Really, that is the only reason I want to see this thing. I don't like musicals or romantic comedies, so really this is like the worst possible thing for me. A romantic comedy that sings. Hawt.

So what are your must sees this summer?

DISCLAIMER: Please DO NOT share plots, spoilers, or even opinions in the comment space. I will post a review when I see each movie, and then we can discuss. You know how Gigs is about her movies....she doesn't even like to be late for the trailers!

"I want you I need you oh baby oh baby"

So I just finished this new book called First Kiss (Then Tell) , a collection of true stories about YA authors' first kisses. Gigs fav Shannon and Dean Hale recounted their first kiss with each other (though each remembers it differently). Which got Gigs thinking about her first kiss....So for this first time ever, I am going to share the highlights of that fateful night.

It was on the beach.
There was a fire and a cool summer's night breeze.
I was 21 (YES ok I kno I was a late bloomer! But don't worry, I've made up for lost time. Wait, that came out wrong.)
He was...probably 22.
It tasted like SoCo. Probably because he had been drinking SoCo.
He's still a friend, and no, I don't think he knew it was my first kiss.
About 20 people witnessed the event.

Those were the days. Ok, so which of Gigs' faithful readers is brave enough to tell their first kiss story?

No pleasure, no rapture, no exquisite sin greater than central air.

It's been awhile since my last post, but we can blame it on the heat. Which, btw, I LOVE!

What else is there to do on these hot days but read? I've finished Rumors, which was really good....way better than most sequels. Sad too. But it has a great setup for the third book, Envy. I can't wait to see the dress on the cover! Gigs totally recommends picking up these book for some lazy summer reading.

Also read the new one by Mary Higgins Clark, Where Are You Now?--BLECH. How boring. Don't waste your time.

What's next? Glad you asked! Saving Juliet, Reincarnation, and The Given Day (yes, that would be the new Dennis Lehane book) What's that? It doesn't come out until September!!??!?! Yes, well I am reading what we in the industry call and ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) Stay tuned for my exclusive review! (tho, it may be awhile...this baby is intense!)

But reading is not just limited to books. I also read websites! Here are a few of my new favs:

If you were a fan of the Sweet Valley books, you MUST read The Dairi Burger. Our blogger has set out to re read all the books in the series, and post her commentaries, complete with snarky comments. Hawt. Caution: Beware of snorting laughter. This may 0r may not be appropriate Reference Desk reading.

You know all those great stories you have about working in a library? Scott Douglas posted his online. He has his own blog, and also posts on McSweeney's Internet Tendenancies. I strongly urge you to read the latter. He also just published a book, Quiet Please.

Gigs has a wedding this weekend (no, not her own) but that of Gig's DD contributer, Mr. J! Yes, ladies, he is taken! No, Gigs will not be wearing the Luxe Dress--that's for her OWN wedding!

Just when my to-read list was starting to dwindle....

Run, do not walk to your nearest Borders, Barnes and Noble, independent bookstore, or online vendor and pick up RUMORS. It's out today. Stay tuned for my review!

Also, special thanks to Sharon for sending me Chill Factor by Rachel Caine. I will try very, very hard to save it for my plane ride. No promises tho, as it looks way awesome.

Sigh

"Book of the Year", rave critics*

*ok, raves me.

I know it's a bit early to announce my fav book of the year, but I kinda already did in February. And up until yesterday, A Northern Light was by far the best thing I got my hands on. But that was then...

And now comes My Most Excellent Year: A Novel of Love, Mary Poppins, and the Boston Red Sox by Steve Kluger. This book could not have been better. T.C. and Augie are brothers--not by the same parents. And then there is Alejandra. And a deaf 6 year old named Hucky. And the Sox, Mary Poppins, Buck Weaver, Jackie O, and Judy Garland all make appearances too. I can't say more than that or I will tell you the entire plot. But it was simply put, wonderful.

Him?! Really? He's the killer?

Last night brought us some exciting season finales. Most notably, Bones. Does this mean the end Zach? Is he crazy? Oh well, at least we will have our Sweets. I tell ya, I was getting nervous there for a minute or two. And we get treated to David B. without a shirt AND in uniform! Personally, the uniform does it for me.

And I did see the season enders of Big Bang Theory and How I Met Your Mother--and, yes there were tears. Barney and Robin?!?! really? and Ted? oookay...next year, can we please let Alyson Hannigan be the star. Please???? And can I just comment on how much I enjoyed the kiss between Leonard and Penny on The Big Bang Theory. Bravo to the writers for not dragging this romance out. Nothing turns me off like a dragged out romance. Boring!

If you have no idea what I am talking about above, I suggest you use some of your summer catching up on what could be 3 of the 5 best shows on television!*

Summer is just about here, and you know what that means!!! Less tv reviews, more book talk!

How awesome are those Red Sox? Way awesome!


*Totally my humble opinion.

"Oh, My B*lls!" and other things learned at Comic Con

It has taken me a full week to recover from our 2 days at Comic Con in New York. The dreams featuring adult males in spandex, Princess Leias, the random fan boy have pretty much subsided. But what an awesome weekend! Some highlights:

1. Shannon Hale-the coolest! A gal that can write novels, GNs, and can sing the He-Man theme. My hero.

2. The stars of Moonlight-this marks the second time Gigs has ridden an elevator with a actor that plays a vampire detective on television, the first being David Boreanaz who played Angel. Admittedly being in an elevator in such close proximity with David, who smelled so nice, was more exciting, but I did learn a new catchphrase from Alex O'Loughlin, the aforementioned "Oh my b*lls!" as in "oh my gosh!"

3. Neil Patrick Harris-he was there to promote the new Harold and Kumar movie, and let me tell you ladies and gents, he is more handsome in person, with a great sense of humor. The first question asked of him was "In the first movie, did you really do [drugs]?" Excuse me, but you have one opportunity to ask him anything, and that is what you come up with? Luckily Mr. Harris gave it right back to him, "Right, like I did 20 takes of me doing real [drugs]!" I don't even know how he was able to look that guy in the eye! But he handled it all with patience and was very thankful to the fans. And when he spoke, he spoke clearly and he sat up straight--I very much appreciated that. He also dressed very nicely, not the same t-shirt and jeans other guests wore.

4. Randomly--and I mean randomly, walking into a Milo Ventimiglia signing. It wasn't promoted, and I just walked into a table--me being the klutz that I am--and there he was. and, yes, he is even more good looking in person. And he wore a suit!

5. Seth Green-normally he would be at the top of my list, complete with a picture. But you needed a ticket to meet him, and alas, I did not have one. That's ok, given that this girl behind me in line, was having a literal hissy fit over the situation, I thought it be best and act my age, and say to the poor assistant, "It's ok, really. I am fine following the rules. Really. " I like to think that if Seth happened to hear the commotion, he would appreciate what I had said rather than psycho-b*tch. She almost hit the assistant in frustration!

6. Brendan Fraiser-I'm sorry it's too soon to go there. But wow. Ummm.....next time, a little less caffeine for Mr. Fraiser. Still, I do want to see The Mummy 3 this summer.

So what did we learn at Comic Con? Stars are people too. No need to scream, swear, be obnoxious, hover, follow them around. Authors are the biggest and brightest stars around (and more approachable too). Being a klutz can be a good thing. I am destined to share an elevator with another actor who plays a vampire detective in the future--why stop the streak now? Neil Patrick Harris really is legendary!

Willow vs. Angel--who will win?

Greetings fair blog readers! I know it's been ages (2 weeks!) since my last post. Gigs had a bit of a meltdown-well, her laptop did anyway. But it's back! I'm back! And I have nothing to talk about at the moment.

Let's gossip for a moment...so is Ashlee Simpson really pregnant? Was Britney really in another car accident? Do I care?

Bones is back! At 8PM on Mondays no less. Don't I have enough to content with? Now the networks are actually making me choose between Willow and Angel ("mmmm...Angel")! What's a girl to do? At least Faith isn't in the mix (Eliza Dushku's new show Dollhouse isn't on till fall). Talk about being pulled in three different directions! I am SO not ready for that one.

Been watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer over from the beginning. I always said Season 3 was my fav (probably b/c of a certain other slayer that made her debut) But I think I seriously underestimated Season 2, of which I am about halfway through.
It's very good...even tho Angel is a bit like a mopey puppy. Get bad already!

Converse turns 100!

Today marks the 100th birthday of what is probably the most famous sneaker the world over--no, not the Air Jordans. CONVERSE!-all stars, one stars, and Jack Purcells!

My first pair were zebra striped and they glowed in the dark. I go them in 6th grade, and have been wearing them ever since. Not that exact pair, but there has always been a pair in my closet. Cranberry, green, and black were my favs. The anti-popular popular shoe.

Still the most comfy kick out there...

She's just being Miley

My name is Gigs and I like the new Miley Cyrus song. YES, I admit it, that damn catchy See You Again gets me moving. But it's not my fault. I think my car likes the song...seriously. Every time the song comes on the radio, the volume on my car radio turns itself up! I'm not kidding. The song gets louder all on its own! So really I have no control over the song. I have to like it or put up with it b/c my car likes it. Total side note: Does this song remind anyone else of the song "Sunglasses at Night"?

On a side note, I have theme from the Sweet Valley High board game commercial going through my head. "You can be a Sweet Valley Girl, going with a Sweet Valley guy, living in a Sweet Valley world, getting into Sweet Valley High!" Ugh. I think it's because I just saw that the are re releasing the books with updates like cell phones and new cars. Wonder if the Fiat will be a Land Rover or Escalade in the new books. Remember the one about how Jessica and Elizabeth started a pet grooming business to earn money, and they found that the dog had been abused? That may have been a Sweet Valley Twins book.

I'd much rather have the tv show theme song in my head, but I don't remember it.

Note to publishers: can we please leave Jessica and Elizabeth in the '80's? We have Blair and Serena and lots more Wakefield replacements. Want to bring a good series back from extinction? Get me..... ummm.....hmmmm....I can't think of any.

Wow, there is so much going on, I don't know where to start!

1. Red Sox are currently playing their first game of the season in Tokyo. Top of the 3rd, Oakland-2, Boston-0. But no worries, we're just getting warmed up.

2. Britney on How I Met Your Mother--funny but unnecessary. But it is nice to see her looking like a human again.

3. The Big Bang Theory on CBS...first time in a long time I laughed out loud during a sitcom. Come to think of it, I did that a lot during CBS' 2 hour comedy night.

4. New York's new governor...I am SO not going there but yeesh!

Christian Bale's stepmom, Gloria Steinem is 74 today.

BAAAA!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! WOWIEEEEE!!!!!!!

It's here! It's here!!!!

Our first look at the cover of Rumors, the sequel to The Luxe!!!


For my wedding, I will be wearing the dress on the cover of the first novel, and my bridesmaids will be wearing the dress on this cover! Where can I get them?

"My name is Gigs and I demand things to be AWESOME!"

Have you seen those new Verizon FiOS ads, featuring Michael Bay? With the exploding grill and the ginormous pool that blows up? Great commercial. I'm very connected with this commecial; I also demand things to be awesome. Check it out by clicking on the title of the post.

So what's the what with LOST? I have to wait a month to find out? Why are Michael and Walt hiding their true identities? Why does Michael actually think that by killing a (literal) whole boatload of people that it will erase the guilt he has for killing Ana Lucia and Libby? And Libby has shown up in Michael's hospital room (or his dream at least) AND Hurley's hospital. This gal gets around! I think Adam over at EW sums up my thoughts on the ep:

"Only Ben could devastate Michael by coolly pointing out that the Others never asked
him to kill Ana Lucia and Libby; he did that all by himself. And only Ben could have the
chutzpah to follow that up by telling Michael he's now one of ''the good guys.''

So is Ben the real Big Bad? Does Widmore work for him? Or is Widmore only one of many pawns in Ben's big game? And was the big death the writers told us about really Karl and Rousseau? Really? I mean they were cool and all, but I really thought it would be someone I really cared about like Ben or Jin or Charlie again. Well,we have 5--FIVE!!!-weeks to discuss. My suggestion is to get started now before you forget how awesome this season has been so far.

He's back! They're back!

Yesterday CBS aired the first new eps of some of their best shows since the strike began waaaaay back in the fall. And I didn't know how much I missed Leonard, Marshall, Lily, and Christine. Welcome back guys! We missed you!

“After a day spent staring at a computer monitor, think of (a) book as a kind of screen saver for your brain”

I like to read. I really like to read. But I'm very picky about what I read. I DO judge books by their covers. I DO NOT wait to finish at least 3 chapters or 100 pages to decide if I want to keep reading. Authors take note: You CAN lose in me 5 pages and under. Publishers I don't care how good the text is, the cover better be good.

I started reading a book this morning and it was around page 3 that I realized that this is the kind of book for me. Spud by John van de Ruit is totally awesome! (hello, 1995) What I mean is that it's filled with witty dialog, funny funny situations, and completely relatable character. I would tell you more, but I'm only on page 30. But he had me at page 3, line 3. Good thing I live alone...my shrieking could have woken the dead.

Speaking of reading here's a scary statistic: in 2006, 46% of adults in the U.S. finished at least one book. ONE BOOK! 54% of you didn't even read ONE BOOK! Were you too busy watching American Idol? Maybe you were chatting yourselves to death on your cell. News flash: there are good books out there. Many are being adapted for these new fangled things called movies. YES, you read it here first! You can READ a story and then WATCH it! How cool is that? Then you can gripe about how the book was better. It must be working... three of 2008's best picture nominees were written stories first.

Anyhoo...I digress. This past week I've read some great things... A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly (great, great, great), 7th Heaven by James Patterson (the best fluff since the Marshmallow kind), The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig (a historical mystery that's not hard to follow?!?! What a novel idea!)

Are you one of the 46%? What are you reading?
Jack Kerouac was born today in 1922. So was Edward Albee, in 1928.

"It's gonna be legend-... wait for it... and I hope you're not lactose intolerant because the second half of that word is DAIRY! "

Entertainment Weekly, Gig's most fav magazine, has some fun stuff going on on their website today. There's a column about the 20 movies they (and I) can't wait to see. Forgetting Sarah Marshall! 21! Harold and Kumar 2! Just look at the movie poster and tell me you don't want to see it. I dare ya!



And then there's the column on the TV star you'd most likely date. Jim from The Office? Dr. Jack Shepard? Sylar? Jack Bauer? No thanks...I'm saving myself for Alex P. Keaton.

Good stuff...head on over during your coffee break and check it out. Better yet, bookmark the site. It's always filled with salty goodness.

Let's go back to the birthday listings I miss those.
Eva Mendez, the best thing about Ghost Rider, turns 34 today.

Photo taken from moviesmedia.ign.com

"In other words, he's Biff from Back to the Future 2."

Heartbreaking. Simply brilliant. Last night's ep. was great. Less Kate, more Desmond! I want more of Kierst--er, Penny's--dad, too. What's up with the Black Rock ledger? Why did Mr. Widmore want it? Will it help him locate the ship, which presumably is on the island, even tho it's 1996? Did he send Desmond there? What about Faraday? Is Desmond his constant b/c his visit in 1996 meant so much to Faraday? Ben!--what is that guy's story?!?! And where it hell is Michael? For a peek at some theories, check out Doc Jensen's column.

Girlicious--the new Destiny's Child? The new PCD? The new Go-Go's? The new Eden's Crush?

Before I start, let me preface this with a thanks....THANK Everything that is good that the strike is OVER. No more reality!!!! I can't handle it!

Ahem. And now onto today's topic. So as many of you know I have been entertaining myself with Quantum Leap on DVD. (Seriously, Knight Rider can get remade, but Sam and Al can't come back? How injust!)

But last night I crawled into bed, and found that the only show on at 9PM without any dead bodies was Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious on the CW. So I watched. Bad idea. The premise is so not original: Robin Antin (her of PCD and way too many collagen injections fame) and her team are choosing 3 girls to become Girlicious!: the next all girl pop band. I'm sorry? You actually think I will listen to a band called Girlicious? It was cute when Fergie sang "Fergalicious", but please.

Show highlights include Natalie, the Queen Bee and all around b**ch, but of course she happens to be the most talented of the group- she can sing and dance and walk in a straight line and chew gum! She also is very pretty. But she's not a collaborator-oh no. When Charlotte asked if she could borrow Natalie's boots, she said no, and cited the fact that they were in competition with each other. Yes, Natalie, Charlotte will be made a member b/c she was wearing your boots. Did I mention that most of these girls are 18-20 years old? All pert and full of attitude.
Last night's ep featured the girls singing karoke of Sugar Ray's Fly and Nelly Furtado's I'm Like a Bird--all while Sugar Ray frontman and host Mark McGrath and Nelly were in the audience!?!? Is that fair? Wait...this whole show is unfair! Oh and the BIG CRISIS of the night-Jenna was taken to the hospital with a ruptured cyst-and she still put on a great show!
Still, there were some highlights: Jenna is the daughter of personal trainers, and she's a big girl, and I mean that in a good way! And Ilisa, the redhead, has a great and very different voice (plus, um, red hair!)

Bad, dumb show. If I had to say now, they'd be the next Eden's Crush. Remember them? The band from the VERY similar WB show, Popstars? There was one breakout star from that group. Her name? Nicole Scherzinger, the lead (and only) singer of the Pussycat Dolls. Huh.

Photo: Michael Yarish/THE CW ©2007 THE CW NETWORK, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The written word survived!

The Strike is OVER! Will we get more Heroes, Chucks, and Bones before summer? Maybe, but we will definitly be getting more at some point! YAY WGA--congrats on your new deal! We've missed you! But we support you!

NO MORE WINTER!

That's It! I'm done, No more snow no more ice, no more temps below 50. I'm moving to Florida!

LIVE from my couch! The best ads of Super Bowl XLII

6:55 PM-Pepsi Max What is Love? featuring Chris Kattan-best cameo of the night? We'll see.

7:08-Wanted trailer--I'd see it just for the Special Effects

7:14 PM-Iron Man trailer-Good to see you, RDJ!

7:38 PM-T-Mobile-"I don't want to look fat in High Definition" w/Charles Barkley and someone else I think I should know.

7:39 PM- Pepsi Stuff-Justin, Andy, and Tony-if drinking a Pepsi was all I had to do to get Justin into my backyard, count me in!

8:43 PM-"I hear he even goes to Infinity." "But not beyond."- WALL-E trailer. But the real stars? Buzz and Woody? Where is Toy Story 3 already?

9:19 PM-another talking, spitting bay....zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

10:02-whaaa? sorry i guess i fell asleep. boring game. what' s that's? The Pats lost?!? Now, how did that happen? Oh well....Spring Training is right around the corner!

Best ad of the night goes to Pepsi! For not one,but two great ads. But the best was the first. Chris Kattan was indeed the best cameo of the night. Better than all those "celebs" they kept showing at the game.

She went for a really BIG pile of firewood!

Beware--SPOILERS follow!!!!

O.M.W.

Was it worth the eight month wait? HELL, YES it was! Lost S.4 kicked off with a bang, a boom, and a lot of yelling last night. The new ep. seemed to go on for hours, but really was its usual 60 minute length. And why do they always answer some of our questions but leave us with new ones? So we find out that 6 people make it off the island, and three of them are Jack, Hurley, and Kate. But what about the rest of them?

And let's discuss Charlie, who looks cuter dead than alive: with less scruff and all spiffy. And those SHADES...what a ROCK STAR!

And we finally catch a glimpse of Jacob...or do we? Was it actually Jack's dead (or not dead) father in the rocking chair? (I admit, I watched this scene with closed eyes and peeked through my fingers---hey, it scares me--but I have on good authourity that Hurley saw Jack's dad in the rocker---or maybe it was Charlie. Thanks, Jeff Jenson of EW).

We also get another Oceanic connections...the detective that questions Hurley was Ana Lucia's ex-partner! And--you heard it hear first---The guy who says he is from Oceanic Air that comes to visit Hurley IS THE BLACK SMOKE IN HUMAN FORM! Well, that's my theory.

The acting/writing/and general layout of this ep actually made me forget it had been 8 months since we left the island. It felt like no time had passed at all, a true testament of these people's storytelling talents. I CANNOT wait for next week! So many answers...so many more questions...and yet even more theories! TV is back, people! Get on board!

We have to go baaaak!

Ok so the week is finally here! LOST season 4 premiers this THURSDAY at 8PM. Now, I know it's running opposite Survivor, but I'm telling you that NOW is the time to jump in if you're not a fan or were a fan.

What's that? You're afraid you'll be lost on Lost? Well, it's good that the creators put together a little catch up video for ya. You can watch it on iTunes for free. It runs 8:15 (sic) minutes and comes complete with snarky comments.

Now that we finally have an end date for the show, I'm sure that it's going to be nothing but heart stopping excitement from now on. No more tailies and random storylines we don't care about.

Stay tuned for my review on Friday!

"There's a rumor going around in the circus..."

PBS has always been know for their amazing documentaries and for airing many awesome tv shows from England, but I think they outdid themselves with the Pioneers of Television. The four part series presents the history of the kinds of shows that make television what it is today: sitcoms, variety, late night, and game shows. The series complements actual footage from the shows it showcases with interviews with the people who lived and worked through it all.

It's been making me think about all the great "old" shows I used to love and their impact on today's hits. Would we have Deal or No Deal without You Bet Your Life? Or How I Met Your Mother without I Love Lucy? And it's obvious that all of our late night programs would be snow filled channels without the contributions of Ed Sullivan, Jack Parr, and Steve Allen. And I never knew about the cultural impact of the Smothers Brothers! Did you?

So with this writer's strike still on, I think I'll use this opportunity not to watch more prime time game shows and reality, but to check out some of my favorite tv shows, courtesy of my local library. I'm in the middle of the third season of Quantum Leap, which I used to watch all the time. And there are more I'd like to see again. What would be great is if PBS could get the rights to show all those great tv shows again. The Carol Burnett Show would be awesome! Remember this clip:


Clip taken from YouTube,posted by EarlSinclair.

I was going to write about the amazing new series on PBS, The Pioneers of Television, but it doesn't seem right.

Another great actor left us wondering what else he would have accomplished had he lived to see 30. Heath Ledger, admired by many for his turn as a cowboy in Brokeback Mountain, was one of the best young actors around. Though his role as Ennis is the aforementioned film was easily his most famous, many of us loved him as Patrick in 10 Things I Hate About You, a smart and surprisingly loyal adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew. And as William in A Knight's Tale, a movie so formulaic it should have bombed, but thanks to its brilliant casting, made for a very entertaining movie.

Heath was also in the cult series Roar which lasted less than one season ABC, but did very well on DVD. Even in bad movies, Heath shined. Take The Order...terribly boring movie, but watchable for his performance. Even those dreaded romcoms were made better with Heath--Casanova could have been absolute crap (and kinda was if not for Heath's performance). And when I found out he would be playing the Joker in The Dark Knight, I knew people would learn what my friend Kathy and I saw way back on the big screen at 10 Things....this guy is a star! As we learned as his career grew, he was also an actor. Too many of the Hollywood types today are stars, not actors. Even fewer are both. Heath was one of the few.

So not to dwell on the life of someone I haven't met (the tabloids will do that for us), tomorrow we will go back to our regularly scheduled postings.

Grrr.....

I am very put out by all this. For about 4 years, I have been dreaming about decorating a house in the amazingly simple and modern designs that Todd Oldham created for La-Z-Boy. Well, I finally have a place of my own and, trying to undo the "dorm room chic" that adorns it now, I stopped at my local La-Z-Boy store only to find out that they no longer carry Todd Oldham designs! Well, now what do I do?

I went to other stores in the area and all I found was over priced, over stuffy furniture. I mean, my parents wouldn't even want this stuff ( though my boyfriend was especially excited over at Cabot House.) Blech. And the limited modern pieces I DID find, were so durn expensive.

Anyhoo, do any of my generous readers have a secret furniture shop they'd be willing to share?

Christopher Plummer is freaking me out!

Welcome to the first post of 2008!

What better way to start the year than my looking back at an old favorite of mine: The Sound of Mucus, er, I mean the Sound of Music.

The 40th anniversary DVD includes some awesome extras, the best being commentary by Julie Andrews, Charmian Carr, and Christopher Plummer.

We learn all sorts of wonderful and not so wonderful tidbits that will surely leave you looking at the film in a whole new light:

1. Charmian, who played Liesl, was eight years younger than Julie, so she found it hard to play her daughter. Also, Charmian was 21 when she played Liesl and the guy who played Rolfe was 20, so she had a hard time with the Sixteen Going on Seventeen bit.

2. Julie kept getting knocked over by the wind the helicopter was making during the filming of the opening scene. Also, the brook she jumps over was built for the production.

3. Charmian admits she not only had a crush on Christopher during filming, but that she shared a lot of firsts with him...first glass of champagne, first red wine, first whiskey...One can only imagine what else they shared. Wait....don't.

4. Christopher tells the story that about 15 years after the film, he was doing a play and he had a guest come visit after the show. "In walks this hot blond woman!" The visitor? Kym Karath, who played Gretl.

5. All the kids were American actors! Well, they just threw credibility right out the window!

My recommendation to all is to listen to the commentary to learn more fascinating and creepy facts about the making of this fantastic film. Sure, you may come out a bit jaded, but for me, it made the movie even better! I no longer feel that my crush on Christopher is inappropriate.