Amalgamation (or It's Been a While and I've Been Meaning to Blog About This.)

Totally random things I felt important enough to bookmark and comment on later. Well later is finally now.

1) Ten Craziest Job Perks
As someone in the market for permanent employment, I read the article above with hope that maybe my new job would offer one or two of these things. But when Google hands out free, chef-prepared lunches (they spend an estimated $72 million dollars a year on food for their employees!), Microsoft campus has it's own mall and IT firms start providing free-of-charge housekeeping, any company would be hard pressed to compete. And here I was super-excited last week when the office I was working at had chocolate covered cherries. While it wasn't free lunch, those cherries were quite tasty.

2) The Dehydration Myth
This article is linked for all those times someone told you, you don't drink nearly enough water. You need at least eight cups a day! They're right. But more importantly, they're WRONG. And for someone like myself who would choose apple or cranberry juice over water any day, it is gonna be AWESOME the next time someone tries to tell me my daily water quotient is a little low and I show them this article.

3) The World's Most Underrated Cities
Ever since my ex-boyfriend broke up with me after his semester abroad, Italy and I have had a love-hate relationship. I love it because it's beautiful and romantic and dreamy. I hate it because I can't think about it without immediately remembering that he thought so too. Ugh. And while that relationship ended years ago, I still feel like Italy's tainted. Well no more. As soon as I can get my fanny over there, I'm going to gorge myself on spaghetti Bolognese with fresh grated Parmesan and every kind of gelato I can manage. Bologna, Italy: I'm coming for you! (There are 25 great cities on this list, so be sure to flip through all the slides!)

4) BBC Dimensions
Have you ever wondered just how large the Gulf oil spill was? Or how many people were in Athens during the Peloponnisan War? Or better yet, just how big the pyramids of Giza really are? No? Well I have, because I am a NERD. If you have entertained these thoughts, then look no further than BBC Dimensions for the answer. This website allows you to input your area code and see how much space the Great Wall of China takes up in a familiar landscape. Not gonna lie, I spent like an hour on this website one day. WHEN I DID NOT HAVE THE TIME. Ah, well. Such is the way of the internet.

5) ABSURDITY
I can't even begin to tell you how crazy this was or the fact that, according to the letter sent in reply, this sort of thing happens all the time. Ridiculous. Interest piqued? Just go ahead and click. You know you want to. Hint: Copyright law totally applies here!

6) ANIMALS TALKING IN ALL CAPS and Animals Being Dicks and When Parents Text
You know when you come across a gem on the interweb and it's so good you want to share it immediately while at the same time keep it for your own laugh-out-loud pleasure? These three websites are GEMS. I laughed OUT LOUD (LOL for realz) for like TWO FULL HOURS on the parent's texting website. Dude, even my mother thought it was hilarious. You must go there and see for yourself. You must. They're so funny, they even have a book out.

:) Hope you enjoyed!

FtLoTV: The Half-Hour Comedy (Sitcom)

(I finally did it guys! First real post in the series. Better late than never right? LOL!)

Remember Friends? You know, the delightful, laugh-out-loud, ensemble-cast, scripted, situational comedy (sitcom) that aired for 10 years? I know you remember the back and forth of Ross & Rachel's romance, when Chandler & Monica finally came out of the closet, the realization that Phoebe might be normal once we met her twin sister Ursula, and the "How you doin'?" that was Joey's signature phrase. You know you know all the words to, "I'll Be There For You." You've even got the timing of the clap. You saw the series finale, the 236th episode, full of babies, laughter and a hint of sadness. I mean, how sad was it when they left Monica's apartment for the last time? And how relieved were you when you found out that Ross and Rachel finally got it right?

Yes, I am writing about these fictional characters as if they were real people, still living their lives, albeit without the camera lens, simultaneously the microscope and the window into their world, pointed in their direction. But that's the point isn't it? Sometimes television is SO GOOD that you get invested.

Friends is hands-down one of the most successful sitcoms in the history of television. Hell, each of the six main cast members were bringing in ONE MILLION DOLLARS PER EPSIODE in the final season. If you do a little math: 18 episodes x 6 million dollars = 108 million dollars paid in the final season for the principal cast ALONE--- and remember, this money is for 22 minutes of screen time.

Money aside, clearly both the network (NBC) and the viewers thought this was quality--- dare I say it?--- GREAT television. Nowadays, sitcoms seem few and far between, at least the good ones. The 80's, 90's and early 2000's were chock full.* There was:

Mad About You, Boy Meets World, 3rd Rock from the Sun, 8 Simple Rules, Cheers, Dougie Houser, Full House, Fresh Prince, The Parkers, The Steve Harvey Show, Golden Girls, Hanging with Mr. Cooper, Just Shoot Me, Better Off Ted, Living Single, Married With Children, The Nanny, Reba, Martin, My Name is Earl, Home Improvement, Becker, Girlfriends, Everybody Hates Chris, Dharma & Greg, The Cosby Show, A Different World, Scrubs, Sister Sister, Will & Grace, What I Like About You, Veronica's Closet, Frasier, etc.

... just to name a few. And all these shows ran for at least three seasons, something many shows these days are finding hard to do.

So what is it? Is the sitcom dying? I think not. There are some good sitcoms on TV, especially with the influx of new blood in the Fall 2011 season.

So here it is: the good, the bad, the ugly, and the GREAT.**

The GOOD

Raising Hope. I must admit, when I saw the write-up for this last year, I was not impressed. Considering the premise was that a serial killer got knocked up by an average 25 year-old Joe, who, when she was executed, had to take care of the baby, I did not see how the show could last. There are only so many episodes in that storyline. But all it took was one episode and I was hooked. And considering it's in it's second season, I guess a lot of other people were too.

Honorable Mentions: Whitney, The Big Bang Theory, New Girl

The BAD

Two and a Half Men. I never really watched it regularly before the Charlie Sheen fiasco, but I thought I'd give Ashton Kutcher a try. And while I admire the almost seamless replacement of the lead character, it's still not that funny. Perhaps it's like Seinfield and I just don't get it. And I guess sometimes, there's a joke in there that makes me say, "Ha. That was funny."*** But honestly, I just usually end up turning the channel.

Seriously sad: How To Be A Gentleman

THE UGLY

House of Payne. Though it does seem to be getting better, no one wants to watch someone make a complete ass of themselves EVERY EPISODE.**** It physically hurts. And immediately the viewer has to change the channel to something even SLIGHTLY less idiotic for fear of getting stupider.*****

Disgust: Meet the Browns (Really, Tyler Perry needs to do better.)

THE GREAT

If someone asked me, right now, what my favorite comedy on television was I'd have to say,

How I Met Your Mother

Why, you ask? Because not only is it GREAT television, (both the writing and the acting are superb!), but the lives of the characters are so outrageous, they are actually kind of relatable. And Neil Patrick Harris is so awesome in his role as Barney, sometimes I forget he's not actually his character. Plus, the writers weave in long-lasting storylines that sometime come up seasons later. LOVE IT!



Honorable Mentions: 2 Broke Girls, Happy Endings (it's the dialogue!), Cougar Town

Now, the two glaring omissions are Modern Family and It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia which apparently go into the GREAT category, but there isn't enough time in the day to watch the many, many seasons I'm behind. So I'll take the word of their many fans :)


Opinions? Agree or Disagree? Sound off in the comment section. 2000 points for anyone who responds with a TV show they'd like me to rate or a question to answer :)

TTFN!

-----------
* The late 90's, early 2000's were, in my opinion, the golden era for black sitcoms. We should simultaneously thank and kick the WB and the CW for this era and it's downfall. Way to sell out guys!)

** This list does not include: Premium channel sitcoms (which are more 'dramedy' anyway) or animated shows, like Futurama, Drawn Together or Allen Gregory which are all awesome, by the way.

*** If something's sort of funny, I usually just state it. If I actually laugh out loud, then it's either really corny, or extremely hilarious. Those around me can usually tell the difference.

**** Embarass him/herself? YES. We eat that -ish up and think 'oh, I'm so glad that would never happen to me.' But act like a buffoon? NO. When it becomes so dumb that it's painful to watch, I wanna throw up a little in my mouth.

***** Yes, I know "stupider" is not a real word.

Ha!

In Computer Heaven:

The management is from Intel,
The design and construction is done by Apple,
The marketing is done by Microsoft,
IBM provides the support,
Gateway determines the pricing.


In Computer Hell:

The management is from Apple,
Microsoft does design and construction,
IBM handles the marketing,
The support is from Gateway,
Intel sets the price.

Funny Jokes!

Letter Scramble

When you rearrange the letters:

DORMITORY: DIRTY ROOM

PRESBYTERIAN: BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER: MOON STARER

THE EYES: THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH: HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE: HERE COME DOTS

SLOT MACHINES: CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY: IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS: LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS: ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT: I'M A DOT IN PLACE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO: TWELVE PLUS ONE

The Wall

In Jerusalem, a female CNN journalist heard about a very old Jewish man who had been going to the Wailing Wall to pray, twice a day, everyday, for a long, long time. So she went to check it out. She watched him pray and after about 45 minutes, and when he turned to leave, she approached him for an interview.

"I'm Rebecca Smith from CNN. Sir, how long have you been coming to the Wall and praying?"

"For about 60 years."

"60 years! That's amazing! What do you pray for?"

"I pray for peace between Christians, Jews and Muslims. I pray for all hatred to cease. And I pray for all our children to grow up in safety and friendship."

"How do you feel after doing this for 60 years?"

"Like I'm talking to a freaking wall."

Why did the chicken cross the road?

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER: To get to the other side.

PLATO: For the greater good of man.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.

KARL MARX: It was a historical inevitability.

CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK: To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.

HIPPOCRATES: Because of an excess of phlegm in its pancreas.

FOX MULDER: You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?

JERRY SEINFELD: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone ever think to ask, What the heck was this chicken doing walking around all over the place, anyway?"

FREUD: The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.

BILL GATES: I have just released the new Chicken Office 2000, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook.

OLIVER STONE: The question is not, "Why did the chicken cross the road?" Rather, it is, "Who was crossing the road at the same time, whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?"

CHARLES DARWIN: Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON: The chicken did not cross the road... it transcended it.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die. In the rain.

BILL CLINTON: I did not, and I repeat, did not have sexual relations with that chicken.

DR. SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes! The chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed, I've not been told!

COLONEL SANDERS: I missed one?

On my way to bed but had to post this! (Inside-joke alert!)

Saw this on a comment board about nerdy, hott actors:

Nathan Fillion is like maple syrup: excellent with pancakes.

SUCH AN AWESOME QUOTE!

And guess who posted it?
Somebody named JOY.

Am I missing something here, Ary?
J/K!

Toodles!

READ IT.

So I've been getting The Huffington Post Daily Brief in my inbox since before I knew it was cool.
Some stuff I just skip over either because I don't have time to read it or already read a bunch of articles about the topic, but sometimes I break down read all of the emails that have collected in my inbox (yes, I do have a special Politics inbox-- I'm a nerd, what can I tell ya?) and really look at them for content if not a similar opinion.

Yesterday? (Or some other day this week!) I found an article which pretty much sums up the way I feel about money, opportunity and people when those three words are found in the same conversation.

Kelli Goff, whose op-ed pieces I find quite fascinating, wrote an article entitled,

"Gwyneth Paltrow is Right. We're All Jealous (of her and George W. Bush)."

which is pretty much fan-frickin'-tastic.

Her claim is this: We understand that some people are born into privilege and some aren't. We accept that. It's a fact of life. But what really get our goad is when a person born into privilege A) doesn't realize it and B) further ignores his privilege by defining his success as an achievement which came solely from his own hard work.

NOTE: It's important to define the two major words at work in this article.
Privilege: a right, immunity or benefit enjoyed by a person beyond the advantages of most.
Success: the attainment of wealth, position, honors, or the like.

The reason for this note is that often people get the two confused in conversations like these, i.e. proponents of the "Don't hate; you're just jealous" mentality.

BACK TO IT.

Goff writes, it better than I do:

Well if your last name is Bush (or McCain or Kennedy for that matter) you don't need affirmative action programs, or Pell grants for college or an extension of unemployment benefits if you find yourself out of work, and your kids won't either. Why? Because you had the privilege of being born into privilege. And this is ultimately the issue. People should not be punished for being privileged. They can't help that anymore than the rest of us can help NOT being born into privilege. But it would be nice if they would extend the rest of us the courtesy of acknowledging their privilege, and not simply pretend that their success is built solely on a combination of hard work and chutzpah. But it seems like increasingly all we get to hear -- from members of Congress and now Ms. Paltrow -- is that if we're just a bit more disciplined and willing to work a little bit harder, we can achieve the same Dream as the privileged classes."


Now, isn't that just AWESOME? I love when people tell it like it is.


:) Love!

For the Love of TV: Introduction

So two things you should know about me if you don't already:

1) I LOVE TELEVISION.

Like seriously. Notice I did not write, "I like to watch TV." or "I love watching my favorite television shows." It goes deeper than that. I like the art of television. Dialogue, character placement, setting, plot, the turn of a phrase, comedic timing. There's bad television, good television and GREAT television. (And then there's the stuff that's so bad, it's good. And no, I'm not talking about reality TV. Reality TV is always bad. Or rather, I've never watched a reality TV show that didn't want to make me turn it off at some point because of it's sheer stupidity.)

2) I love, love love love, love when fiction makes me want to believe its real. In other words, the best books, the best films, the best TELEVISION will leave me wanting to live, work, eat and sleep in whatever world the writer has provided.

Now, of course this happens in varying degrees--not all works of art are created equal-- but for the most part, I can see the appeal in almost any television show. And sometimes, I can even tell if that appeal will make the show a hit or a miss.

So, for those of you who read my weekly? ramblings, I'm going to pretend that I have my dream job (at least at the moment) for the next few weeks and talk about one of my passions: GREAT TELEVISION.

Now to talk about great television, one must also talk about bad television, so you'll great a glimpse at both ends of the spectrum, and hopefully, some stuff in between. So, if you love TV like I do, or even, as one friend of mine put it, "tolerate it despite the drivel that it is," hopefully you'll find these posts interesting.

NOTE: I'm totally up for ideas as well! Any television show you want me to review? Any character you want me to analyze? Or wonder if I'd date? (LOL) Let me know IN THE COMMENT SECTION. (Love you Dwayne!)

Ta Ta for now!

Hotness in Celebrity Form - Gay Edition

First things first:

10,000 points to Dwayne for facebooking me to say he liked the last post.
1,000,000 points for Dan for writing commenting and guessing at the place. It doesn't exist right now, but someday it will :) If you want more details than that, message me on Facebook.

________________________________________________

Now for the new stuff :)

RANDOM POST, I KNOW.
And mainly for the ladies and/or gay men (if there are any?) who read this blog.

It's just that lately, I've been noticing that more and more Hollywood/celeb men have been coming out of the closet... and all of them (well, most of them) are HOTT. So what's a girl to do when she finds out the celeb she's been crushing on is G-A-Y? Well, she could get sad all by herself (not gonna lie, I was sad about Matt Bomer) or she could write a little blog about their awesome accomplishments and post their hott pictures so other girls can feel her pain.

So here's a (short) list of some of the attractive gay men in the spotlight. And gay men, feel the pain too. Some have partners (P)and others are only rumored to be gay (R). At least we still get to look!








JOHN BARROWMAN (P) - Actor, 43, Scottish-American. Most known for his role as Captain Jack Harkness on BBC's Dr. Who and Torchwood. Was considered for the role of Will on NBC's Will & Grace, but was deemed "too straight" (go figure). Most recently, he appeared as a love interest on ABC's Desperate Housewives and word is that he might appear on an episode of Fox's Glee! For those of you who like Sci-Fi (i.e. are a nerd like I am)Torchwood's due back on Starz this summer (July)! Awesome show, check it out!








NEIL PATRICK HARRIS (P) - Actor, 37, American. Most known for his title role as child prodigy-doctor in ABC's Doogie Howser, M.D and womanizing Barney Stinson in CBS's How I Met Your Mother. (Side Note: How I Met Your Mother is quite possibly the funniest sitcom on television right now. If you haven't heard about this show, Google it. NOW. Or you could wait on my write-up on it, as it is most definitely GREAT television and will be part of my "For the Love of TV" series. Either way, you will eventually learn of the greatness that is this show and NPH's character.)Won an Emmy for his performance in Fox's Glee.






ANDERSON COOPER (R)- Journalist, Author, 43, American. Majored in Political Science and International Relations at Yale University, interned at the CIA for two summers, and although he has no formal journalistic training, he continues to host a CNN news show, Anderson Cooper 360 while concurrently corresponding for CBS's 60 Minutes. Starting in September 2011, he will also host a nationally syndicated talk-show, Anderson for Warner Brothers. (Interesting to note: His mother is Heiress Gloria Vanderbilt of the New York Vanderbilts' or more commonly known, like the blue jeans.)


TOM FORD (P) - Fashion Designer, Film Director, 49, American. Most known for his turnaround of the Gucci fashion house and the creation of his eponymous label. Attended Bard's College at Simon's Rock, NYU and The New School, and graduated from the latter with a degree in architecture. Has worked for Cathy Hardwick, Perry Ellis, Gucci and when they aquired it, creative director of Yves Saint Laurent. Owns production company FADE TO BLACK, and directed his first film, A Single Man (2009) starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore.



DAVID BROMSTAD - Designer, 37, American. Winner of 2006 (debut season) of HGTV's Design Star. Attended Ringling College of Art and Design before working as a Disney illustrator. Started his own company Bromstad Studio, which designs fantasy bedrooms for children. In keeping with the prize for winning Design Star, his show Color Splash debuted in 2007. In 2010, Color Splash relocated to Miami, FL.





MATTHEW BOMER (R,P) - Actor, 33, American. Best known for his role as Neal Caffrey in USA's White Collar and his recurring role as Bryce Larkin in NEC's Chuck. Went to high school with fellow actor Lee Pace and attended Carnegie Mellon University. Also starred in the first season of Fox's Tru Calling. (Another side note: White Collar is another one of those good TV shows I keep telling you guys about. Just take my word for it and watch it.)

LUKE MACFARLANE (P?)- Actor, Musician, 31, Canadian. Most known for his role as Scotty Wandell in ABC's Brother's & Sisters. Attended Juilliard. Also starred in FX's short-lived series Over There about the conflict in Iraq. Plays classical cello and trumpet. (Interesting side note: It is rumored that he is currently dating WENTWORTH MILLER, the fine man pictured below. Now I'm not sure how true this is (Wentworth has had a few documented girlfriends and no documented boyfriends), but if it is true, I will say this: If two men could have babies, theirs would be so attractive, I'd betroth my daughter-- sans l'hésitation.











(WRITING THIS BLOG TOOK FOREVER. I'M TALKING HOURS.)

A MILLION points to whoever picks my new (straight!) celebrity crush and 100,000 points to those who post their own celeb crushes in the comment section.

And because people do comment every once in a while, I think I might start keeping track of these points and who knows... I might start giving prizes!

P.S. So, men of color are absent. I realize that. Not because they aren't hott, but because I couldn't really find any that were gay and hott. Sorry about that.

"things that make me squeal in delight and collapse into a fit of giggles"

Lately I've been reading this blog that is so funny, I actually laugh out loud, like for reals. BUT I can't share it with you just yet. I gotta keep it secret a while longer until I can catch up with the 4, 837 entries she's written already. I'm only 1/3 of the way through 2010.

Anyway, she inspired me to come up with my own list of things that makemehappie, like the kind of happy where I laugh, clap my hands and fall over. Hotchkiss people know what that looks like, lol.

brunch, horseback riding, baby animals - especially baby kittens :( I miss Buttons, funny blogs, Jimmy Choo shoes, small children (when they behave), a good book, TELEVISION, hotnessincelebrityform, crisp hotel sheets, comedy central joke of the day's, black stiletto boots, random information, warm apple pie with crumb topping (also known as streusel), reading, my grandmother's baked macaroni and cheese, that main street chocolate shop's raspberry animals, pretending to be sex-and-the-city cool with my girls, dressing up for fancy events, crushing on guys, guys' arm muscles (it's insane how much I love them, really), making fun of books I love (like Twilight), anything related to or can even be remotely labeled as science fiction, talking about religion (except Scientology), finding recipes online, baking, researching/dreaming about the things I could do if I won the lottery, going out to eat, looking up random words on dictionary.com (it used to use oed.com, but I no longer get it for free from NU… sad.), poetry, writing silly things that no one will ever read, making lists, guys who are talldarkhairedandskinny, keeping track of books I'll probably never read, when someone asks me "who was that guy in that one movie?", knowing the answer, wikipedia, corny television shows like Tower Prep (speaking of which, Drew Van Acker… pretty cute. He's my third blonde celebrity crush. Is it no longer the exception?), talking about legal things, laying down in my bed, random dance parties, girls' night-in, Poggio del Moscato wine, whiskey sours, grapes, red dirt (found in AL, GA, etc.), when little girls wear pigtails (so adorable), computer games (from Freecell to Age of Empires), theatre, inside jokes, having money in the bank, castles, rereading stuff I wrote when I was younger (it's hilarious how little I knew then, though I thought I knew a lot), Wal-Mart and Target (I refuse to choose between the two. They're both good for different things), strawberry ice cream, black knee-length socks, sleeping

Speaking of which… I think I might do that now.

Oh, and just for fun:

Okay, now I'm done.

So I was serious about that updating thing/Merlin - Colin Morgan

I haven't forgotten about ya'll! (Ya'll being like the three people who read this blog or maybe just the two who actually care about what I have to say, lol.) I told you I was really trying to do something different this year and actually, you know, blog.

First things first. TWO MILLION POINTS to Aryelle who actually cared/knew me well enough to try to figure out that ridiculously AWESOME poem I made up (on the fly, might I add) in the last post's comment section. She almost got it right too.

So without further ado, I introduce the topic of COLIN MORGAN aka my new favorite celebrity crush and one of the reasons ComicCon is going to be like, the highlight of my life this year.


But first I must admit to you guys just HOW MUCH of a nerd I really am by explaining to you just HOW MUCH I freaking l-o-v-e anything about Athurian Legends/the Middle Ages. So much so that people used to ask me what that random poster I had up in my room was all about. You know the one with the guy in full armor (I'm talking CHAIN MAIL, baby) on horseback holding a jousting stick, a sword and a mace while trying to simultaneously help a lady onto the back of his horse? Yeah, THAT one.

Seriously, if it weren't for the TRUTH of that period (you know that being a black person sucked at that time and I would have never had the chance to be a lady of nobility, let alone QUEEN), I probably would have already tried to build a freaking boat/time machine to hightail it back to Albion and claim my rightful role as Guinevere. For reals.

But alas, I am not the least bit scientifically inclined and I do read enough non-fiction about the time period to realize that I live in LALALALA land.

And so I watch Merlin. A British television show (it airs on BBC One, snitches!) about the once and future king and his trusty sidekick/wizard Merlin.


I get chills just thinking about it. (Yeah, I know I'm lame. Deal with it.) Unfortunately, it airs in Britain like a whole season earlier than it does here. And you know I can NOT wait that long. So I watch it online. ILLEGALLY. Muhahaha! But then I get all sad that I have to wait a whole YEAR for that ish to come out again. So I end up watching it AGAIN. I do wait a couple of months in between though. (Translation: I wait as long as I can before the tremors and seizures get to be too much.)

(I must at this point give a shout out to/blame my dependency on my friend Katharine who got me hooked on it when she stayed with me for a couple of days after spending a year in Spain. That first night I think we watched like 4 episodes. Ridiculousness. OMG. And her Facebook profile pic is with the TARDIS for cornflakes sake! Thisiswhywe'renerds. )

Anyway, this brings me to the currentloveofmylife, Colin Morgan, on whose shoulders this entire series rests upon since he plays the title character. Bradley James is the blond haired guy in the photo next to him who plays Prince Arthur. (And as much as I like guys who are talldarkhairedandskinny, Bradley James is quite attractive too.)


But, back to CM. Did you know this dude is IRISH? Not like, his family is from Ireland but they live in the UK Irish, but like IRISH from IRELAND, like his family still lives there and they have neighbors and go to the grocery store and go ice-skating in IRELAND Irish. He learned a Welsh accent for this role. (His real accent is way sexier.)

And unless you don't know me at all, you know that I could (if it were possible) literally have Ireland's babies. The first time I ever tried out for a high school play was for "Playboy of the Western World" (no, it's not a dirty play) and I got to put my GANGSTER Irish accent to use. ONLY black girl in the whole play, but I was SICK as Sara Tansey, leader of the meddling group of girls. Me and Ireland's babies would be be-yoo-tiful and you know it.

So I'll leave you with a clip from the show (Season 1) and you guys can tell me that you love it or remind me how much of a nerd I am.
kthanxbai



Don't worry, Arthur doesn't stay that obnoxious :)
________________________

Oh and aren't I a big DUNCE for failing to mention TWO OTHER REASONS why I love this show?

1) Anthony Head (aka Giles from Buffy) is King Uther, Prince Arthur's father (duh)

2) GUINEVERE is BLACK (or Hispanic or both), snitches! It's like watching all my dreams come true. LOVE IT!


I can not freaking WAIT until ComicCon! Maybe they'll bring some of the knights as well... they're kinda HOTT too.

(You know you wanna Google image search "BBC Merlin Lancelot." Just do it. LOL.)

Actually don't. Because unfortunately this is NOT the first picture you see.



Ok, that really was it. This post is now done.

My Golden Birthday & ComicCon 2011! (see comment section too!)

I'm not sure how many of you keep up with my birthday, but August 23, 2011 is the date I've been waiting a long time for. MY GOLDEN BIRTHDAY! I am so excited! I've been trying to figure out what I want to do that week and I have finally decided. If all goes well, I'm going to Las Vegas!

If you would like to go with me (and you do, you really do) let me know. The goal is for at least three people to come with moi and have a blast August 22 - August 25.

Here's the breakdown (per person, except for hotel - based on 4 people):

Plane: $380 - From Chicago O' Hare (ORD)
Hotel: Anywhere from $700 - $1500 - This estimate covers all the extra fees, taxes and such. I know this is a lot of money, but I wanna celebrate my birthday in style! The goal is for me to pay at least half the hotel cost myself as an incentive for people to join me, and more obviously, if I go with the more expensive option.
Food/Entertainment/Incidentals: $200 - $500 - This larger end of the estimate includes every expense you could possibly imagine, from transportation to and from the airport, food in the airport (and during the trip!) to souvenirs to a $100 show--- Cirque du Soleil, anyone? Again, I know this seems steep, but these estimates are for the MAX amount you would spend, NOT the lowest or even the average. Please keep that in mind when deciding!

TOTAL COST PER PERSON: $ 800 - $1000 or $200 - $250/day

So while the goal isn't to spend as little as possible, I will promise to find a less expensive option for everything we do. And remember, if the trip costs $800 in the end, HALF of that is getting there and getting back, so I think we're doing good. Also, if we book the flight and hotel together, that also reduces the cost!

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Now, onto ComicCon 2011!

Happening in San Diego California, JULY 21-24! (Travel Dates: July 20-25)

Guys this is all I can think about right now. Seriously. I think I might becoming addicted to planning this trip in my head. Definitely expect more posts on this here topic :)

I'm an über nerd so, essentially going to this convention would be like giving giving a seventeen pound chocolate bar to a chocoholic. Or if you can think about it this way: It's like finally taking me to Disney Land (Which incidentally is also only an hour and a half from San Diego, if we wanted to go there too!).

So here's the plan (per person, even the hotel - based on four people):

ComicCon: $105
Plane: $430 - From Chicago O' Hare (ORD)
Hotel: $ 150 - It's not like my birthday, lol. I just need a place to sleep! ALSO, I found MUCH CHEAPER hotels a little further out than downtown. Even with taxi fare, this will probably significantly reduce the total cost. It's the difference of $270 and $130 per night!
Food/Entertainment/Incidentals: $200- $300 Again, this larger end of the estimate includes every expense you could possibly imagine, from transportation to and from the airport, food in the airport (and during the trip!) to souvenirs. These estimates are for the MAX amount you would spend, NOT the lowest or even the average. Please keep that in mind when deciding!

TOTAL COST PER PERSON: $ 885 - $1100 or $221 - $275/day

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I'm only slightly amused that the trip to Vegas turned out to be cheaper.

NOW, if push comes to shove (read, if my ambition is greater than my wallet!), I'll have to decide between ComicCon and Vegas. This might be a real possibility since my mother and I also want to go on a cruise the week before ComicCon (LOL), and my 5th year Hotchkiss Reunion is in June. Basically, I have to be BALLIN' for all this to work out.

SO, if you're a praying person, PRAY that I get a great job to cover all the expenses... so much so that I can even help pay for some of the stuff for the people going with me :)

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Lastly, I will leave you with just a few things I want to see/do in each place!

Las Vegas

FOOD! - Wolfgang Puck's Trattoria del Lupo, Sushi/Seafood Buffet




Nightlife - Drinks and Dancing, Cirque du Soleil!

ComicCon

TV: Eureka, Merlin, Haven... pretty much any TV show on SyFy, Dexter
Books: Oh, too many to name... L.J. Smith, anyone?


Movies: Iron Man, The Avengers, Twilight, The Green Lantern, (Isn't Ryan so hott?!)












Fellow Nerds and Cute Celebrities :)



Nuff Said!

So (Again) It's Been Awhile... (Funny Jokes)

In addition to my desire/kick to become more productive, I'm hoping to change the regularity with which I update my blog, starting right now. This one will be a short; I'm just reposting some Comedy Central Joke of the Day's, I found rather funny. But I will tell you what you can expect from me in the next couple of days:

--- Goals/Plans for this year, including FUN trips (Trying really hard to make the FUN Trips part come true, lol) --- San Diego ComicCon, anyone?

--- Cool Things I've Seen Online (I have a ridiculous amount of free time right now): Deco Umbrella, Ridiculously Expensive but Beautiful Hotels

--- People: Did you know who California's Attorney General is? This SUPER COOL lady named...

--- Reviews of Recent Books I've Red and/or Movies I've Seen: The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner, Death at a Funeral, The Hunter, The Chase, the Kill (A Trilogy), etc.

--- Stuff I've wanted to blog about for a while and just haven't yet: Love, Religion, Race, Life and Apple Pie

And of Course,

--- Guys. As there isn't anyone special in my life at the moment, I usually just stick to celebrities and such. This year's newbie: Bradley James. 100 points to the person who knows/finds out who this is. Interesting to note: He's my second blond celebrity crush :)

That's all for tonight folks! Enjoy the jokes!

* J/K: Last note: I'm also trying to make this blog a little more interactive. So COMMENT. Even if it's something little, or critical. I want your opinions since you take the time to read mine.

LOVE IT! Okay, now on to the jokes!

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Chris Rock: Natural Causes

When you die at 72, no matter what you die of, it's natural causes. Even if you get hit by a truck, its natural causes. Cuz’ if you was younger, you'd got out of the way.

Royale Watkins: My Wife's Age

My wife had this whole gay military policy with her age: if I didn't ask, she wouldn't tell. And when I did ask, she would get offended. I'd be like, 'Let me ask you something -- how old are you?' 'Excuse me? Listen, let me tell you something -- I'm a woman, and a real man would not ask a woman her age. It's not about how old I am. It's about how young I make you feel. Now go in there and brush your teeth and put on your pajamas, get ready for bed.'

Godfrey: Regular Black

My black friends in America don't believe me. I said, 'Dude, I'm Nigerian American.' 'Word? We thought you were, like, regular black.' What the hell is 'regular black'? Crayola coming out with colors I don't know about?

Greer Barnes: Chasing a White Guy

I was in the park last night, chasing this white guy. He got away from me. I didn't know cops could walk that fast with all that stuff on.

Alex Thomas: Ask a Stupid Question

My mother always told me, 'Boy, if somebody asks you a stupid question, you give them a stupid answer.' The cops walked up to my car, 'Would you like to step out of the car?' I said, 'Hell no, it's hot! I got the air conditioner on. How about you hop your ass in here with me?'

Arj Barker: Walking Shoes

Can you imagine if you had a pair of shoes that you could only walk in? That could be kind of limiting under certain circumstances. 'Everybody get outta here! There's a swarm of bees coming!' What? Oh great, I got my walking shoes on today. I guess I better stroll the hell out of here at a moderate pace.

Wayne Federman: Discriminating Carpool Lane

The carpool lane discriminates against the lonely. These peoples -- through no fault of their own -- don't have the social skills to make friends. OK, that's unfortunate, but what do we do as a society? We push them off to the right in this vehicular apartheid, while they sit isolated in their loser mobiles, forced to watch the popular people whiz by them.

Jessi Klein: You Look A Lot Like...

This co-worker of mine, who I don't know well at all, comes up to me and goes, 'Hey Jessi, I don't know if anyone's ever told you this before, but you look a lot like Anne Frank.' I didn't really know where to put that as a remark. But the worst thing is that my first thought was, 'Was Anne Frank hot?'

Brian Regan: Microwaving Pop Tarts

You can microwave a Pop Tart. That just blew me away that you could do that. How long does it take to toast a Pop Tart? A minute and a half if you want it dark? People don't have that kind of time? Listen, if you need to zap-fry your Pop Tarts before you head out the door, you might want to loosen up your schedule.

Jordan Rubin: Walk the Line

I got pulled over for drunk driving the other day. The cops had me walk that line. I said the one thing you shouldn't say. I was like, 'Stop wiggling it.' 'Cause that gives you away.