On a similar note, I’d like to go ahead and remark that the last decade has absolutely flown by. I remember where I was ten years ago today (Y2K hype, anybody?) and I have changed tremendously since then. I thought of doing a decade-in-review sort of deal but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. For some reason, I’m not quite ready to forge ahead into 2010, a year that will bring about even more change than 2009 did.

But that’s enough of my rambling, here’s my year in review:

Blogs of 2009

• Cake Wrecks – I still love this blog. The cakes have gotten even more hilarious/disgusting/appalling/etc. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, you haven’t!
• Bravo Fan – Where has this blog been all of my life? It’s a perfect roundup of news from the entire Bravo universe, and the author, Maria, is hilarious. Oh, and I was a featured reader in August!
• Another Flight Attendant Writing – Heather Poole is a fantastic writer (looking forward to her books!) with tons of hilarious stories to share.

TV Shows of 2009

• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List – Still hilarious after all these years.
• Lost – Don’t even know what to say. Lost is still Lost. It’s suspenseful, sentimental, entertaining and an all-around wonderful show. I’m looking forward to the sixth (and final) season in 2010, but I will certainly miss this show!
• Glee – Love the music, choreography, cast and writing. Can’t wait for it to return in the spring!
• Parks & Recreation – Amy Poehler is fantastic. I could watch the same episode over and over again and still laugh.
• The Office – Enough said.
• Real Housewives of Atlanta, NYC, New Jersey, OC – WHO GONNA CHECK ME, BOO? Love these trainwrecks.
• (I watch a lot of TV)

Theatre of 2009

• Footloose – A fantastic learning experience and a wonderful cast!
• The Music Man – Children! Oh my.
• High School Musical 2 – Loved the directors I worked with.
• Annie – My first professional credit. :)
• A Spell of Cold Weather - A great holiday show, very heartwarming!
• Sleeping Beauty – A fun show to board op. Cast was very talented.

YouTube Channels of 2009

• CTFxC – I started out loving Charles & Alli when she was in Spain but I’ve followed them back to the US and still love their vlogs
• iJustine – She’s hilarious. Everything she does has me laughing out loud!
• Johnnyboy – She’s pretty funny, too, in a sarcastic way.

iPhone Apps of 2009

• I Am T-Pain – Good times with this app in fifth period.
• Jellycar 2 – Not as great as the original but still a lot of fun.
• Scramble – This game basically was my entire second semester Food & Nutrition class.
• Lemonade Tycoon – Addicting. That’s all I will say.
• iheartradio – This was a lifesaver when my car radio pooped out.

To my readers (if there are any of you left): Happy New Year, and may you have a fantastic year to come. Welcome 2010!

I’m very upset and disappointed that Samantha Who?, Kath & Kim, In The Motherhood, Pushing Daisies, and The Unusuals were canceled while ABC decided to keept Scrubs alive on life support (no pun intended), Better Off Ted was saved (

that show is painful, I wanted to love her but Portia del Rossi just didn’t deliver for me), and there are like, seventeen different incarnations of CSI and Law and Order still on.  Is this a joke?

Samantha Who? was one of the best shows on television.  It was witty, well-written, and a pleasure to watch.  The characters were loveable and relateable and Christina Applegate was a fantastic lead.  ABC flat-out said that it was canceled because it was too expensive and that they didn’t want it to come to this.

Kath & Kim was another hilarious show, but it seemed to be pretty polarizing.  A lot of people compared it to the Aussie version which probably ultimately caused its demise.  Although they were the same show, each version had a different style of humor and it was innapropriate to compare them both.

In The Motherhood was a diamon in the ruff – Megan Mullally and Cheryl Hines were entertaining and hilarious, but I felt like Jessica St. Claire seemed contrived and unrealistic.  That being said, the whole premise of the series was fresh and original and it was otherwise very well-done.  This one will be missed.

I really liked The Unusuals, too, but not until I actually watched an episode.  The promos for the show made it look really freaky and “out there” (almost Sci-Fi) but it was a lot more…normal that it was advertised.  I thought, based on the promos, that it was some stupid scifi show, but I liked it a lot when I actually watched an episode.

Now, all of that being said, there are many shows that I am glad to see returning: Grey’s Anatomy, Lost, Ugly Betty (although I am upset to see this moved to Fridays), The Biggest Loser, The Office, and Parks and Recreation.

The Real Housewives of New York reunion shows were even better than I expected.  It was nice to see Ramona and Kelly finally get called out for all of their crap in front of everybody, although I almost felt bad for Kelly when everybody, including Ramona, was ripping her a new one!  As usual, Jill, Bethenny, and the Countess kept it classy.  I love them!  Alex didn’t really do much of anything in either of the episodes…I felt let down!  As for Real Housewives of New Jersey?  Those ladies are gonna be some hot messes!  I already like Teresa and Caroline, but I’m sure my allegiances are going to change as the season progresses.

The Biggest Loser was nothing special.  I was surprised that Tara came in third (thought she was gonna take home the gold!), glad that Mike and Ron did NOT win, and very happy for Helen.  I’ve liked her all along and it was nice to see her be rewarded.  Tara and Helen were both looking HOT at the finale!  And as for Mike…well, I never took a liking to him.

The two-hour Lost finale was something else.  I can honestly say that I am now excited for Lost after watching the finale.  I’ve sort of been getting less interested in the show over the past two season, but I’m completely hooked and invigorated again.  First and foremost, Juliet better live or I’m gonna pop off.  She is/was my favorite character, so therefore she is not allowed to die!  Next season is going to rock.  I have no freaking idea where the show is going next year, but it’s going to be good.

Even though the season finale of Ugly Betty isn’t until next week, this week’s episode was fantastic.  It was nice to see Betty and Matt work their stuff out.  I’m sad to see Ignacio’s baby mama leaving for California, though.  Will we ever get rid of Whilamena?  Probably not.  For some reason, I like her.  I’m not sure what it is, but I feel drawn to her.

And, finally, Grey’s Anatomy.  Wow.  Izzie AND George?  I’m still speechless.  One of the best season finales ever.  Except for the “Post-It Marriage” crap.  I slept through that stuff.  Alex was a douche.  I’m glad Cristina and Owen are together now, and I hope Callie and Arizona stay together next season.  I love all four of them.  Maybe they could all have a plural marriage?

As for the summer season?  I’m looking forward to: Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List, Flipping Out, Top Chef Masters, Wipeout, and I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here!. This summer is going to deliver. :)

Oh, and I’m including this picture because it’s full of people that I love.  Rachael Ray, Jill Zarin (RHoNY), Rocoo DiSpirito (Top Chef, sorta), some dude, Tyson Beckford (Make Me A Supermodel – getting more into this show this season and I was pissed when they sent Jordan home this week.  wtf?), and, of course, Kathy Griffin.

Are you kidding me?  Which amazing show will be cancelled next?  First it was Reba, then Jericho, then Instant Star, then Miss-Guided, then Eli Stone, then Pushing Daisies, and now Ugly Betty?  Granted, the haven’t gone so far as to cancel it, but this seems to be a red flag of sorts.  What shows are left to watch?!  Lost and Grey’s Anatomy.  And honestly, GA has gotten a little mundane for me and VERY predictable.  I have to be honest in saying that I wouldn’t be upset if last week’s episode was the finale.  It was a good episode to close on.  Just give me an Owen & Cristina spinoff (and not Private Practice, that show is horrible) and I’ll be happy.

But, I digress.  This is really getting out of hand.  I went from following six primetime series on ABC/CBS/NBC/Fox to watching two because all of the good shows were cancelled!  I spend more time watching CNN and Bravo than any of the old networks.  I must say that I am happy to see Samantha Who? returning, but not at the expense of Betty.

What I’m surprised at the most is that networks haven’t figured out that people would rather watch these shows than The Bachelor, Survivor 66254, Amazing Race 984625, etc. The only good reality shows these days are coming off of Bravo (Top Chef, Flipping Out, Kathy Griffin, Real Housewives, etc.).

THIS SUCKS!!!

(Oh and PS – if anybody else is getting fed up, maybe you should shift your entertainment sources from television and movies to live theater, eh?  Help me pay my bills? Haha…)

An asterisk (*) denotes a second-year winner; due to the fact that the award categories and their nominees have changed significantly over the past three years, there are no third-year winners.

See the winners after the break.

Blogs of 2007

Description: Blogs/personal websites that I enjoyed reading this year. Qualifications include excellent writing, attractive design, and semi-consistent updates.

Eligibility requirements: Websites in this category do not have to have been started in 2007, but the first archived entry must be on or before June 15, 2007.

• Winner: Dooce #
• Runner-up: TUAW
• Kitta
• This Fish
• WordPress Wank

Websites of 2007

Description: Websites (not blogs) that I visited extensively during 2007.

Eligibility requirements: Websites in this category do not have to have been founded in 2007, but must have been founded on or before June 15, 2007.

• Winner: Gmail
• Runner-up: Lostpedia*
• Facebook #
• Google Reader
• Youtube #
• Flickr #

Movies of 2007

Description: Feature films that epitomized cinematic excellence.

Eligibility requirements: Films in this category must have been released on or after December 29, 2006 (when last year’s nominees were announced).

• Winner: Juno
• Runner-up: The Simpsons Movie #
• Shrek 3
• Pirates of the Caribbean 3 #
• (Yeah, I obviously didn’t see many movies this year.)

TV Shows of 2007

Description: Television series/specials that epitomized excellence.

Eligibility requirements: Original air dates of the nominated seasons/specials must have been on or after December 29, 2006.

• Winner: Lost (Season 3)* #
• Winner: Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Season 3)* #
• Winner: Instant Star (Season 3) #
• Winner: Ugly Betty (Season 2) #
• Winner: Grey’s Anatomy (Season 3) #
• Winner: Jericho (Season 1) #

Okay, so I couldn’t decide on ONE winner…there’s nothing wrong with a six-way tie!

Theater Productions of 2007

Description: Theater productions that I have participated in.

Eligibility requirements: Productions in this category must have had show dates on or after December 29, 2006.

• Winner: Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Repertoire Stage – HCC) #
• Runner-up: Oz! (Stage Crew Productions) #
• Runner-up: Grease (Long Reach High School) #
• The Music Man (Stage Crew Productions) #
• Father of the Bride (Long Reach High School) #

Celebrities of 2007

Description: I can’t really describe this category…biggest screw-up? Best move? Biggest train wreck? I’m not sure…

Eligibility requirements: You have to be famous?

• Winner: Kathy Griffin #
• Runner-Up: Britney Spears #
• Jamie Lynn Spears #

Music of 2007

Description: Albums that epitomized musical excellence.

Eligibility requirements: Albums in this category must have been released on or after December 29, 2006 (when last year’s nominees were announced).

• Winner: Legally Blonde Soundtrack – Various Artists
• Runner-up: Reba Duets – Reba McEntire*
• Call Me Irresponsible – Michael Buble
• Songs from Instant Star 3 – Various Artists
• My December – Kelly Clarkson
• Blackout – Britney Spears (I’ll explain later.)

Personal Electronics of 2007

Description: Personal electronics that I used extensively throughout 2007.

Eligibility requirements: Has to be personal and electronic, I guess.

• Winner: iPod Touch
• Runner-up: iMac G5
• iPod Mini
• Motorola Razr
• TI-84

And there you have it: my take on 2007. I hope you had an awesome 2007 and have an even better 2008!

My dear acquaintance, it’s so good to know you
For strength of your hand
That is loving and giving.
And a happy new year
With love overflowing,
With joy in our hearts
For the blessed new year.

Raise your glass and we’ll have a cheer
For us all who are gathered here.
And a happy new year to all that is living
To all that is gentle, kind, and forgiving.
Raise your glass and we’ll have a cheer,
My dear acquaintance, a happy new year.
All of those who are hither and yonder
With love in our hearts
We grow fonder and fonder.

Hail to those who we hold so dear
And hail to those who are gathered here.
And a happy new year to all that is living
To all that is gentle, young, and forgiving.
Raise your glass and we’ll have a cheer
My dear acquaintance, a happy new year!

Song: “My Dear Acquaintance” by Regina Spektor

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

See the nominees after the break.

Blogs of 2007

Description: Blogs/personal websites that I enjoyed reading this year. Qualifications include excellent writing, attractive design, and semi-consistent updates.

Eligibility requirements: Websites in this category do not have to have been started in 2007, but the first archived entry must be on or before June 15, 2007.

• WordPress Wank
• Dooce #
• Kitta
• This Fish
• TUAW

Websites of 2007

Description: Websites (not blogs) that I visited extensively during 2007.

Eligibility requirements: Websites in this category do not have to have been founded in 2007, but must have been founded on or before June 15, 2007.

• Facebook #
• Google Reader
• Gmail
• Youtube #
• Lostpedia
• Flickr #

Movies of 2007

Description: Feature films that epitomized cinematic excellence.

Eligibility requirements: Films in this category must have been released on or after December 29, 2006 (when last year’s nominees were announced).

• Shrek 3
• The Simpsons Movie #
• Pirates of the Caribbean 3 #
• Juno
• (Yeah, I obviously didn’t see many movies this year.)

TV Shows of 2007

Description: Television series/specials that epitomized excellence.

Eligibility requirements: Original air dates of the nominated seasons/specials must have been on or after December 29, 2006.

• Lost (Season 3) #
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List (Season 3) #
• Instant Star (Season 3) #
• Ugly Betty (Season 2) #
• Grey’s Anatomy (Season 3) #
• Jericho (Season 1) #

Theater Productions of 2007

Description: Theater productions that I have participated in.

Eligibility requirements: Productions in this category must have had show dates on or after December 29, 2006.

• Grease (Long Reach High School) #
• The Music Man (Stage Crew Productions) #
• Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night (Repertoire Stage – HCC) #
• Father of the Bride (Long Reach High School) #
• Oz! (Stage Crew Productions) #

Celebrities of 2007

Description: I can’t really describe this category…biggest screw-up? Best move? Biggest train wreck? I’m not sure…
Eligibility requirements: You have to be famous?

• Britney Spears #
• Jamie Lynn #
• Kathy Griffin #

Music of 2007

Description: Albums that epitomized musical excellence.

Eligibility requirements: Albums in this category must have been released on or after December 29, 2006 (when last year’s nominees were announced).

• Reba Duets – Reba McEntire
• Call Me Irresponsible – Michael Buble
• Songs from Instant Star 3 – Various Artists
• My December – Kelly Clarkson
• Legally Blonde Soundtrack – Various Artists
• Blackout – Britney Spears (I’ll explain later.)

Personal Electronics of 2007

Description: Personal electronics that I used extensively throughout 2007.

Eligibility requirements: Has to be personal and electronic, I guess.

• iPod Mini
• iPod Touch
• Motorola Razr
• iMac G5
• TI 84

So, there you have it! The 2007 nominees! If I seem to have forgetting anything, leave it in the comments and I’ll add it. I’ll post the results on New Years Eve.

• Kid Nation – I hate the kids on this show. They’re obnoxious and they act too much like adults. But, the concept of the show is interesting. I’ve only seen one episode, and I’d like to see a few more. I’m kind of unimpressed with the demographics, though…a majority of white, Catholic kids.
• Pushing Daisies – This show is hilarious, and I’m in love with it. The cast is great, the plot is amazing, and the overall concept is pretty kick-butt. I’m busy during the timeslot, so I unfortunately have to watch it online because I keep forgetting to TiVo it. One of my favorite new shows.
• Back to You – I’ve only seen the pilot (I downloaded it from iTunes when it was free), and I really enjoyed it. I want to see more!

Returning

• Grey’s Anatomy - As great as last season. I miss Burke, but the new storylines are pretty good regardless. The new interns kind of annoy me. Izzie is still hot.
• Ugly Betty – I miss Santos, but it’s still an amazingly hilarious show. One of the wittiest shows that I know of!

Anticipating

• Lost – I’ll always be a Lostie, but last season’s finale left me a little confused. Locke is a mother-freakin’ psycho, flash-forwards are confusing and I don’t really like them, and Charlie shouldn’t have died. :( I’m hoping that season four will be amazing. I can’t wait to find out who’s coming from the barge! I’m still kind of sad about having to wait until February, though.
• Jericho – This was one of my favorite new shows from last year! The finale was amazing, and it left an awesome cliffhanger. I want to find out what happens when the Army arrives (if they haven’t already). Hopefully CBS will define “mid-season replacement” for us soon!
• Instant Star – I want to hear the new music so bad! I have a feeling that Jude chose to go with Jamie, but I’m not completely sure.

This season kind of stinks, because I only have two shows that I watch regularly (Betty and Grey’s)…I remember last season when I had at least one show on almost every night. Ah…the good ol’ days! This season is gonna rock, though.

• Sunday

  • The Apprentice - Returns ?

• Tuesday

  • The Real Housewives of Orange County – Returns ? (Bravo is currently casting new families? What?)

• Wednesday

  • Lost – Returns in February 2008
  • ANTM (guitly pleasure) – Returns September 19
  • Jericho – Returns ? (“Mid-season replacement”)

• Thursday

  • Grey’s Anatomy – Returns September 27
  • Ugly Betty – Returns September 27

• Friday

  • Instant Star – Returns in February 2008

---

• New shows that I’m excited for

  • Private Practice – ABC spinoff of Grey’s. Wednesday nights on ABC at 9 (I think) starting 9/27

• Summer Shows That Will End Soon/Have Ended

  • Top Chef – Ends next month (I think). Go Casey!
  • Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List – Ended last month. Please get renewed!
  • Flipping Out – Finale tonight! I really liked this show….let’s hope it gets renewed!

Outstanding Animated Program (for Programming Less Than One Hour)

• SpongeBob SquarePants
• The Simpsons

Outstanding Art Direction For A Single Camera Series

• Ugly Betty

Outstanding Casting For A Comedy Series

• Ugly Betty

Outstanding Casting For a Drama Series

• Grey’s Anatomy

Outstanding Cinematography For Reality Programming

• Project Runway
• Top Chef

]]> http://the-madness.net/2007/07/21/the-2007-emmy-nominations-my-favorites/feed/ 0 http://the-madness.net/2007/07/10/before-they-were-famous-ben-from-lost/ http://the-madness.net/2007/07/10/before-they-were-famous-ben-from-lost/#comments Tue, 10 Jul 2007 15:26:54 +0000 Danny http://the-madness.net/2007/07/10/before-they-were-famous-ben-from-lost/

Before They Were Famous: Ben From Lost

Posted Jun 26, 2007

Michael Emerson (also known as Ben from Lost stars as a psychiatrist for troubled inmates in this educational film from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

The name of the film is Use of Force and Emerson makes his first appearance around the 6:10 mark.

I am totally confused now! First off, I hated the idea of a “flash-forward”. Not only was it completely confusing, but it added nothing to the plot! There was nothing that was revealed last night in the flash-forward sequence that had an impact on the storyline, so what was the point? And I’m sick of Jack-centric episodes. How much more is there to know about him? I’ve been Jacked-out.

The episode started off phenomenally…I loved the first hour. The blowing up and capturing and stuff was awesome…I was on the edge of my seat, and it felt like my heart was about to pop out of me. It was crazy! But after that….

Some of the most memorable moments:

Hurley = amazing. It was awesome how he stormed the beach with the Dharma van. I felt bad, though….everybody was being so mean to him! And his “warning” to the Others was hilarious.

John Locke, you are an IDIOT. I hate you now. You flipped your lid after the hiatus…randomly throwing knives into people’s backs, pushing them into supersonic barriers, and all that other crap. You need to cut it out, drama queen.

Jack loves Kate?! That was very out of character for him to just come out and say it like that, but I still don’t really believe it. Sawyer is a (seemingly) clinically depressed loose cannon, and Jack is just a mess. Kate needs a real man (*cough*me*cough).

So, I’m utterly disappointed. This season really let me down…it definitely DID have it’s moments, however there was too much fluff (Nicki and Paulo) and too many new questions, as well as a lack of answers. I hope next season works out a little better…

• Sunday – The Apprentice was pretty good. Am I the only one who noticed that the shot of them two making out by the pool was in a trailer for an episode last month? At least we finally get to find out who it is soon (tonight, right?), although we all have a pretty good idea of who it is. It was funny how they ended up selling the honey. Not an awesome episode, but I still enjoyed it.
• Wednesday – One of my favorite shows right now is Lost. I was totally obsessed with it last year, and then when it came back on in October, I was very disappointed. I felt that it was very lacking, as did many other people. Now, however, I’m really starting to love it again. I love Juliet as a character, and last week’s episode was wonderful. Lots of revelations! Desmond’s story this week was very interesting, also. I’m still kind of confused about it, though. That old woman freaks me out. By the way, Jericho comes back on this week!
• Thursday – Ugly Betty was a lot of fun. It was pretty awesome how Whilamena stood of up for Alexis. I love seeing Daniel and Alexis getting along together. They have wonderful chemistry. I feel sorry for Whilamena, though…the did get screwed. I think she’s a good person inside (as we’ve seen previously), but she doesn’t want to let herself out. We’ll see how this plays out…by the way, was that the season finale? That’s what I had heard, but there’s nothing about it on ABC or anything. Grey’s Anatomy was awesome. I knew that Meredith wouldn’t die, but the last scene with Denny and what’s his face was pretty freaky. I found a spoiler site (thanks Kathleen) that I can send you the link to if you want to find out what happens…I couldn’t stop myself from reading it. Next week’s episode is gonna be awesome!  By the way, did anybody see the Ugly Betty/Grey’s Anatomy spoofs on MadTV last night?  They were hilarious!
• Friday – Instant Star (Season 3 Premiere) was awesome. I’m thinking that I want to kill Karma. I find her quite annoying. But I love the new song (I Don’t Know If I Should Stay)! I cannot wait until April when the soundtrack comes out…but did you hear the news?! Speiderman and Karma are going to be singing a bunch of the songs (Alexz is only singing five of the songs on the album! Capitol Records didn’t want people to confuse the IS3 soundtrack with Alexz’s debut album.) on the soundtrack. Thankfully, Alexz is singing all of the songs on the show. I love her voice…I really hope at least SOME of the songs get leaked onto LimeWire or something…April is TOO FAR OFF!

So, there you have it, folks.  Let’s hope this week will be even better!

Winners are in bold and runner-ups are in itals. Third place (if applicable) is underlined.

Biggest Ally

• Cara (Second year!)
• Chelsea (Second year!)
• Ashley
• Steven
• Ryan [Keeping my blog alive!]
• My iPod

Bitch, You’re On Thin Ice! Expanded to include teachers!

• Horner
• Myers
• My Clarinet

My Favorite Blogs of 2006

• tuckle rori (Second year!)
• Dooce
• Five Dollar Shake
• Binary Bonsai

Websites of 2006

• Lostpedia
  
• Wikipedia
• GKWC
• Facebook
• GMail
• YouTube [Third Place]

Best Movies of 2006

• Dreamgirls
• Mission: Impossible 3
• Madea’s Family Reunion
• The Poseidon Adventure
• Date Movie

Best Music of 2006

• Reba McEntire
• Alexz Johnson
• Los Lonely Boys
• The Fray
• Michael Bubl?
• P!nk
• The Wedding Singer
• Dreamgirls Sndtrck.

Best TV Shows of 2006

• Lost, Season 2
• Lost, Season 3
• King of Queens
• Kathy Griffin: My Life on the D-List
• CNN
• Reba

Best Plays of 2006

• TYA Joseph..Dreamcoat
• UHL Joseph…Dreamcoat
• LR The Night of January 16th
• (Not too much to choose from, eh?)

Most Horrible-Ist Thing

• Blog-host-hopping
• My bout of depression
• Leaving Mayfield, MWTV, etc.

Best Thing of 2006

• New phone!
• New computer!
• Go liberals in government!
• Getting a job
• Long Reach :)
• Having awesome friends

So, folks, there you have it! My 2006 In Review awards!

I hope everybody had an awesome 2006, and here’s to an even better 2007!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!