Thursday, January 20, 2011

Of all things Charmed & Dandy

Okay this is a heavy disclaimer, this post has some heavy duty ranting about the TV show Charmed, and if you have never seen it nor have any interest in it step away from this post RIGHT NOW, that's right close the tab, hit the backspace button or just hit the link box and type in another address and go along your merry way. I have had this need to rant about this show for a while now and this is a lotta ranting about the show. Don't say you weren't warned when this is the very first paragraph. If you still however progress to read this and consider this an absolute waste of your time, well your fault you ninny head. Until the next post then peepz...


So there's always those days and moments where you are almost certain that you are going cookie for sure. I mean come on!!!! Who the hell obsesses over TV shows that had the craziest shake up with their cast, my case in point being charmed. Maybe I might be the only one to think so but damn guy that show went to hell....literally. It's like the Source of all evil took over the show and tossed it to like the tacky lower level demons that the show introduced us to over the seasons. First big mistake was to eliminate Prue from the show. If they wanted to eliminate a character it should have been Phoebe. She did get really annoying over the seasons and she cannot act for nuts. So they, the they being the PTB of the show. A few people or maybe many might shoot me for saying this but the truth stings and I sincerely believe that the show just depreciated in content and quality after season 3. Okay season 4 was sorta kinda the beginning of the end. I found it quite depressing and I kept expecting Prue to show up, if not to kick some demon ass (which, she did an awesome job of might I add) then to ease Piper's pain and be there for her. I personally think that of all the sisters the greatest bond was between Prue and Piper, I think if anything they were each other's rock. That last episode of season 3 oh man Prue's reaction to Piper's death was just heart wrenching. Heck I have no words to describe what I thought of that scene. Think about it I think Prue would never have forgiven herself if anything happened to Piper. Is it just me or did Phoebe just seem all oh hey okay Prue is dead and yay we have another sister. I think that really aggravated me and she was sorta responsible for the death of her sister. Yeah sure take a leap of faith in the name of love and all that crap. She seemed absolutely fine after her sister's death which is absolute crap. There was no grieving except that one scene where she seemed to have a breakdown or some bull shit. Yes I am ranting about this show and I shan't stop until I am done ranting. I think the show ran for 8 seasons too long and they had some real shit.

I really tried to watch the show beyond season 3 and by the second episode of the sixth season I gave up. I tossed my hands up and had a "Piper" moment. I thought the episode was going to freeze and my torture would end. The only reason I made it that far was because of Holly Marie Combs; now she was the only saving grace of the show following Shannen Doherty's exit. There was so much potential that one could see in those first three seasons. Then some idiot decided to can 2 very crucial elements of the show. The first being the above mentioned Shannen Doherty and the second being the actual creator of the show, Constance M Burge. My understanding, which may not seem necessarily apt for this situation, is one where I think whoever fired her is was and will always be a bloody tool. Okay some of the complaints which i read up on a few forums hate how childish and demented the show became. The childish aspect I don't mind so much because it gives kids and the rest of us idiot box lovers something to get our minds to actively participate in. Okay sure the show ain't no Jeopardy or Who wants to be a millionaire or any trivia or self improvement show or any of that ultimate fighter stuff. But me being the buff with things varying between the realms if fantasy, mystery and the supernatural shows like this get the cogs in me head turning. My folks think I over obsess and I won't deny that I don't but the idiot box is something that has held my attention and piqued my curiosity since I was a kid. Contrary to popular belief and/or notions I wasn't the popular kid with the friends falling left, right and centre nor was I the kid who had someone to go chill with and talk my problems, cares and concerns with. So sue me for having an opinion about the things I watch.

Going back to what I was talking about earlier, not only did they murder an amazing show, get rid of some of the better creative influences on the show they didn't even have the freaking courtesy of bringing back one of the main people mentioned above for the finale of the show. I mean WHAT THE HELL?!?!? How can you not bring back Prue Halliwell for a series finale, what the hell are you smoking? I read the whole schpiel about budget issues and that's a load of bull. The other thing I read was the guy helming the show and responsible for it's absolute death and destruction, did not even bother calling the actress to reprise her role. What a douche and a half. Anyway the show should have ended at season 7 heck even way before season 7 but while it did run till then that's where it should have ended. At least it had a decent ending that series finale while being nostalgic I just absolutely hated how they completely sidelined one of the primary characters that made this show a household name during her 3 season run on it. Sure call me a disloyal fan for not tuning into the show or heck giving up on it after that 2 episode adventure from season 6. While I do have quite the patience and tolerance level there was none left by the time I got to season 6. What bullshit was that anyway, just thinking of the time spent going through those seasons makes me cringe.

None the less just when I thought the dust on Charmed had settled I read that it has gone the Buffy, Angel and Firefly way or rather the Joss Whedon way. Apparently since last year they have started publishing Charmed Season 9 comic books. While I did groan a little there was also a part of me that got uber excited. I mean can you think of all the cool things they could do? I think the thing that triggered my excitement was when I saw a sketch of....wait for it.....that's right people...Prue Halliwell, by one of the artists working on the comic book version. So I had an absolute fan girl moment and e-mailed the publishers and sent them one of those comments thingymajiggs to pretty please bring Prue back and guess what...They actually freaking responded and said that they have received lots if emails from fans asking to bring Prue back. I mean if anything I think they need to bring her back at least for Piper's sake. She never recovered from losing Prue and the chemistry between the sisters was definitely missing something that the first three seasons had. That does not heifer mean that I have no appreciation for Paige. I think they killed off the wrong sister, apparently creativity got canned and Phoebe's whorey-ness was decidedly the key focus to draw in viewers. None the less I do digress from that e-mail I sent Zenescope (yes that's how attached I get to things, even if the B-man said that attachment is something we need to get rid of as it is the cause of desire and fun things of the sort). Anyhoo after reading that message I was beaming with excitement and I definitely did have my internal squeals of joy. Yes things like this definitely make me happy, it may seem insignificant but I like finding my happiness where I can especially after the ridiculous start this year has taken so far.

Appreciating things like this brings on a different feeling of happiness than you get from doing other things that make you happy. It's almost as if you're saying your thank you'd to the creative part of your brain and you know you need your creativity to sometimes deal with those curve Allston life throws at you. Okay saying curveball sorta doesn't come easily to me because I am more of a cricket girl v/s baseball. So I guess I should rephrase that as googlies versus curvaceous or heck even flippers or doosras. Them flippers and doosras are tricky bastards to face. Right must focus on one thing at a time. Well I think this about covers my rant about Charmed, it has been one that I have had for a few years and that was re-triggered while I was watching a few episodes from the first three seasons. Well I guess I will have to bide my time and make do with those 3 seasons until Prue returns in the graphic world. I sincerely hope she returns as a permanent character, even though we did get a glimpse of the future in that series finale we also know that nothing goes the way it should or as is seen in the future. Prue's death sorta implies that dun' it? Well on that note I'm gonna take off now, and yes for those of y'all who have loved every season of this show watch out for the comics. Apparently every 6 issues is equivalent to an episode. I wonder if they will get Constance Burge to write an episode? I think that would be just an awesome way to pay homage to the creator of this idea/vision/idea.

Well I think I have done my fair share of ranting for the moment. Take care everyone and I hope things are working out for you guys more at this moment than they are for me. Take care of yerselves you minions from both flu like factors and mind boggling factors and so I bid ye farewell in true Charmed fashion...."Blessed Be"

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Greetings, Felicitiations and Merry New Year

So you know that old adage "Absence makes the heart grow fonder" or some such sweet nothings of the sort? Well it's kinda sorta true, or at least that's the way I feel about coming back here...it's been a while, I think the monstrosity of akademia took over my non existent life. Well and you know some monsters can be slayed, while others you just I guess learn to strike a balance with.

It's been a few tough days, but then again, busting your chops at the beginning of the year I hope is a good sign. Just keeps you working and striving harder for the rest of the year or sum'n like that. Regardless of all the downhill moments I've had so far I'd still like to think I have a hint of optimism left in me. None the less, I do hope you chumps had a fantastic New year or at least a fantastic time celebrating and ringing in the New Year. Mine was a very quaint and different affair, in years we actually rang the new year in with other folks, usually it's the familial unit chilling and ringing in that stroke of the midnight hour. Oh well I guess it's a sign from the universe to shake up my routine a little huh?

Now, this post has been under creation for a while, and I have good reasons for that as well. Things have been a bit rough these last few weeks, since ushering in the 2011 and all. I see people reaching out to do new things creatively, which makes me heave a slight sigh of relief 'cuz I'd like to believe that we all still have the power to create and bring into this world fresh ideas and approaches towards things. It's heart warming I guess, but while on that topic I really wish people would be like these fresh ideas as well. Unfortunately or fortunately you don't always get what you hope and wish for.

Okay I know this is pretty much common knowledge for everyone but in case you didn't notice, I tend to go off on a ramble 'bout friends and friendship and things of the sort when I get into the realm of people and changes and things of the sort. These last few weeks have been something close to disastrous but not so dramatic that I'd call it that, they've been extremely rough ones. They've been chipping away at my soul, my humanity, my conscience and definitely my temper. My anger has transcended the bursts of red to serene, blinding hot silver, sharp enough to cut through anything. Now I'm not the kind of person to stop the next person on the street and sob my heart out, firstly I'd be terribly embarassed and would rather crawl under a rock and disappear for good. I'm also not the person who will badger my friends to take a few minutes outta their lives to listen to my tale of woes, okay maybe I should ask them but I've got my reasons not to do so. Blame it on my childhood I guess, and if you're gonna be thinking 'oh yeah of course blame it on something else and don't take responsibility for your own actions and thought processes' then well hey you're entitled to do that. But to make your miserable thought process a lil' less miserable, I am blaming myself I just don't like being direct with things like that :P, I mean hell where's the suspense then?

None the less, like most things I digress, but I would like to think that when you're so connected with people on levels that transcend that of acquaintances then do you not have the basic courtesy of saying hey u a'ite there? Things don't seem too great with ya and you haven't quite been yourself is everything a'ite? Or did I just get switched into some fuckin' Bizzaro world where nobody really cares how anyone is doing but is just more concerned 'bout milking that cow for what it's worth and then sending it off to the meat packin' factory down the road for the execution and mechanical farewell? Oh hell yeah I'm gonna be spewing quite a bit of acid in this post so if you can't take a heavy dose of spewing 2 words for you mate, PISS OFF. Go do something constructive then. None the less, I must rant my fingers feel mega excited to rather leave imprints on the wall and ripping the concrete and cement and everything else the fuck apart but I'm trying to still stick to my 'Gandhian' ways of Ahimsa. Let's hope no human crosses my anger threshold today to suffer the consequences, I'm just hoping my gob doesn't decide to rack out some shellfire if that were to happen today. 'cuz while actions do leave lasting impressions words leave lasting imprints, forever branded in the depths of our memories. Anyway, getting back to the narrative going on here besides that of a very fitting description of the anger consuming me inside out, a few months ago friend of mine that I do consider family was in 'woe is me' mode where things seemed to fall apart 'cuz hey a relationship fell apart. So, me being the sucker for things tragic and weepy and apparently with a hero complex the 'heroine complex' I swooped in to be the shoulder. Mind you I was being a virtual shoulder to the salt water being shed, and I was spending all this time trying to be there and trying to help fix problems that were beyond my control and grasp. I guess I'll never learn to not be a sucker for stupid things like this. Call me heartless if you must but seriously a relationship beyond repair is not the end of the world, there are more things that need to be repaired and fixed in the world besides matters of the heart. Especially if it's matters of the heart that you're unwilling to compromise and meet someone halfway with, 'cuz heck if you and the other person know it's meant to be and there's nothing else to it then you WILL make it work, Plain and simple, but if you're complicating it up all for your own self that just shows that you clearly have plenty of time on your hands and that you'd rather spend time complicating your life rather than making sense out of it.

Okay before you relationshipped and packaged people pounce on me with your questions, the first answer is no I've never been in one and yes I can still talk 'bout it 'cuz I've seen enough. I actually do keep my eyes open, even if I do have visual problems, my eyes are ears tend to be open most of the time. So yeah I think I do know a thing or 2 about the subject, and trust me especially if you have seen that which I have seen oh fuck yeah you do know a thing or 2 about things. I'm no expert, actually nobody is, even if you are someone who has been in what 7 relationships in the last decade or so yeah no you aren't no expert. However, like I was saying, there's more than just fickle relationships to keep your eyes and ears open out there for. So like I was saying, my friend was down in the dumps and I was trying to check in and make sure things were okay and that they were progressing forward with their life despite the setback of the heart. I think that was another learning period for me, I learned how easy it is to shove the blame onto another friend if you know things weren't as rosy as they used to be or if you aren't as close to people as you used to be. And it's so much easier to do so when you do not make the effort to do so, and it's even easier to attach and tag labels on your friends. I'm not saying it is any one person's fault, friendship is a 2 way street like most things in life and both parties are responsible for the failure in communication. I kinda sorta got dragged into yet another thing that was not my problem to deal with, I have a very uncanny ability of being dragged into things, whether I want to be dragged into it or not. The worst thing to get dragged into however is the additional baggage category of friends, you know, the category where a friend doesn't want to meet another friend or puts off meeting a friend because there's this retarded notion of not being able to see them or do anything with them because there's been no time or yeah there's just no fucking good excuse you can come up with besides being a lazy slob who can't respect what you have. Jaesus, it amazes me how the world is filled with more people that fit this general, myriad description of a human being. No wonder the future seems so bleak, dull and gray to most people, and it's no surprise that optimism died a painful, horrible and gruesome death a while ago. What's worse is that the optimistic ones keep getting teh short end of the stick and squeezed into losing their optimism. If you can't handle optimism that's your problem, why not leave those that are trying to do something better for everyone alone and let them try and attempt at making things a lil' better. Does it not strike anyone that maybe people like being optimistic 'cuz that's the way they deal with their problems, maybe by seeing the light in someone else's eyes or the light in another situation actually gives them the hope and faith to face their fears and fight their battles and demons. But no, that's just ridiculous right? To let anyone else have that shot at happiness if you can't have it.

Anyway, while I was home for to celebrate a time of cheer, happiness, family and love I made sure I paid my respects to all those people and things that made me feel that way. I'm glad I got to meet the few people that are my family, spending even those few hours with them was the healing and energy I needed to keep that fire of determination and hope burning. It was a crazy ass hectic time but it was worth every ounce of it to just bask in the warmth of their love, understanding, company and smiles. And the metaphorical icing on the cake was the bubbling, giggling sound of my niece. Oh man if there was any therapy that could make a heart lighter and a soul brighter it would be that aura of innocence and purity of a child that washes over you. It heals many a crack and fissure in quite the chipped heart, reminds you of the fact that there are things in this world worth living for and heck worth dying for to protect. Anyway, I guess I was the fool to expect said friend to actually turn around and notice and give a shit 'bout things. I forget people like to be wrapped up in their own world. 'Welcome to the real world' you say? Well I guess you're about as disillusioned as the rest of us, what the hell happened to people actually standing up to this shit and not taking things like this? What happened to proving crap like this is redundant and there is something to actually look forward to? I don't think our future needs more bleakness than the media and news tends to cover. Stop looking for facades, hell stop making them in the first place. How far are your facades gonna take you? To that blurry horizon that you see as your future? Ya think? I mean honestly WAKE UP!!! Nothing ever goes the way you think it will, even if you have decided that you are the master of your future, fate and destiny 'cuz you aren't. Whether you like it or not, you really aren't, things are pre-ordained and the paths you take you can think you've beaten your destiny or whatever but you wouldn't be walking it if you weren't meant to walk it. You can keep thinking whatever it is that you keep thinking to make it through the day or night, but believe you me when I say life is and WILL throw a monkey wrench into all your well planned and carefully laid out plans. As much as I'd love to the be precocious arse who says 'I told you so' I take no pleasure in anyone's misery, even if it is someone that I cannot stand.

Well I think that's enough of a start to kick start this year of posts with. They may not be as frequent, or maybe they will be, who knows it's always too early to tell as far as these things are concerned. I hope the year ahead is one filled with insight and reflection for all of ya'll, there's a lotta strife going around in this world, and as much as we love shrugging our shoulders and say too bad it's happening or this can't be helped it was expected it's about time we stopped that shrugging. You know stop and turn around and see how you can help, help in any way, size, shape or format will always make a difference. It will change a life, if not the person you're trying to help out it will change yours. And there is nothing better than change to accept and grab by the horns 'cuz change is one of those guests that likes to call on you frequently whether you're ready for it or not. Cheers everyone and here's wishing you all the very best in everything for the upcoming year.

Song(s)of the day

Song: A Message
Band/Artist: Coldplay
Album: X&Y
Release Date: June 6, Circa 2005

Song: Missing
Band/Artist: Evanescence
Album: Anywhere but Home
Release Date: November 24, Circa 2004