I Am Over (un)Supergirl

I have watched Supergirl since its pilot episode. But after Tuesday night's episode (1-18, “World's Finest”) I'm not so sure I want to keep watching. The thing is, I was kind of excited about the crossover with Barry Allen, a.k.a. the Flash, showing up. And he was kind of cool. But I was sorely disappointed with Supergirl's so called “super powers” (and have been for a while now).

Sure, she can fly at super speed, and has X-ray vision, and heat vision, and all the other abilities she is supposed to have. But she really seems to be lacking in other “super” powers.

To start: She (and the Flash) were going up against the Silver Banshee and Livewire. But when Silver Banshee let loose with a powerful sonic blast it disoriented Supergirl and made her ears bleed! So she had to wear special ear buds provided by Barry to block the sound.

The next time they met, the sonic blast actually threw Supergirl backward into a wall. And then Silver Banshee punched Supergirl and knocked her at least ten or fifteen feet away, and down!

And then when Livewire sent an electrical blast at a helicopter, Supergirl blocked it, but was rendered almost unconscious, and fell out of the sky.

She doesn't seem very super to me.

But she isn't the only reason I have gotten dissatisfied with the show: it seems like they have written out Alex Danvers (Chyler Leigh) in favor of Lucy Lane (Jenna Dewan Tatum). Now I think both women are as gorgeous as they can be, but if I had to choose which one to keep in the show, it would have to be Alex Danvers. Not only because she is Kara's sister, but she was there first.

And It seems like Hank Henshaw/J'onn J'onzz (David Harewood) is gone as well. But if they need to cut down on the cast, the one to go should be James Olson (Mehcad Brooks). The main reason is because Hank Henshaw/J'onn J'onzz is a much more interesting character, and is a “super hero” besides.

James Olson, on the other hand, has done nothing other than moon, first over Lucy Lane, and then over Kara Danvers. He brings nothing to the show that couldn't be provided by an extra brought in off the street.

The show, which showed so much promise at the beginning, has slowly become so much of a letdown that makes me wonder if I want to waste an hour each week watching it.

"That's Life"

That's Life

When I was really young I don't remember wishing I was any particular age. Mostly I was interested in the upcoming holidays, like Christmas, maybe Easter, Halloween, and of course my birthday.

(I don't remember when or why my mother started making me coconut cakes for my birthday, which really was a white cake with white icing covered with shredded coconut.)

But when I was probably twelve or thirteen, I knew that after I turned fourteen, I could take the written test, and if I passed it, I could get my Florida Learner's Permit to drive. Which I did.

But it had a couple of restrictions – a licensed driver over 18 (or 21) had to be in the front seat at all times when I was driving, and no night driving. Of course, this was to allow me (and others) to learn to drive. Since my dad was always working, my mother was the one who was with me as I learned to drive, and to parallel park (a requirement on the driving test).

Of course, then my next age-to-be goal was to turn 16 so I could take the driving test.

(I remember in high school that we (students) had to take the written test for our Operator's License in the library  in order to take Driver's Ed, which was supposed to lower our insurance premiums.)

And less than a month after I turned 16, my dad took me to take the driving test.

The most number of points (demerits) you could get and still pass the test was 20. I got 21, so I failed it. I took the test in our '56 Chevy Bel Air, and the speedometer was stuck at 20 mph, so Dad thought maybe one reason was that the tester thought I was going too slow. I don't remember how I did on the parallel parking, but I guess I did okay. A month or so later, Dad took me back and this time I passed with 18 points.

The next age I looked forward to being was 18. I would have graduated from high school, I was kinda / sorta an adult, and (unfortunately) I was eligible to be drafted (the Viet Nam war was going on at the time). Instead of waiting to be drafted, I joined the Air Force when I was 17 (with both parents' signatures).

And of course, next I looked forward to turning 21, when I could legally buy and drink alcoholic beverages, and I could vote.

(In 1967, the voting age was 21. But in 1971, the 26th Amendment lowered the voting age to 18. And because so many returning Viet Nam vets were under 21, and the drinking age on military bases was 18, there was the push to lower the age of drinking to 18. So in 1972, it was. But because so many students in high school were 18, and they were buying alcohol and bringing it into the schools, and because there were so many teenage driving fatalities, the drinking age was changed back to 21 in the mid 1980s. Plus the Viet Nam war was over and there were no more under-21 soldiers coming back.)

Then the next age I wanted to be was 25 - my car insurance would go down. I suppose the insurance companies thought that by the time you turned 25, you were a more responsible driver.

I doubt if I wanted to be 30, because I remember thinking that, well, 30 was THIRTY!

(As those of you who are still under 30 will probably agree. And maybe some of you may remember the hippies' mantra from the '70s - “Don't trust anyone over thirty.”)

So I decided that 25 was a good age to be.

When I hit 35, and looking back, I decided that 30 wasn't so bad. I was pretty responsible, I had a decent job, and I was making enough money to live comfortably. So that was the age I would want to be.

And when turned 40, I didn't remember much, if anything, about being 30, but I remembered when I was 35 I thought it was good age, so 30 it was.

And ditto for 45, 50 and 55. But when I hit 60, I realized that 70 was just around the corner. And 70 is OLD! So ANY younger age would have been a good one to be.

However, when I was 62, and I was hearing about Social Security retirement, I couldn't wait to turn 66 so I could earn a full week's paycheck AND collect my full retirement with no penalty. Woo Hoo!

But 70 is not so far away anymore.

My health, for the most part, is still pretty good. But colds that I used to be able to kick in a week or so, now seem to last 3 or 4 weeks. And they have started developing into more serious ailments than just head congestion or coughing. But I can still work all day without feeling too tired. Of course, there are those aches and pains I didn't used to have. And there are things I used to do that are harder now, or especially hard to do (just as I remember hearing Dad complain about getting older and not being able to do the things he used to be able to do).

But looking ahead to 75, 80, 85, and older, I can't help but recall watching my parents as they aged and their health problems got worse.

And that is the blessing, and the curse, of modern medicine. We are all living longer (as a whole), but as we get older, it means that our quality of life will not be what we would like it to be. In fact, you can be certain it won't be much fun at all!

But, as you know: “That's life.”

Thor's Hammer (Mjölnir) - Its Powers Explained

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     There are two popular versions of Thor's Hammer. The one from Norse mythology, known as Mjölnir  ("That which marks and pulverizes to dust").

     Its power included "whatsoever might be before him, and the hammer would not fail; and if he threw it at anything, it would never miss, and never fly so far as not to return to his hand." And is"capable of leveling mountains."


   The other version of the hammer is from the Marvel comic books and movies. The following refers to the hammer used by Thor in the movies. 

   According to  the movies, the Asgardian technology is 1000 years ahead of us. To give you some idea of how advanced they are, just look at our civilization 1000 years ago: 
     Most of the population was involved in farming, with a village surrounded by two large and unfenced open fields. The village would have consisted of several small huts. They often housed the family's animals. There would be one or two rooms, with a loft for storage. The family lived in a single room.
  There was no electricity, no running water (other than a river or stream), no medical facilities, nothing we now take for granted.

   So first, a list of the powers of Thor's Hammer (not called Mjölnir in this case to distinguish it from mythology).

1)    It can absorb and then discharge a lightning bolt.
2)    When slammed to the ground, it can cause minor earthquakes.
3)    Whenever it is spun by its leather strap, Thor can fly as fast and as high as needed.
4)    It will always return to Thor's hand.
5)    Only those deemed 'worthy' may pick up The Hammer.
       
1)   The Hammer is very much like a battery - it will absorb an electrical charge, and then discharge it when necessary.
2 and 3)   The Hammer contains a gravity / anti gravity generator. When traveling downward, the gravity generator half energizes, slamming The Hammer hard enough to cause the ground to shake.  When it is spun fast enough, the anti-gravity kicks in and Thor is able to fly. 
4)   The Hammer returns to Thor's hand because of it recognizes Thor's DNA and "follows the scent" to return to him.
5)    Although The Hammer may actually only weigh 100 - 150 pounds, if put on a scale, only those deemed 'worthy' will be able to pick it up.  But who determines who is worthy? Odin, obviously. In the first 'Thor' movie it was Odin who stripped Thor of the power to wield The Hammer. So if Odin wanted to, he could deem anyone as worthy - Lady Sif, Heimdall, Jane Foster, or even Loki.

Season Three Finale of "The Americans"

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I've been watching the FX drama "The Americans."

(If you don't know what it is about: It takes place in the 1980's and two Russian spies, Elizabeth and Phillip Jennings are sleeper agents. They came to America, settled down, and had two children, Paige and Henry, who are now in their teens.)

About the middle of the third season, after Paige's insistence, they told her they were from Russia, working for the Soviet Union. Paige understandably was taken aback (she asked them if they were killers or drug dealers). And they told her if she told anyone they would be arrested and sent to prison, for life!

And she had questions, but she never asked the ones I would have (maybe because she was only 16).

The first question I would want to know is, of course, "Why?"  Is life in Russia so much better? (They lived in a two story house with an attached garage and basement. And they drove a relatively new car.)

The next question would be that after living in the US for 18 years, more or less, how could they still be loyal to the Soviet Union?

And I would have asked what was going to happen to them when their mission is over and they returned to the Soviet Union? Neither Paige nor Henry speak Russian, and their lives and way of living is strictly American.

But, there is a new problem that ended the season - Paige called Pastor Tim, her pastor and confidant, and told him her parents were liars and they wanted to make a liar out of her. And that they weren't Americans. And then the damning statement - they were Russians!

Of course, just being Russian didn't automatically mean they were spies. And maybe Pastor Tim would just blow it off, or not believe her. But saying he did, and he called the FBI, and they investigated and found that Elizabeth and Phillip WERE spies.

Where would that leave Paige and Henry? Since Henry knew nothing about this (he is two years younger than Paige), how would he feel knowing Paige betrayed  his parents? Would he agree with her decision? Or hate her?

And since they have no relatives, it never occurred to Paige that there would be no one to take care of them? No place they could go but into foster care? And then there would be a good chance she and Henry would be separated?

Maybe she didn't think about all of this. But depending on what happens with Pastor Tim next season, things could go badly for all of them!
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More Eye Candy!

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Lots I could write about, but nothing that is particularly interesting, so time for more gorgeous women.

Google backtracked about sexually explicit photos on their blog sites. I don't have any. But the closest I do have is the B/W photo of Leslie Bibb's outstanding naked ass.

So - more delightful women to look at (AND I can download them to my smart phone for wallpaper).

 Emily Bett Rickards - Felicy Smoak on "Arrow"

 Don't know her name, but find her extremely attractive!

Maria Avgeropoulos - Octavia on "The 100"

Olivia Munn - Attack of the Show, The Newsroom, Miles from Tomorrowland.

Jessy Schramm - Falling Skies, The Lizzie Borden Chronicles

Natalie Portman - Queen Amidala in 'Starwars';  Jane Foster in 'Thor'

Yvonne Strahovsky - Sarah Walker on "Chuck"

New Year's Resolution and Eye Candy

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A few days late on the resolution, but....

Made mine New Year's Day (forgot about it the Eve before). And it is the same one I make every year ... and I have never broken it!

And it is -- "I resolve to only make one resolution for the New Year."

And I just did.

And because these posts seem so drab and plain, I have decided to add a picture of some young woman I find particularly attractive. And today's photo is of  Meaghan Rath.

Meaghan played Sally Malik  on the TV show "Being Human" (the American version) until it ended its run in 2014 after 4 seasons.

She was born in 1986 in Montreal. Her father is Austrian and her mother is from India.

"Sorry for your loss" - Part Two

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In my last blog I wrote about how phony that sounds.

Recently my mother passed away and I got a card from the company I work for, signed by about a dozen coworkers, and at least half had written that.

And while I appreciate the card, it seems like they could have written something a bit more original.

Also, my dad died ten years ago, and I had forgotten that everyone has a "when my [insert relative here] died" story.

That's it. Short and sweet.
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"I'm Sorry For Your Loss"

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That phrase used to mean something - you found out someone's friend or relative died and you were genuinely  sorry for their pain.

But now, it is so overused it is just like "have a nice day" or "call me" or "how are you?".  It is said but not really meant for anything but making conversation.

If it is going to be used, why can't it sound more like, "I'm sorry for the loss of your [mother, father, wife, son, etc.]?

Just saying.
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TV shows ... Bits and Pieces

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As usual, haven't written in a long time.

The new TV season is starting up so I thought I'd write a few lines, or more, about some of them -- new and coming back. (In no particular order.)

     NCIS -- I've been watching this one from the beginning. I think I watched it when the characters were introduced on JAG (another show I followed). And for the most part I have liked it. I hated it when Kate (Sasha Alexander) was killed off. But after a few episodes I really began to like Ziva David (Cote de Pablo). And I hated IT when she left the show. And it just hasn't been the same without her.
    The one character I never cared for (and still don't) is Anthony diNozzo (Michael Weatherly).  He was/is nasty, mean-spirited, sarcastic, misogynistic, and rather unlikable. And if this had been real life, he wouldn't have lasted two weeks with his attitude!

    Selfie -- This is a new show starring the delightful Karen Gillan (Amy Pond of Dr. Who) and John Cho. Only one episode has aired so far. And while I pretty much hate sitcoms  (not funny, boring, stupid and not funny) I kind of like this one. The only reason I watched was because of Karen. But the one thing I don't like is her American accent.
    Karen is Scottish, and I love hearing a woman with a Scottish accent (even more so than one with and Irish accent). Her voice sounds the same, but I want the Scottish back.
    The pilot episode was actually funny in spots, so I may watch a few more just to see how it turns out.

     Longmire -- This is (WAS)  modern western set in Wyoming near an Indian reservation. It starred Robert Taylor (who I never heard of) and Katee Sackoff (from the new Battlestar Galactica). I only started watching because of Katee. It was a good show but after three seasons it was canceled even though is got good ratings (for A&E) , but the audience was not the 18 - 40 demographic. So that sucks.
     I hear it is being shopped around for another network. USA or FX or TNT would be good homes for it.

    The Witches of East End -- This one is starting its third season on the Lifetime channel. I started watching since I was a big fan of Charmed. And like Charmed, the witches are all gorgeous women. But the only one I ever heard of was Julia Ormond, --Joanna, the mother.
    One of the daughters, Ingrid, is played by Rachel Boston. She looked familiar but I couldn't place her.
   The other daughter, Freya is played by Jenna Dewan Tatum. I had never heard of her, but she IS gorgeous. The other witch is an aunt, Wendy, played by Mädchen Amick, who I never heard of, but also is a real looker.
     The show has cool and clever magic, and interesting story lines, so I'll stay with this one.

{getting rather long, so just one more}
   
      Haven -- This is a show similar to The X-Files -- odd goings on and the investigators. I really don't like shows like this (couldn't stay with The X-Files or Supernatural), but for some reason I started watching this one and really like it.
    It is set in the small town of Haven, Maine. The town is plagued with the "Troubles."  Bad things happen because certain people of the town have supernatural powers, they sometimes don't realize they have, that causes other people to die, or buildings to burn or collapse, things like that.
     The star of the show is oh-so-attractive Emily Rose, who I had never heard of until I started watching.  Her character has lived in Haven as a different person many times in the past.
     For most of the first four seasons, her name was Audrey, and she was immune to the Troubles, so she could investigate and solve (with the local sheriff/love interest) all the chaos and mayhem. But in the current season she is now Mara, and she is evil.
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And AGAIN, Shows That Were NOT Nominated for an Emmy!

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Every year I say I am not going to get pissed about the shows I like that are not nominated for an Emmy while shows I hate, I think everyone on them should fall over and DIE!

But when not only shows I like are ignored, but the ones that millions of other people like as well, then I have to write something about it.

Those who should be nominated (as the Christians put it: "If there was a God." Or maybe that's the Agnostics who say that.) --
(Not an all inclusive list, many have been left off, but these are the ones I'm most pissed off about.)

Tatiana Maslany for "Orphan Black" - Best Actress

Juliana Margulies for "The Good Wife" - Best Actress

Archie Panjabi for "The Good Wife" - Best Actress

Of course, there are those in the past that deserved Emmys but never were even nominated - Lauren Graham, "Gilmore Girls", Kristen Bell, "Veronica Mars", "Buffy the Vampire Slayer".

And while I'm on this rant, I don't think ANY shows on channel you have to pay for (HBO, Showtime, Starz, etc.) should be nominated since not everyone can afford  to buy these channels.

That's All.
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Under the Dome

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Just watched he first episode of the second season. I had heard two people were going to be killed off in this episode. And they were.

The first was Linda, the deputy sheriff. That sucked.

But the second person to be killed was at the end of the show. and it was Angie ( Britt Robertson )!  And THAT pissed me off!

If she, somehow doesn't come back to life in the next couple of episodes, I'm going to stop watching!

Britt was one of the reasons I started watching it in the first place.

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DVD Commentaries

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I have tons of DVDs, as I'm sure many people do. Some are movies and some are TV series. And sometimes I like to watch them with audio commentaries running.

But what I don't like are the commentaries by the writers, directors, producers, etc.

One of the reasons I want to watch a movie, and end up buying it, is because of the actors and/or actresses in the movie, and if there is a commentary track, they are the ones I want to listen to.

And this goes double for a TV series DVD.  When I follow a TV series I get invested in the characters and when there is a commentary track THEY are the ones I want to listen to, not the people I don't know or care about - the aforementioned directors, producers, writers.

With two exceptions -- Joss Whedon, creator, writer and director of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel series, and Rob Tapert, creator, writer and director of Xena: Warrior Princess.

And one other thing -- why can't the Blu-ray DVDs include the option to watch the movies or episodes with the deleted scenes included? Sometimes they add important or needed scenes that were taken out for whatever reason (usually for running long on TV episodes).

And that is all
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The Amazing Spider-man 2

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Went to see the movie yesterday. And I didn't like anywhere near as much as I wanted to. It just wasn't amazing.

 The first one (The Amazing Spider-man) wasn't too bad, and I bought the DVD when it was released, but I seriously doubt if I'll buy this second one.
(Maybe if I find it in the used bargain bin for a few bucks I might.)

I think the problem was that there was just too much pathos between Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy (played by the cute, sweet-looking  Emma Stone .
PP broke up with her because of a promise he made to her dying father in The Amazing Spider-man #1. Then he made up with her, then he broke up again, made up. Then she broke up with him, back together.  SO tiring.

The main villain, Electro was pretty cool, and the SFX were great, but there was just no real excitement. And then just at the end Harry Osborn as the new Green Goblin shows up for about 10 minutes when Spidey kills  him - whoopee.

And since I don't care about giving any spoiler alerts -- Gwen also dies at the end.  She is falling from about 20 stories and at the last moment Spideys' web catches her in the midsection and it obviously broke her back since she was bent almost double.

Months go by, then Spider-man resurfaces to begin the fight against the next movie's baddie - The Rhino.

And who will be his girlfriend in the third movie? My candidate would be Osborn's assistant, Felicia, played by the very attractive  Felicity Jones .                                                


Out of 5 stars the best I can give this is a 2 (the first one a 4)
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Gorgeous Girls - Photos with no explanation

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Just nice to look at!

                                                                  Anne Hathawy

                                                                    Olivia Munn

Catherine Bell

Katherine Heigl

Danica Patrick

                     

                                                                       

Sarah Shahi

Simone LeBlanc

                         

Shiri Appleby

Alison Haislip

                                                                       

 Katee Sackoff

Simone LeBlanc

The new "Veronica Mars" Movie

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Kristen Bell

If you never watched the "Veronica Mars" series, you should - NOW!

I went to the "Veronica Mars" movie starring Kristen Bell as Veronica.  If you've seen the series then I don't have to list the characters. And if you haven't, then they won't mean much to you.

But you CAN go the the movie even if you haven't seen the show and still enjoy it. But if you go, make it soon. It is one of those special releases that may, or may not, be shown for a couple of weeks, depending on how many people attend.

Of course, you can buy all three three seasons of the TV series, and the movie from Amazon.com .

The movie is GREAT. And most of the old, familiar actors are back, and do a wonderful job recreating such delightful characters.

I don't know what else I can say, except if you DON'T see the movie, you are missing out on a good time!
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The Hottest, SEXIEST Woman on Earth ! !! !!!

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All I know about her is that her name is Kim, and she was on the cover of the 2011 WingHouse calendar.

I have tried several time to find more pictures of her, or more about her, on the WingHouse website, but there is nothing.

I also know that I would gladly give up one year of my life to spend one night with her (or two and two).  Which means that I would only live to be 98 or 99 instead of 100.
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Monday Night TV - AGAIN!

Been a long time since I last posted. Thought about it a few times, but just didn't.

So, now I will again bitch about the way Monday night TV has been overloaded with too many shows I want to watch (if it weren't for Comcast's On Demand, I'm not sure what I would do).
So, to start:

8 p.m.
Lost Girl (Syfy)
Switched at Birth (ABC Family)

9 p.m.
Being Human (Syfy)
Beauty and the Beast (CW)

10 p.m.
Bitten (Syfy)
Castle (ABC)
Intelligence (CBS)
The Blacklist (NBC)

The rest of the week isn't so bad, except the some of the shows I watch are on at the same time -
Killer Women (ABC), Justified (FX), and Chicago Fire (NBC) are on at 10 pm Tuesday nights.
Arrow (CW) and Revolution (NBC) are both on at 8 pm on Wednesdays.

Of course, when the network suits read this and realize there are shows I watch that aren't scheduled to air at the same time, they will certainly fix that!

Alexis Bledel in "Violet & Daisy"

        Bought the DVD and watched it. First impression that it was kind of Pulp Fiction-ish. Odd things happen, with flashbacks and a dream sequence.

Brief synopsis...

Violet (Alexis) and Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) are hit women. Violet and Daisy celebrate Daisy's 18th birthday. They both love singer and entertainer Barbie Sunday, who canceled a concert, but had a line of fashion coming out, including a signature dress they both want.

    So they take one last easy job - get in "The Guy's" apartment, wait for him to come home, and kill him. They sit on the sofa waiting and fall asleep. He comes in, covers them with a spread, and sits down in a chair to wait for them to wake up.

    They do, then go into a bedroom to discuss why he didn't take their guns. They decide to just run in and blast away, which they do, with eyes closed. But he was in the kitchen making cookies. He wants them to kill him because he robbed somebody also, and those guys coming for him will torture him first.

    Violet has to go out to buy more bullets.

    Daisy and The Guy start bonding. He discovers that Violet is more violent than Daisy, and she kind of wants to be like her, and kind of doesn't. Also he is dying of cancer and doesn't want to suffer and linger.

    The other guys come in, Violet comes in after them and kills all four of them. They put them in the bathtub.

    Violet again goes out for more bullets. Daisy finds out The Guy has a daughter who, for some reason, blames him for her mother's death even though it was an auto accident.

    Violet comes back, he is ready to die, but only one of them shoots and kills him. They get out by the fire escape as the cops come in the front door.

    They buy the dresses, then separate. Daisy goes to the school where April, The Guy's daughter, is attending, and gives her the Barbie Sunday dress, telling her it is from her father.

    End of movie. The only extra was the theater preview - which had the scenes all jumbled up, as usual.

   

    April was played by the awesome Tatiana Maslany, who is SO wonderful in Orphan Black.

    I can kind of understand why the movie went straight to DVD, not the blockbuster that studios and theater owners want to offer.

But out of 5 stars, I'd give it 4

For pics of Alexis -- Alexis Bledel

And --
Tatiana Maslany in "Orphan Black"

Shiri Appleby on Law & Order: SVU

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In the episode, Shiri played a Coast Guard ensign who got too drunk (she was fed alcohol shots) and then was gang raped by three of her shipmates.

And even though I probably shouldn't have been,  I was amazed at how great Shiri's acting was. She really nailed it!!

    I guess I was so used to seeing her in things like Roswell, Darklight, Pizza My Heart, ER, Life Unexpected, Dating Rules from My Future Self, and Chicago Fire.  

Some roles were lighthearted and some were dramatic, but none as dramatic as SVU. 

I can see a Golden Globes or Emmy nom for sure. 

Photos of Shiri

 

The Crazy Ones

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This is the new comedy show starring Sarah Michelle Gellar and Robin Williams.

I am NOT a fan of sitcoms since they are never funny, they are boring, and are never funny.

I really wanted to like this because I will always be a Buffy fan, and I really like Sarah. But she is not a comedienne. Every time she delivered a "funny line" the look on her face was like she expected the audience to laugh. Or hoped they would.

Robin Williams was typical of his brand of comedy. But with his age, he just looked foolish.

I think Sarah is more suited to dramatic roles such as Buffy, and "Ringer."  (There was a lot of criticism of this show, but I liked it. I thought Sarah did a good job playing twins Siobhan and Bridget.)
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