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Tuesday, February 14, 2017

Being Your Own Valentine

Here it is.  Valentine's Day.  A day in which we are supposed to spend as much money as possible in order to make our special sweethearts fall in love with us all over again.  A day in which we're supposed to give enough chocolates to our loved ones so that they may develop diabetes one day.  A day in which we find out that if a man doesn't go to Jared to get a diamond pendant for his sweetheart, she'll dump him for some guy named Jared.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, Valentine's Day is not exactly my favourite holiday.  I don't think I ever really have tell you why.  I mean, yes, sucking on cinnamon hearts and giving out DuckTales cards to your second grade classmates might have been fun when we were kids.  But for anyone who is suffering from a broken heart, a frosty heart, or who can't seem to give their heart to anybody, Valentine's Day is just another reminder of that fact.

But I'm trying to understand why I have such a hard time with Valentine's Day in general.  I certainly don't feel this much passionate hatred over any other holiday.  I love Thanksgiving.  I love Canada Day.  I love Christmas even though the commercialism associated with it now is slightly manic-depressive.  Valentine's Day to me is just another day to me.



I think a large part of it is that I don't agree with the idea of devoting just ONE day out of the 365 per year to show someone how much you love them.  In most marriages that I know, if a person was only putting effort into the romance 1/365th of a year, I have my doubts that relationship would last a second year.  And while "The Simpsons" sort of spoofed that concept with the creation of the fictional holiday known as "Love Day", I still think that you don't need to buy red roses, chocolate covered strawberries, or heart-shaped balloons to demonstrate love towards a person.  It should be a daily thing.

Secondly, if you really stop and think about the day, St. Valentine was locked in a tower, stoned, and beheaded.  If anybody tried spending Valentine's Day the way that St. Valentine did, they'd probably end up in jail!  I'm not sure how that translated to buy your sweetheart a chocolate Cupid...but I guess if they bit off Cupid's head, it might be somewhat historically accurate.

And lastly...the reason I don't have much love for Valentine's Day is sort of a personal one.  And while I don't really like to dwell so much on the bad parts of life, I feel as though I want to do it here so that people who may be in the same boat as me can feel as though they aren't alone.

Valentine's Day is rough enough if you're single.  Trust me, I've been single for what seems like forever.  But if that was the only thing that was bothering me about February 14th, I'd consider that to be a bit of an overreaction.

The truth is - and it's only taken me until a few years ago to realize this about myself - is that the reason I don't have a significant other in my life is because I have a hard time accepting love for myself.

I mean, for people who have struggled with social anxiety and social depression (something that I've openly talked about here in this space), it's not that easy to get to meet new people.  It's even harder to try and present yourself as a confident and successful person when you don't feel that you're either of those things.

Everyone has gone through life wishing that they could change something about themselves.  Throughout my life, the only thing that I want to change about myself is the fact that I wish I could see myself the way that others see me.  And what I mean by that is seeing myself through the eyes of people who like me...not the idiots who didn't. 

I don't exactly consider myself to be much of a catch for a lot of people.  You know that website for single people called "Plenty of Fish"?  I was the guppy that people threw into the ocean.  I think I lasted a few months before I realized how ridiculous the site was.  I feel the same way about eHarmony, Match.com, Christian Mingle, OurTime, and Ashley Madison.

(Well, okay, if you're looking for love on Ashley Madison, you're clearly looking in the wrong place.)

But you know, my idea of what love is meant to be is admittedly kind of distorted.  I know that people who fall in love do so with all of their heart, but I don't know if I've ever felt that way on a romantic level.  And I think part of the reason why could be because I've had a hard time finding things about me that I consider attractive.

Believe me...Reggie Mantle I am NOT.

I guess somewhere along the way, I guess I just sort of accepted the fact that I don't really believe in the concept of soulmates, and that I don't believe that there really is somebody for everybody out there.  And, I think somewhere along the way, I sort of made the decision that love isn't meant for everyone.  At least not the romantic, lovey-dovey, kissyface love.

And I mean, I'm just a couple months away from my thirty-sixth birthday.  People always tell me that I'm still young and that it will happen.  But I'm of the frame that if it's meant to happen, it will.  And if it does happen and I am in the right frame of mind, I believe that it can be a beautiful thing.

But at this point in my life, I don't really need it or want it.  And I'm starting to realize that it's okay to feel that way sometimes, no matter what society seems to tell you.  It's perfectly fine to be single, and honestly, the way that I feel about love in general, I think it's probably the best thing for me.  I have to learn to accept who I am first before I can open my heart to anybody else.  And I think that society's version of love doesn't necessarily have to match the way that I see it.

Love is love.  Whether it's for a spouse, a family member, a friend, a pet, or even yourself, love is what matters on this day and every other day.




So you know what?  I'm going to be my own damn Valentine today.  Happy Valentine's Day to me!

Friday, February 10, 2017

Jem Reviewed: Episode 47 - Renaissance Woman

Previously on Jem Reviewed, the girls took a trip to Alaska to help Ba Nee's pen pal save the home of her pet seal...and despite that plot description, it turned out to be a pretty decent episode.



Let's hope the next one goes off without a hitch.  This is Episode 47: Renaissance Woman.



So, as predicted, this episode is set in jolly old England at a gigantic Renaissance Faire.  The Holograms have been invited to perform at the festival which coincides with a street vendor market and an archery tournament.  It's a nice idea, but considering that this is a Renaissance Faire, shouldn't the Holograms have lutes and harps?  I don't think they had electric synthesizers in the 1600s.  Danse and Rio are also in attendance, as Rio is helping with the concert set-up and Danse is going to be...well, dancing.



It appears as though the Renaissance Faire is the major event leading up to the historic event that is going to take place at the castle.  You see, the host of the event - Reginald Carfax - is turning twenty-one years old in a couple of days.  And in addition to getting sloshed, he'll become the Lord of Carfax County alongside his trusted advisor, Duncan Broadbent.  I'm sorry, but whenever I hear the name Carfax, I think of those commercials with the talking fox telling you how you can find your perfect used car.  And, well...I'm pretty sure they don't have cars at Renaissance Faires. 

Interestingly enough, the general public of Carfax County aren't too pleased with him taking over the title.  I wonder what that's about.  But, I suppose there's no choice in the matter.  His father died when he was a toddler, and the edict states that the heir can only become Lord when he turns 21.

Oh, well...it's time for Jem and the Holograms to perform a song.  And, pay close attention to Reginald in this video.



This video for "Love's Not Easy" is accompanied by Jem Trivia.  This song was actually supposed to be used in Episode 20, but was left on the cutting room floor.  It's finally heard in full here...which means that for the first time since Episode 26, we have three brand new songs.  Mind you, they're all by the Holograms as the Misfits are absent from this episode.  But still...three new songs!  This one's not too bad, though I'm distracted by the fact that Reginald seems to have fallen for Danse.  I swear, if Danse becomes the next Kimber, so help me...



After the performance is over, Jem and the Holograms take a break where they see two soldiers clad in orange get confronted by a guy who is dressed like...Robin Hood?  Weird.  Anyway, the Robin Hood lookalike manages to grab the money that the soldiers are holding and takes off into the distance, leaving Jem and the Holograms confused over what just happened.



Some time later, the Holograms change out of their Maid Marian costumes and into their Kylie Minogue outfits, and they're talking about what happened when in the distance they spot two vendors complaining about how little money they have collected during the Renaissance Faire.  I have a sneaking suspicion that our "Robin Hood" is going to be making an appearance right about...



...see, what did I tell you?  Oh, and his name is Robin Goodfellow.  Logic tells me that this is going to be the secondary protagonist of this episode.  I mean, the word good is written in his name!  It's a sign!  And, well...he does live up to his name by stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.



Oh, and surprise, surprise.  He falls in love with Danse too.  Man, Kimber must be seriously dying on the inside that she's not the object of everyone's desire for Season 2.  I suppose that Robin has reason to fall for Danse...she seems to believe him when he tells her not to trust Reginald.  I get the feeling that there's a story behind this, but now is not the time to discuss it.



No, instead we're going to peek in on the archery competition where many have entered including Jem and the Holograms.  Before we go judging their athletic skill though, we're treated to a scene in which Reginald and Duncan are verbally bashing Robin Goodfellow.  I guess this tells me that they're onto the fact that he stole money from the guards the day before.

And to try and trap Robin, Reginald announces that the winner of the archery competition will win a bonus cash prize of five thousand pounds!  I have no idea what the conversion rate is between British money and North American money, but back in '87, I imagine it to be a nice chunk of change.  But Danse has figured out the plan and she rushes off to try and warn Robin to stay away.



As luck would have it, Danse happens to run into Robin in the middle of a dense forest, and when Danse reveals that she trusts him, he tells her part of the story.  Robin does NOT trust Reginald.  Aside from tales of him abusing his power to make himself richer (because really what politician hasn't done the same thing), he also throws out his belief that Reginald is NOT the true heir of Carfax County!  Which of course leads to the question...who is?  Danse tries to get Robin to stay away from the archery competition, but Robin insists on taking part anyway despite the danger.  You gotta hand it to Robin...he's certainly stands for his causes.



As predicted, most of the Holograms suck at archery.  Kimber and Aja don't even seem to understand how to shoot the bow and arrow, and Shana only manages to strike the ground.  Raya seems to be the only one who grasps the concept and scores a perfect bulls-eye!



Of course, that bulls-eye gets overshadowed by the three that Robin Goodfellow shoots in a row.  And Robin's talent as an archer all but seals his fate as Reginald spots him and orders his men to take him into custody.



Mind you, custody means he's locked up in the basement of the castle.  But still, Robin's pretty much out of commission, and Danse is very upset.



Danse is even more upset when a little boy arrives with a message from Reginald requesting her appearance at dinner the night before he becomes Lord of Carfax County.  She absolutely refuses to go have dinner, lunch, breakfast, or even order off the dollar menu at Wendy's with him!  Can't say I blame her, since he had her other love interest arrested.

And with Robin behind bars, it leaves the soldiers free to collect a 90% tariff on all the wages earned by the fair vendors!  90%?!?  Not even Canada's carbon tax is that steep!



It's here that Jem decides to contact Synergy and...wait for it...conjures up a Robin Hood outfit of her own.  Oh, great.  I suppose this makes Kimber Friar Tuck and Rio Maid Marian. 

And with Jem dressed as Robin Hood, I suppose it's time for another song.



I'm not liking "To The Rescue" as much.  Other than the fact that we see Raya's archery skills come in handy once again, and that the vendors get their money back from the thieving soldiers, the song itself is kind of dull.  Man, for an episode to have all original music, the music is quite bland.



Though the vendors - who are grateful to Robin...Jem, I guess - confirm what Robin was saying to Danse.  The future Lord is not a generous soul and takes practically all of the earnings of the working class people.  Considering that the Lord is in charge of all job creation in the county, they pretty much have no choice but to live in poverty when he assumes the throne.  Danse isn't too shocked, given that Robin told her his suspicions that Reginald had no claim to the throne, but Jem and the Holograms seem to think that this is reason enough to bust into the castle of the future Lord Carfax and rescue Robin Goodfellow.  This prompts Jem to tell Danse to reconsider Reginald's offer to have dinner with him.  Danse responds as if she'd rather decapitate herself with a rusty old sword, but Jem seems to have the idea that if Danse can distract Reginald long enough, it will allow them more time to explore the castle to see if they can locate Robin, or discover the truth behind Reginald's real identity.  Begrudgingly, Danse accepts.  Though, I get the feeling that she'll be armed with a can of pepper spray should he try anything smart.

While Danse is schmoozing with Reginald, the Holograms decide that to avoid getting all caught at the same time, they'll split up into two groups.  Jem, Raya, and Aja will search the upper levels of the castle, while Rio takes Kimber and Shana to the lower levels.



And of course, Jem's group happens to run into danger first as a group of soldiers spot them and give chase through the castle's many hallways.  But it's here that Jem remembers that she has a secret weapon called Synergy, and she asks her to conjure up a hologram of stampeding horses to scare the guards away, which works like a charm.



Of course, Jem is so distracted by the horses that she was proud of herself for creating that she didn't realize that a second group of soldiers snuck up behind them.  Now Jem, Raya, and Aja are locked up in a tower where Jem reveals that no hologram can help them escape now.  Way to state the facts, Captain Obvious.



Oblivious to the fact that half the Holograms are now locked up too, Danse and Reginald share what could be considered one of the most awkward dinner dates ever.  At least the food sort of looks good.  Of course, when the subject of Robin Goodfellow comes up, Reginald is disgusted that Danse seems to defend him at every opportunity.



Reginald's disgust grows even more when Duncan barges in and informs Reginald that the Holograms have infiltrated the castle and have pledged their allegiance to Robin.  Duncan tells Reginald that Danse can't be trusted, and sure enough, Danse has done a disappearing act.  She actually climbs up on a ledge in front of a portrait of who I am assuming is the previous Lord of Carfax.  It's enough for her to stay hidden long enough for Reginald and Duncan to leave. 



Danse tries to find a way out of the castle, but she is grabbed from behind!  Oh great, it seems as though she's trying to break Kimber's record for getting kidnapped too!  Fear not.  The man who has grabbed Danse is Robin's right hand man, Jolly Jack.  I think he must be the Friar Tuck of this tale. 



It appears as though Jolly Jack is useful though.  He and Danse successfully bust Jem, Raya, and Aja out of jail.  But my question is...what happened to Rio, Shana, and Kimber?

Well, it looks as if they have found Robin's cell and are now working to try and help him escape.  It seems as though they believe Robin's theory about the Lord being an imposter, and they want to find a way to prove it before the coronation begins at midnight.  Did I mention that midnight is only a few minutes away?



Oh look!  Kimber's found a crate filled with cassingles of Roxette's "Dangerous".  Too bad that song didn't get released until 1989!  Oh, no, wait.  They're just fireworks.  Because we really needed to have the word dangerous in big bold letters to let us know that fireworks can kill you.  Rio even has to tell Kimber that they can't use the fireworks to let Robin out of jail because he'll explode.  Gosh, how stupid does Rio think Kimber is?   I mean, yeah, Kimber's brain isn't as well developed as the others, but she's not a complete zombie here.



Luckily before anyone can blow anything up, Jem's group arrives in time and Jolly Jack rescues Robin.  But they still have to find a way to prove that Reginald is a big old fake.  



Well, I suppose if they happened to come across a scene where a bunch of Reginald's soldiers are putting up a brick wall where a prisoner is chained behind it, that would be the decisive evidence they need!  That prisoner looks very familiar though.  Have we seen him before?



The Holograms haven't discovered this yet...but they seem to have found the secret treasure hoard of Reginald in another cell.  It seems as though Reginald's been a very naughty and greedy boy.  Unfortunately, this only serves to prove that Reginald is a jerk.  They still have to find a way to prove that Reginald is NOT the true Lord.  Rio seems to think that he has an idea to stall for time and it appears as though the stolen money and the fireworks will play a part.

It's close to midnight and a large crowd has gathered in Times Square to watch the ball dro...oh, wait.  Wrong show.  Actually, the very miserable crowd has gathered at the castle square to watch Reginald become Lord Carfax.  They seem to be miserable because they know that once Reginald becomes Lord, they'll be destitute.  You can't help but feel bad for them.



But wait!  Just as Reginald is about to make his coronation speech, the fireworks light up the sky.  And these fireworks seem to hold a surprise for the townspeople.  Pound notes fall from the sky into the pockets of the poor subjects, and Reginald and Duncan are visibly gobsmacked!



Well, it's not rocket science to see that Rio and the others are tying satchels of money to each of the fireworks.  It's also not very safe!  None of them are wearing safety goggles or personal protective equipment!  One false move, and Shana's football hair will go up faster than a hydrogen filled balloon!



Naturally, Robin Goodfellow takes credit for the plan, telling the people of Carfax that the money is rightfully theirs and that his next step is to overthrow the Lord!  Cue the customary sword fight!  I'll say this...this episode is definitely action packed!



And it seems as though Jem has found the fake wall that holds the prisoner.  And the prisoner seems very intent on getting to the coronation as fast as possible for he has some shocking news!

Luckily, he manages to arrive in time before Reginald has a chance to harpoon Robin right through the heart with a pointed spear!  Such a barbarian that one!

Remember how I said the prisoner looked familiar?  Turns out, he's the Lord of Carfax!  The real Lord!  The one that presumably died years earlier!  Yes, Reginald is a fake!  Seems as though Duncan is Reginald's birth father, and they saw an opportunity to take control of Carfax County.  They kidnapped the REAL heir, cast him out as an orphan, and brought in Reginald as the heir apparent instead!  How evil.



And the identity of the real Lord incumbent?  No other than Robin Goodfellow!  Or, should I say...Robin Goodfellow Carfax!  You know, all this could have been avoided with one of Maury's paternity tests.  Just saying.  The good news is that father and son are reunited and Carfax County has a shot of really being prosperous once more.



At the real coronation ceremony where Robin is expected to become the new Lord of Carfax, he's sharing a dance with Danse, and asks her to stay.  Danse is flattered, but she lets him down by saying that she needs to stay in the United States.  At least Robin and Danse share one final dance with a song that sounds like it could have been written in San Francisco in the '60s.



There's nothing too remarkable about "Flowers in My Hair"...but I guess it works as the prerequisite happy ending music.  As far as this episode goes, some have said that it's one of the worst episodes of the show, but I disagree.  It's not the best episode.  It's kind of all over the place, and the reveal at the end was quite anticlimactic.  But overall, the storyline was fairly interesting, and I think despite some of the inconsistencies and jarring storytelling, it was fine.  It's definitely not my idea of the worst episode.



But next week, you'll see an episode that could be a contender for worst episode ever.  This screenshot offers just a clue of what to expect.

Wednesday, February 08, 2017

February 8, 2007

Wayback Wednesday is here once again, and for today's chosen subject, we're going to look at a woman who divided quite a few people.  Some thought she was a victim, others thought she was a vixen, and some just didn't care one iota about her.  Unfortunately, her story does not have a happy ending, and we'll talk more about that as we go ahead.

For now, let's see what events took place on this day in history...

1587 - Mary, Queen of Scots, is executed on suspicion of being involved in a murder plot to kill her own cousin, Queen Elizabeth I

1837 - Richard Johnson becomes the first Vice President of the United States of America

1865 - Delaware refuses to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and holds onto that position until 1901

1879 - Sandford Fleming proposes the adoption of Universal Standard Time at a meeting of the Royal Canadian Institute

1885 - The first government approved Japanese immigrants arrive in Hawaii

1910 - William D. Boyce incorporates the Boy Scouts of America

1915 - "The Birth of a Nation" premieres in Los Angeles

1921 - Actress Lana Turner (d. 1995) is born in Wallace, Idaho

1922 - Actress Audrey Meadows (d. 1996) is born in New York City

1925 - Actor Jack Lemmon (d. 2001) is born in Newton, Massachusetts

1931 - Actor James Dean (d. 1955) is born in Marion, Indiana

1937 - "Sesame Street" composer Joe Raposo (d. 1989) is born in Fall River, Massachusetts

1948 - Singer Dan Seals (d. 2009) is born in McCamey, Texas

1952 - Elizabeth II is proclaimed Queen of the United Kingdom

1963 - As a direct result of the Cuban Missile Crisis, travel, financial, and commercial transactions from the United States to Cuba are made illegal by President Kennedy's administration

1968 - The Orangeburg massacre takes place, sparking outrage within the Civil Rights Movement; also on this date actor Gary Coleman (d. 2010) is born

1971 - The NASDAQ opens for the first time

1974 - Mixed martial artist Kimbo Slice (d. 2016) is born in Nassau, Bahamas

1981 - Twenty-one spectators are trampled to death after a football match in Neo Faliro, Greece

1983 - A massive dust cloud descends over the city of Melbourne, Australia, which blackens the sky and keeps residents indoors

1986 - A train collision in Hinton, Alberta kills 23 people and is Canada's largest train accident until the 2013 Lac-Megantic derailment

1990 - Singer Del Shannon passes away at the age of 55

1993 - News magazine program "Dateline NBC" is sued by General Motors, claiming that the show allegedly rigged two of its cars to crash to demonstrate that the trucks that GM manufactures are unsafe

2013 - A severe blizzard descends over parts of the Northeastern United States and parts of Canada causing power outages and traffic disruption

And now for the celebrity birthday portion of the blog, as these celebs are turning one year older.  Happy birthday to John Williams, Ted Koppel, Nick Nolte, Robert Klein, Brooke Adams, Cristina Ferrare, Mary Steenburgen, John Grisham, Jim Neidhart, Marques Johnson, Dave Meros, Heinz Gunthardt, Dino Ciccarelli, Vince Neil, Joshua Kadison, Trinny Woodall, Sarah Montague, Mary McCormack, Alonzo Mourning, Seth Green, Jim Verraros, Cecily Strong, and Nikki Yanofsky.

Okay.  It's time to see what date we're revisiting this time around.



Ah, February 8, 2007.  Exactly ten years ago today.  I know it doesn't seem like that much of a time jump, but at least I can tell you where I was when this news broke out.  After all, I was 25.  I can remember things from when I was four!

Let's see...I was 25, I was working in the food department at my job (not much of a stretch given that I currently work with fruits and vegetables), and I had finally managed to get basic cable hooked up at my place for the first time in seven years because that was the year that I earned full-time status and could afford to do so.  So, 2007 was definitely a great year for me - at least financially speaking.

Alas, it wasn't quite so lucky for our Wayback Wednesday subject.  2007 was actually the last year that she was alive.  It was ten years ago that she died from an overdose of prescription drugs, and her death was the subject of much media scrutiny for many years.  I remember that "Entertainment Tonight" talked about this story for nearly a year after her death - which nearly made me regret my basic cable subscription and made me avoid the program ever since - and it was such a media circus that it was impossible for the recently deceased to truly rest in peace.



Now, mind you, her life seemed to be one scandal right after another, so I can see why her death was covered so extensively.  At the same time, we have to realize that Anna Nicole Smith was only human just like the rest of us, and while she may have taken the criticism directed towards her in stride, her family members that she left behind did nothing to deserve it.



I think I still remember the first time I saw Anna Nicole Smith.  Back in the early 1990s, I recall getting really interested in popular music, and I would have my eyes glued to Muchmusic to watch the latest music videos.  The commercials that the station aired were naturally aimed at pre-teens, teenagers, and young adults, and one such ad was for Guess Jeans.

Anna Nicole Smith was a Guess model for a couple of years, and I distinctly remember seeing her commercial in between videos by the Stone Temple Pilots and Sheryl Crow.

And of course, her modeling work didn't just stop at Guess Jeans.  She also landed several magazine covers and spreads in such publications as Marie Claire, Italian Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harper's Bazaar.  And yes, she did pose for Playboy Magazine as well - but this was months before she landed the contract for Guess Jeans.  It seemed as though Anna Nicole was the new "It-Girl" for the 1990s.



But it was right around this time that Anna Nicole started making headlines for all the wrong reasons.  It certainly got tongues wagging when Anna Nicole divorced her first husband in 1993 (with whom she had a son, Daniel), to marry an 89-year-old oil tycoon named J. Howard Marshall.  Many people speculated that Anna Nicole was a gold digger and married Marshall only for his money.  But Anna Nicole defended her love for Marshall and said that her feelings were genuine.  The marriage ended in 1995 with the passing of Marshall at the age of 90, and thus began the lengthy court battle between widow Smith and Marshall's family over who would inherit Marshall's massive fortune - a case that to my knowledge is still active in some manner.

Anna Nicole tried to overcome her financial woes by pursuing an acting career, and one of her first movie roles was in the film "The Naked Gun 33 1/3 - The Final Insult"...but as the acting roles dried up, Anna Nicole turned to the increasing popularity of reality television to create her own reality series.



To everyone's surprise (including me), "The Anna Nicole Show" was initially very popular, with college students becoming instant fans.  It is still considered to be something of a cult favourite in the reality television world.  However, I must state that I wasn't a real fan.  To me, it just seemed to exploit the pain of an already damaged woman, and even though some may argue that she brought it on herself, I still feel that it was very uncomfortable to watch someone who had obviously hit rock bottom.  I suppose it was almost merciful that the show only lasted two seasons before the plug was pulled in June 2003.

Then came the birth of Anna Nicole's daughter, Dannielynn in September 2006...and while it was a considerably happy moment for her, it was overshadowed by the sudden death of her 20-year-old son, Daniel just three days later.  The cause of death was a prescription drug overdose...something that Anna Nicole would understand all too well just a few months later...

...for you see, on February 8, 2007 - Anna Nicole herself died from an overdose of pills.  She was just 39 years of age.

And that's when media outlets such as "Entertainment Tonight" and "TMZ" descended on the story and reported every last detail about it.  It was like the O.J. Simpson trial all over again the way that they went about it.  I can't begin to tell you how much I wanted to throttle Mark Steines and Kevin Frazier every time the came on the air and rehashed Anna Nicole's death and who the father of baby Dannielynn was.

(It's Larry Birkhead, if you are at all curious.)

I mean, sometimes I think it was ALMOST a good thing that the Kardashians came around because if not, I think the media would have continued their unhealthy obsession with her!

Some will say that karma came back to haunt her, and some will say that she did it all to herself.  To be honest, I do think that she ultimately was the one responsible for her own trainwreck...however, we have to also understand why she boarded that train in the first place.  And now that everything is out there in the open, I sort of feel a little bit of pity for her.  All she really wanted was to find her own place in the world, and I don't know if she ever really found it.  I just sort of hope that ten years after her passing, she found the peace that she was trying to find.

Tuesday, February 07, 2017

The Generation Gap Within My Own Generation...

Have you heard of a thing as a generation gap? 

It's the term that we all use to describe people who are older than us or younger than us who simply don't see things the way that we do because they lived through a different time.  I guess a perfect example to describe this would be the younger generation's obsession with technology, and how the older generation doesn't quite understand it because they made it through life just fine without it.

I'm sure most of us can relate to the clash of a generation in various ways.  Whether it's cursing a younger generation for being lazy, or cursing an older generation for being stodgy, I think we've either been the person criticizing a generation, or we've found ourselves being the target of a person criticizing a generation.

But, I've always been a little bit different in that regard.  I suppose mainly because I've always found that I can make friends easier with people who are at least ten or more years older than I am, or I can make friends easier with people who are ten or more years younger than I am.

But when it comes to people who are my own age?  Forget it.

Now, before I go on with my thoughts about this, I do want to make one statement.  It isn't as though I don't have pals who are around the age of 35.  Truth is, the ones that I do have are incredibly special to me, and I do appreciate every single one of them for being the good people they are.

But, it hasn't always been easy for me to gel with the people who are the closest to me in age.  In fact, in some cases it's been nearly impossible.  I can recall many recesses where I would stand around and talk to the yard duty teacher because I didn't have anyone else to talk to.  They were all doing their own thing, and I was a little bit too scared to approach them.  Even as far back as when I was in the first grade, I always hung around sixth grade kids.  Partly because I knew they could beat up the mean kids...but partly because I felt as though I had more in common with them than I did the kids in my own peer group.

Heck, a part of me wishes that I could have skipped ahead four grades like they did with Junior in the movie "Problem Child 2".  It never happened...though I was reading at a ninth grade level in elementary school.  I guess we'll never know whether I could have made it having skipped through all those grades.  But that's beside the point.



When I was kid, I struggled to befriend kids in my own age group.  As a teenager, I struggled even more.  By the time I was in my late twenties, I started really not to care about that as much.  But at the same time, seeing most of my peers in my age group settling down before I did...I don't think I would consider it to be feelings of jealousy...more along the lines of, I wish I could just fit in and do things exactly the way that they did so I didn't feel like I was a freak of nature within my own birth year.

But why do I feel this way?

Well, I think a huge factor behind this comes from the fact that I was born during the time that I was.  And I don't mean the early 1980s...I mean the actual time.

You see...I was born during a weird time within my family.  Every single family has a cluster of generations.  Like, for instance, my grandparents were mostly born during the 1920s.  Then, my parents were born during the 1940s.  But from here, this is where things get complicated.

I have two siblings.  One was born in the 1960s, and the other was born in the 1970s.  I didn't come around until the 1980s.  I suppose my family went by the one child per decade rule.  And because they were older than me, they had both moved out by the time I was eleven.  So, having no siblings close to me in age was a detriment in how to handle people my own age.

Now, to complicate things even further, my grandparents on my mom's side also had wide age gaps in their family.  My mother's younger siblings are way younger than she was, and as a result, they were right around the same age as my siblings.  On my dad's side, all of my uncles and aunts had children between the late 1950s and late 1960s, so they were all relatively close in age.  But my mom's siblings all waited to have kids until the late 1980s and early 1990s.  And by that time, my siblings were starting families of their own.

What this meant was that we had a cluster of family members born between 1960 and 1975.  We had another cluster of family members born between 1986 and 2001.

And in between was me.  Only me.  I am the ONLY ONE in my whole family that was born during the early 1980s.  No cousins were even remotely close to me in age.  And, I have to tell you, in some cases this really sucked.  I never really had anyone my age that I could relate to.  Even when I was growing up, I always lived in neighbourhoods that never had a whole lot of kids in it.  It was mostly senior citizens, or young families who had newborns.  Again, nobody relatively close to my age to hang around with.

I think that's part of the reason why starting school was sort of a traumatic experience at first.  Here were all of these kids who were my age, and I didn't know how to behave around any of them because this was more or less the first time I got to spend with them for at least six hours a day.  It was a frustrating experience, and hard for me to cope with.  I don't think I even made my first friend there until at least October or November.  That's how hard it was.

I sometimes wonder if things would have been different had I been surrounded with people my own age from the beginning.  If I had just lived in a kid-friendly neighbourhood, or if I had been enrolled in a daycare program (something I never did as my mother was a stay-at-home mom), or if I had family members who were my age.  Perhaps I wouldn't find it so hard to connect with people who are my age.

But, I suppose having pals who are older than I am or pals who are younger than I am has its own set of advantages.  I guess looking at it that way, I'm not a complete social reject.  But still...I guess it's just one of those things that happened...and I can't change it.

I just know that if I become a parent...if I have more than one child, I won't have them ten years apart! 

Friday, February 03, 2017

Jem Reviewed: Episode 46 - The Middle of Nowhere

When we last left Jem and the Holograms, they had spent some time in New Orleans for Mardi Gras in what was a fairly decent episode.  Let's hope the trend continues with the next edition of Jem Reviewed.



This is Episode 46: The Middle of Nowhere.  Oh, look...the animation is screwy again.  This must be from Korea.



Unlike most episodes of the series, we begin at the headquarters of Harvey Gabor - who you might recognize as Phyllis "Pizzazz" Gabor's father.  You know, the guy who apparently shares more of a father-daughter relationship with Kimber?  Well, it seems as though Pizzazz and Eric Raymond (and really, this is like the first episode in a while that we've seen Eric make an appearance) have a proposition for Mr. Gabor.  Apparently, Eric has a plan to open a refinery in Alaska near the major oil pipeline there, and his plan is to make vinyl records for a cheaper cost and higher profit.  Eric, by this point in time it's 1987 where you are.  Records are on their way out and compact discs are where it's at.  You're seriously wasting your time.

Apparently, Harvey seems to think the same thing, reminding Eric of the fiasco that was the Misfits movie.  Nice use of revisiting past history there!  Pizzazz manages to swing Harvey over by telling him of the financial positives, and how he could become a billionaire if he backs Eric on his idea...but he tells Eric and Pizzazz that he better not be disappointed or else he'll walk away.



At the same time, Ba Nee is showing Shana a picture of her Alaskan pen pal named Uto.  And, it's here that we get an unusual piece of Jem Trivia.  Depending on the language you speak, Uto could be a female or a male!  Now, in the English version, it's implied that Uto is female.  But if you watch the French version, it's made painfully clear that Uto is male!  For the sake of this entry, Uto will be female, but I can see how she could be mistaken for being male.  She does have a gender neutral look.   Uto is posing with her favourite seal named Naku, and it's here where we learn that Uto is upset that some rich businessman wants to buy the island that Naku lives on to build a factory, and that if the factory gets built, the seals will lose their home.  I can only imagine who this businessman is...



At some point during this conversation, Jerrica and Raya overhear Ba Nee talk about how Uto lives in Alaska, and Jerrica remarks that Jem and the Holograms will be touring there next week.  Jerrica asks Ba Nee if she would like to tag along with them, and Ba Nee of course is over the moon.  I wonder if Ba Nee will end up nearly getting eaten by a polar bear.



The Misfits and Eric are also on their way to Alaska...and it seems as though once they are there, they head off to their destination via dog sled.  I wonder how many Alaskan stereotypes we're going to get in this episode?  Anyway, Pizzazz complains about the method of transportation and Eric explains that there were no planes available and they had to travel by sled to the town that is closest to the island.  Naturally, a plane flies overhead and Pizzazz blasts Eric for being cheap.  Hah!



Inside the plane is Jem and the Holograms, Ba Nee, Uto, and their pilot, Sanders.  No relation to the Colonel.  And the beautiful Alaskan scenery inspires Jem to sing a song about it.



They say Alaska is called the "Land of the Midnight Sun" because depending on the time of year, the sun will stay in the sky for practically the whole day.  This song of the same title is absolutely beautiful...and it's one of those videos that would look absolutely stunning if this were live action.  It's very cool.  Both figuratively AND literally.



The Holograms' plane lands, and Uto's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Keniak are waiting for them.  Also there is Uto's brother George.  Okay...Uto and George?  Those are like the most random names ever!



Also arriving at the same time is Eric Raymond, who confirms that he is the one who wants to purchase the island (with backing from Harvey Gabor).  And as Eric explains his idea, we see cracks forming in the Keniak family.  George has no problem selling the island because he sees it as his ticket out of Alaska.  But Uto is firmly against it because she doesn't want to see Naku lose his home.  Mr. Keniak tells Eric that he will have a decision for him tomorrow morning, which pisses Eric off, but Eric has no choice but to wait.



Later that day, as the Keniak's clean up after dinner, Uto is still visibly upset over the thought of Eric building his factory.  Ba Nee tells her to stay positive and that everything will work out.  Raya comes up with the good idea for Uto to introduce Ba Nee to Naku.  Uto's mood considerably shifts...until she remembers all the chores she has to do.  But Kimber, Aja, Shana, and Raya all agree to let Uto have the day off and they will fill in for her.  Aw...that's really nice of them.  And since Uto and Ba Nee need adult supervision, Jem agrees to go with them to the island cove.



I guess it's a good thing Jem tags along because immediately Ba Nee wants to go in the kayak by herself.  But Uto explains that there's a strong current around the north side of Attuk Island which if they aren't careful, it will send them to some very dangerous places filled with rocks and icebergs.  Jem and Ba Nee share a kayak which makes Ba Nee disappointed. 



You want to know who else is disappointed?  Harvey Gabor.  He's not interested in landing in Alaska once Eric tells him that the deal is temporarily on hold, but when Pizzazz informs him that the deal will be signed tomorrow, Harvey tells her that he'll be back then.  He also once again tells Pizzazz not to disappoint him.  Man, he sounds like he could definitely win the Father of the Year award...not!



And, I'm sure that the rest of the Holograms aren't very thrilled with George either.  While Kimber, Raya, Shana, and Aja are chopping wood, George is sitting underneath a tree doing nothing.  It's a wonder Raya doesn't go after him with an axe, she's so angry!  The Holograms also question George about his stance regarding the sale of the island, and George is awful defensive about it.  He makes the statement that the money could be handy in helping him leave Alaska, but also to provide Uto with a college education.  When Raya asks if there's a way that they could do that without threatening the seal cove, George gets really rude and storms off.  Wow...what a prince.



On Attuk Island, Jem, Ba Nee, and Uto come across the beautiful scene of dozens of seals playing with each other.  Uto comments that Naku is the seal that is darker than all the others and that he usually is either the cause of mischief or part of a group that is.  Naku sounds like a Misfit!



Fear not though...Naku's a nice seal, and he greets Ba Nee and Jem with love.  But while Uto and Jem are playing with Naku, Ba Nee takes the opportunity to grab Uto's kayak and go out into the water by herself...



...and immediately gets caught in a whirlpool caused by the current that Uto warned them about.  Sigh...say it with me everyone.  What the hell, Ba Nee?



Jem and Uto take the double kayak out to rescue Ba Nee, and with a little bit of careful steering and help from Naku, they manage to get Ba Nee out safely.  But in the process, the double kayak springs a leak and starts to sink.  Even worse, Jem slips trying to pull Ba Nee to safety and knocks herself unconscious.  Now Ba Nee and Uto are stuck in the middle of an ice cold ocean with their adult supervisor passed out.  Naku and his seal buddies help the three get to shore (with Ba Nee losing her hat in the process), but unless they act fact, they'll all die of hypothermia.



Back in town, the Misfits are bored to death of Alaska and decide that they'll rent some snowmobiles and cause some mischief leading to the reuse of another song from way back in the second episode of the series.



The difference is very clear though.  The first time the song was used, the Misfits just caused a food fight on Countess DuVoisin's yacht.  This time around, they're actually trying to kill people.  Not very good.



After they destroy half the Alaskan village, the Misfits pull over to do some sightseeing and Pizzazz notices Ba Nee, Uto, and Jem in the distance and makes the remark that they're in trouble.  Stormer's good side kicks in and she insists that they go get help.  But Pizzazz seems to think that a better idea would be for them to rescue them.  Roxy scoffs at the idea, but Jetta understands completely.  If they save Uto, it might convince the Keniak's to sell the land to Eric needed to build the factory.  Very devious plan, but Pizzazz seems to think it will work.

Back at the Keniak's home, everyone is starting to get worried about Uto, as it's been a long time since they left to go visit with the seals.  The Holograms are also equally concerned that Jem and Ba Nee haven't come back either.  Night is falling, and everyone knows that time is of the essence, so a search party is immediately drafted.



And with the sky getting darker, and Jem still unconscious, Ba Nee is starting to panic and worries that they will never be found and that they will be permanent frozen popsicles.  But Uto tells Ba Nee not to worry, as she's got it covered.  She always carries waterproof matches with her so that she can start a fire.  At the very least, it will keep them all warm until help arrives.  Seems like Uto's very mature and skilled for her age.



Too bad Jetta and Pizzazz don't seem to share the same qualities as Uto.  After renting a motorboat to drive to the island where Jem and company are, they get into trouble right from the get go.  They too get caught up in the same current that Ba Nee got caught in...only instead of a whirlpool, they find themselves trapped in a strait filled with gigantic icebergs.  The motor on their boat quits (something Jetta claims is because it's American made, which admittedly got a chuckle from me), and they are on the path of being squashed to death.  If an iceberg was powerful enough to sink the Titanic, then clearly a little puny boat like Pizzazz and Jetta's wouldn't stand a chance.



As luck would have it, the icebergs lock together leaving a tiny area for Pizzazz and Jetta to slip through unharmed.  But that was just one of many.  If they don't find a way out of the strait, their luck won't last.  What is it with everyone getting themselves into danger this episode?



Well, at least Jem has regained consciousness, and is shocked that Ba Nee and Uto have got the fire going.  Good job!  Now that they're all warmed up, Jem tells everyone not to panic and to keep calm while Uto gathers more wood to build up the fire so that they can be seen.



Meanwhile, as part of the search party, Kimber and Shana are up inside the sea plane with Sanders looking for any sign of life.  They don't come across Jem and the others...but they do spot Pizzazz and Jetta struggling to get to safety.  



Fortunately, they land the plane and scoop up Pizzazz and Jetta and fly off to safety before they get squashed by another pair of icebergs.  I'm sure it'll be quite a long time before Pizzazz and Jetta decide to go anywhere with snow again (well, at least a couple of episodes anyway). 



And in a boat traversing the straits in a separate area, George and Mr. Keniak are out with Raya and Aja trying to see if they can find Jem, Uto, and Ba Nee.  At this point, George is feeding himself with a couple of big pieces of humble pie, and he regrets being so mean to Uto.  He wishes that they could find her so he can attempt to make things right again.



As they continue further down the strait, Raya makes an interesting discovery.  She spots three seals playing with a multicoloured object, and at first George dismisses it as being unimportant.  But when Raya recognizes one of the seals as Naku and the multicoloured object turns out to be Ba Nee's hat, Raya makes the declaration that Naku knows where they are.  George is skeptical, but Raya's pleas to follow Naku don't completely fall on deaf ears, as Mr. Keniak decides to listen to her.  Wow, Raya's been an all-star in this episode.  She's definitely got to be one of my favourites this season!



Turns out that Raya's hunch was right on the money.  As the boat approaches the island, they spot the flames that Uto made and realize that they have found everyone safe and sound, leading to an emotional family reunion.



And of course, Ba Nee and Uto thank Naku properly, as it was he who saved the day.  You know, this scene alone is enough to make me list this episode as a great one as well.  Now, let's see how it ends.  Will George be convinced that the deal that Eric wants to make is a bad one?  Will Naku lose his home?  Will Ba Nee ever learn to stay out of trouble?



Well, we can answer two of those questions right now when dawn breaks and Eric arrives to seal the deal.  But in a change of heart, George actually challenges Eric with a question.  If they agree to the deal, will they preserve the cove so that the seals can stay?  Eric says absolutely not, as they need the cove to build the shipping harbor, which is all that the Keniak family need to hear.  They tell Eric to not let the iceberg hit him on the way out and that they will NOT sell him the land.

Of course, this doesn't bode well with Harvey Gabor who basically calls his daughter a failure (no wonder Pizzazz turned out the way she did), and tells Eric never to contact him with another business deal again.  I get the feeling that Eric will get nothing but a frosty reception from Pizzazz the rest of their stay in Alaska.



It's time for Jem and the Holograms to move on, but Ba Nee is staying with the Keniaks for another week so that she can get to know Uto and Naku better.  They'll come back to pick her up once their tour is over.  For now though, it's time for one last song.



Basically "Safe and Sound" works as a recap video of everything that happened, and is essentially like a Season 2 version of "I Believe in Happy Endings".  The song itself isn't one of their better ones, but I do appreciate the tone of the single.  It does show at least a happy ending for the Jem and the Hologram portion of the show.



Not so much for the Misfits though...well, okay, Eric.  Pizzazz is so steamed at him for ruining her father's plans and making her look like an idiot in his eyes that they take off on the dog sleds back home WITHOUT him.  Serves Eric right as far as I'm concerned.

You know, bad animation aside, I really liked this one.  I've been critical of the Holograms in recent weeks, but this one showed that they really were the good guys.  And once more I find myself feeling sorry for Pizzazz.  All she wants is to gain acceptance in her father's eyes, and it's heartbreaking to see how badly he treats her.





Next week's episode should be fun.  We get to go to a Renaissance Faire!