This Is It... not a review

His spark was still there.

But, during parts, he seemed very frail and ill.

But then again, there were instances when he looked so young and vibrant. Like during Earth Song.

For me, the best parts of the movie wasn't the fast tempo songs, although I was grooving to Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' and The Way You Make Me Feel. It was the ballads. Human Nature, Earth Song, and I'll Be There. I'll Be There nearly brought some tears, especially when he gave his brothers, including Randy, a shout out.

The politeness towards his backup musicians and vocalists. Although my favorite part was his duet with Judith Hill. I wouldn't count I Just Can't Stop Loving You as one of my all-time favorite MJ songs, but for some reason, I really loved MJ and Judith's take on it, especially since you could see Michael relishing Judith's performance and his hunger to give out with her. That was the best thing about the movie - there was a genuine feeling that Michael didn't anyone to hold back their talent for any reason. And Judith didn't.

So I had to find the song; fortunately, I found a clip of Michael performing it live with Siedah Garrett. Please enjoy.

Rosie O'Donnell and Angelina: It would've never worked!

Recently, Rosie O'Donnell revealed that she very nearly, did something, with Angelina Jolie. Rosie's implication was that she and Angelina nearly dated. Or rather, Angelina gave Rosie her phone number and they had several phone conversations. But per usual, if Angelina Jolie's name is mentioned, the story takes on a bigger life, which may have been Rosie's intention, since she's launching a new radio show next month.

At any rate, this 'revelation' got me to thinking, which is likely the opposite of what most men are doing today. Rosie O'Donnell and Angelina Jolie is not the sapphic combination they were banking on, and for that matter, it's not particularly appetizing to the 'would go gay for Angie' crowd either. But it's interesting to come up with reasons why this coupling would not work. Here's a brief list:

• The age difference - Thirteen years separate Rosie and Angelina versus the twelve that separate Brad and Angelina; however, the decades make a difference. Assuming that the phone number was given to Rosie in the late 90s, Angelina was around 21-22 years old, while Rosie was in her mid thirties. It was well-documented that Angelina was going through her wild child phase, while Rosie was taking care of her son, Parker, and very closeted. Could Rosie have handled Angelina's youthful impetuousness? Possibly, but then again, Rosie has a strong personality, bordering on bullying. Would Angelina interpret Rosie's strength as strength or rebel against, as she did nearly everything. Versus, 30-something Angelina, who is more comfortable in her skin and is with 40-something Brad Pitt, who seems pretty mellow about everything.

• Rosie was closeted - Brad Pitt, seemingly, broke his neck getting the hell away from Jennifer Aniston in order to be with Angelina; would Rosie have crashed through the closet door? I think... no, given how invested she was in her talk show. This woman waited until the tail end of her show's run to tell her audience the truth. Would Angelina have been willing to be kept in the shadows in order for Rosie's career to flourish? And for that matter, would that have even been possible, given that she was a lightening rod of controversy even then?

• Personality clashes - Angelina claimed that she and Colin Farrell were too much alike to be together. While Rosie and Angelina aren't alike, on paper, they are both polarizing figures. As I mentioned before, Rosie is a bit of a bully, whereas Angelina, though provocative in her interviews, doesn't attack other people. When Rosie have public feuds, she's usually the person who starts them. When people feud with Angelina, it's usually one-sided, since she rarely participates. Would Rosie stand for this? Would she perceive Angelina's silences as weakness? Or would she escalates the feuds, in defense of her love?

• Rosie's anti-gun stance - In recent years, Angelina has starred in a lot of high-octane, gun brandishing, action flicks - films which Rosie usually wags her finger at. If this coupling happened in the late 90s, would Rosie have tried to dissuade Angelina from tackling action flicks? Would Rosie have gone on tirades similar to the Tom Selleck ambush and anti- Fight Club rants for Angelina's films? If not, wouldn't that have emphasized Rosie's selective outrage?

• The intimidation factor - Angelina is considered the sexiest woman on planet Earth. Ten years ago, she was considered the sexiest woman on planet Earth, but she was also kinda kinky and dark. Rosie, at best, is stocky. Could Rosie have handled the eyefcuking that Angelina, undoubtedly gets? And one on one, would Rosie have been confident enough to be intimate with Angelina. Would Angelina have been sexually satisfied?

• The showtunes - Who knows if Rosie bursts into showtunes at home like she did on her talk show, but could you imagine the looks she would get from Angelina?

• The chin hair - It's widely known that when Angelina goes on her UNHCR trips, she goes hard core - meaning no baths, makeup, etc. So B.O. wouldn't scare Angelina off; but would Rosie's fascination with bodily functions? I refer to Rosie's past obsession with her chin hair. An obsession with resulted in her growing it out and putting beads on it. Now every woman has that strange chin hair that is too thick and too dark to ignore. Most of us pluck it out - Rosie... not so much! Much has been made about Brad's chin hairs, but they're hairs, not a single strand. Angelina has seen a lot of sights, but would little experiments like that make her stomach bubble?

• Rosie's friendship with Madonna - Much has been made about the supposed feud between Madonna and Angelina, but the emphasis has been on the African adoptions and charitable projects in specific regions in Africa. But Madonna is an alpha female of the highest order. Angelina is perceived as an alpha female, but she doesn't work as hard as Madonna to earn that rep. But there is a competition going on, even if it is one sided.

• Acting - game to Angelina
• Sex appeal - game to Angelina
• Will go gay/straight for factor - game to Angelina

Actually, I think that gay/straight factor is what sticks in Madonna's craw. Madonna was probably the first female star to openly admit to her bisexuality, but that admission kinda fell flat. It always felt like a tactic to titillate the masses. Her Sex book became the symbol of Madonna's detached, clinical take on sexuality. Angelina, on the other hand, generated a lot of buzz when she revealed her bisexuality. In fact, that admission made the 'will go gay/straight for' phenomenon possible. People can picture Angelina having sex and having a hella good time at it. In terms of the sexual revolution, Angelina did more by just being than Madonna who was just doing. Certain things should come easily - Madonna apparently doesn't.

Ultimately, an ultimatum, from Madonna, would've come down. Would Rosie have been strong enough to say no to Madonna?

So many questions and possibilities. Fortunately, the pairing didn't happen; therefore my high opinion of Angelina continues.

A body double, huh?

The wingnuttery begins.

So according to Joe and LaToya Jackson, a MJ body double was used throughout the upcoming This Is It concert.

A la the body double used in Saratoga after Jean Harlow died.

A la the body double used in Plan 9 From Outer Space after Bela Lugosi died.

Mind you, this is coming from two of the biggest whores within the Jackson family. Joe, who insisted that the Omar kid is Michael, despite no proof. Joe, who insisted that Michael was tricked into doing 50 shows. Joe, who insisted that Michael was not in shape to do the This Is It tour, and yet, believed that he had the energy reserves to carry the Jackson family shows.

And LaToya... well, we know that she's a hooker and hookers can't be trusted at all.

And nevermind that neither of these @$$holes have seen This Is It. Hell, LaToya said that she wouldn't watch the movie - so what is the basis for her claim, since her declaration of not wanting to see it was made in front of paps? And fcuking Joe... he sold seats for a Vegas screening at $3,000 a pop. Does that mean that Joe will refund the money back to those fans, since he declared that a body double was used?

Or maybe, this is yet another attempt to stir sh*t up to spur more ticket sales. Or maybe, they just can't stand the thought that their accounts of MJ's physical condition being refuted on Wednesday. Because their 'insider information' is their only consistent source of income.

So let me see if I have this right...

On Rickey Smiley Morning Show, there was a discussion about Spike Lee calling out Tyler Perry on his reliance on using coonish characters in his films and on his television shows. Many hypothesized that Spike is coming from a jealous place and should've broached such matters on the q.t.

On the q.t.?

Really?

Was this the consensus of opinion when Spike called out Clint Eastwood about his myopic takes on WWII? Or is this desire for privacy only applicable when the person on the receiving end is a male person of color?

Rickey Smiley is a pretty schizophrenic figure/wannabe leader of the Black community. He takes umbrage to discourse between two grown men, but continues to pick on African children who are adopted by White people. Actually, he picks on the children's hair. Actually, he picks on the female children's hair, since he believes that all little Black girls should wear yellow barrettes at all times. It continues to boggle my mind that young Black male children can wear their hair in afros, but when female Black children do, they are accused of having uncombed hair that looks like a sheep's @$$.

Dude has a serious issue with females. He stopped short of blaming Rihanna for Chris Brown's self-inflicted legal woes. He insulted Jennifer Hudson's sister when news broke that she was pregnant. Instead of offering congratulations, especially since this woman lost her son, mother, and brother less than a year ago, he insulted her appearance, questioning, out loud, what kind of man would sleep with her. He insulted Beyonce just this morning, saying that the moment Beyonce gets pregnant, her career will be over, blaming her hips and build. And let's not get into his incessant compulsion to interrupt Ebony whenever she does her news segment with his riffs and unfunny platitudes. Rock T and Headcrack don't get interrupted nearly as often as Ebony.

Rickey's persistence in carrying on antequated attitudes about women and what should be the focus of the current civil rights movement (read: the continued powdering of Black male @$$) make me tune out whenever he tries to be Tom Joyner. When Rickey does the comedy bits, his show is absolutely worth listening to; but when he weighs in on matters of self-image, especially those of Black women, he doesn't help anything. He just makes things significantly worse.

And for the record... Tyler Perry absolutely resorts to coonery to distract from his storytelling shortcomings. But Perry's biggest offense is that despite all of the opportunities he was given, his writing hasn't improved a jot, nor does Perry seem interested in stepping up his game as long as he gets steady checks and prestige due to his box office results.

So the whole thing was a hoax?

So much for giving people the benefit of the doubt. Or rather, giving parents of small children that room. Lesson learned... although the Gosselins and Octomom schooled me on that particular compulsion already.

According to CNN, the Balloon Boy's mom, Mayumi, admitted, via an affidavit, that the whole thing was a hoax, from start to finish.

So no adrenaline filled panic due to the other son's claim?

So no redeeming qualities to be seen within the Heene family?

And no, Mayumi copping to the lie isn't redemptive in any way. She's saving her butt, which is entirely understandable, but where was this survival instinct years ago when she allowed herself and her small children to live in squalor for her husband's pleasure? His pleasure, since he was oh so sure about his scientific skills and charisma that roughing it would seem justified down the line.

It didn't - now, these @$$hats have upped the ante on how low parents will stoop to get their children and themselves on television.

This whole phenomenon promises to get worse before it gets better... if it's even possible.

Fingers crossed that Hot Chance is leading a trend

I haven't written about Y & R for about a week, despite some promising developments regarding current story arcs. I still hate that Adam will continue to skate on all of his misdeeds; I hate that, ultimately, Ashley will be devastated when she loses Sharon's Faith. I hate that Traci will be leaving Genoa City, especially since Beth Maitland has been responsible for the heart, which has been sorely lacking.

However, there has been much to love, despite receiving them in small doses. A good example is Ashley. Despite her blindspot regarding Adam, I absolutely love how cold and ruthless she is towards Victor. Despite Colleen's heart beating inside his chest, Victor isn't being handled with kid gloves by Ashley; finally, Ashley is smart again. Although she will not likely succeed in limiting Victor's access to Faith, the fact that she recognizes that being overly accommodating is dangerous, shows that sentiment has colored her perception. Unlike Nikki, who is enthusiastically returning to the rich b*tch/lady of the manor pose she wore during her many on-again off-again years with Victor. Nikki is a sap and a buttinsky. Much like when she interrupted the Abbotts' grieving for a crack at Colleen's heart, she 'decided' to remind Ashley that Faith was a Newman. I was thinking 'Cow... stay the fcuk out of this!'

Another great surprise is that TPTB aren't letting the actress who portrayed Patty/Mary Jane go... just yet. For me, this actress is a keeper. There were times when I hated Patty/Mary Jane (i.e. when she injured Summer, killed the Newman dog, prevented emergency response from helping Colleen, etc.), but when she, with Paul by her side, surrendered herself to the authorities. Her performance was heartbreaking, especially when one thinks back on all of the awful things she did. Unfortunately, this actress will be playing a dual role, which can be tricky, but the therapist remains as scrappy as she was on Thursday's episode, this could prove promising.

But for me, most of my hopes rest on the males on the show; specifically, the 'nice guys'. I continue to be impressed, and quite frankly, majorly attracted to Paul. Seriously... he is the best big brother ever! And just a fantastic guy altogether. It's a week too late, but I really have to compliment Doug Davidson's performance in the scene after Colleen's memorial. His Paul was uncomfortable, guilt-ridden, ashamed - pretty refreshing compared to, say, Victoria, who made Colleen's life hell while she was alive and profited from her death via her father getting a second chance. Victoria was glacial and bratty throughout this whole thing; it was fantastic to see someone carrying guilt right out in the open, although Paul really didn't have a hand in Colleen's death.

Another promising male is JT. I am glad that he's not handholding Victoria. That chick is a freaking coward. Instead of accepting culpability in the disintergration of her marriage, she goes to work and avoids everything. I would so not be mad at JT if he gets that job in New York, takes Reid and get the hell out of GC. And BTW... what the hell is the deal with the writers trying to make Deacon sympathetic? Interjecting that little D may be in danger and that Deacon is merely a puppet is just too little, too late. After all, this is a dude who relished in blackmailing Amber, arranging it so that Daniel could hear them having sex, and he bedded down Victoria. That fcuker was having way too much fun screwing all of these people over, so don't try to paint him as some desperate case now.

And finally... Hot Chance. I loved it when he broke things down to Billy about his virginity. And although I would love for him to be with Chloe, I looooooovvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeedddd how he Rhett Butler-ed her @$$ today. Why should he waste time with someone whose mind is on someone else... an unworthy someone else? Although I do worry that he will fall into bed with Mac - I simply don't like Mac. Now if it was scrappy Heather, then I'm all for it. But naturally, I would love it if Chance maintains his purity until it's absolutely right for him; but again, I find him unbelievably attractive. I just want somebody - a female somebody - to kiss him and mean it.

DWTS pays tribute to MJ? Really?

I heard that Dancing with the Stars' ratings have been dropping markedly this season - maybe it has something to do with the low rent participants who are supposedly 'stars'. So TPTB, picking up on the Jackson family's cue, decided to pay tribute to the late Michael Jackson for his contributions to dance or rather, grab some undeserved spotlight for themselves.

Huh?

If it was So You Think You Can Dance, it would make absolute sense. Freestyle dance, with some deference to traditional forms, was what MJ exemplified, whereas, DWTS is about observing and respecting the various forms of ballroom pair dancing. Even if you counted his foray with couple dancing in The Wiz and in Smooth Criminal, MJ engaging in couples dancing was pretty sparse. And frankly, the MJ tributes are becoming wearing, especially when Janet's tribute at the VMAs should've been the last word, tribute-wise.

I don't know if it was the Jacksons' attempt to create buzz for the Jacksons, given that AIG/Sony are seemingly being wise about the limited amount of participation these loose cannon fcuks will have for This Is It; personally, I would be absolutely happy not to see the majority of fame hungry Jackson puss involved in the whole matter. It's bad enough hearing that Joe Jackson is auctioning seats and extras to the Vegas premiere for $3,000 a pop. And again, this is the same Jackson who argued continuously that AIG was taking advantage of MJ. Naturally, there's no word whether Joe will be donating the proceeds to a favorite MJ charity or to MJ's children.

I have a feeling that I will need to keep the TV off or not watch entertainment shows leading up to the premiere.

In a weird mood today

In a throwback, cartoony mood today.

No Santa Barbara; but how about these:



Although I find the father's lack of attachment to Mot disturbing and not PC, Martian baby Mot is too damn cute!

And...



Dixieland Droopy is one of my all-time favorite Droopy/Tex Avery cartoons. And it introduced me to Dixieland music, which is pretty awesome!

The Rickey Smiley Morning Show - on fire!

I still have a beef against Rickey Smiley for that 'sheep's @$$' crack and I'm not too happy with him trying to start a movement to remove the term 'Bamma' from the lexicon, especially since Tom Joyner's Huggy Lowdown has used the term to great effect for the last few years. Anyone who has 'sheep's @$$ on the tip of his tongue shouldn't try to hinder someone like Huggy who uses vocabulary in such an innovative and hilarious way.

Nevertheless, Rickey's show has been beyond funny lately. Sure, the Friday shows seem to be packed with interviews with celebrities, but the show's at its strongest when it just Rickey, Ebony, Headcrack, Gary and Rock T. For me, the bit I most look forward to is the Cora in the upper room, featuring celebs who have passed on. The bit has always been pretty funny, but since MJ joined the fold, it's been ridiculously funny. The crew is reconfiguring as they go along, realizing that MJ has to be the closer, since Rickey can't keep it together whenever 'Bernice' talks to him. Rickey's been getting better, but he has to work on keeping it together longer. His Harvey Korman-ing adds to it, but at a certain point, it will start taking away from it. And I'm not sure about their moving the bit to Tuesday, but not knowing when the skit will pop up keeps me listening to the show. Hopefully, the crew will continue to build on this comedy gold.

However, I am writing about their recent bit involving former Panera Bread employee, T, who is in a jam because he took dozens of bread as part of his severance package. I think it's a prank, but it's all the more funny because it could be absolutely true. The way T pronounced the world 'pumpernickel' has added to the hilarity, prompting me to dig this gem up. This Looney Tunes short 'The Scarlet Pumpernickel' is a favorite - actually, any Daffy Duck cartoon is a favorite.

Enjoy!

Woo hoo!! The Balloon Boy's parents were charged

I have to reiterate... I don't think that Papa Heene would deliberately place his child in danger; however, I do think that he was trying to parlay his so-called misfortune into some much desired spotlight. He knew the limitations of his aircraft better than anyone; therefore it's absolutely ridiculous that the 'child in the balloon' scenario was something that he and his wife legitimately believed.

Personally, I think that this attempt at a spotlight grab is beyond cruel. For the last few years, children in jeopardy stories have been the more widely covered 24/7 news network stories; unfortunately, the majority of the stories like Caylee Anthony, Julian King, etc. ended tragically. For someone, especially a parent, to attempt to tweak or manipulate every adult person's sensitive spot (including non-parents like myself), there is a narcissism and total disconnect towards others' emotions. And the wife/mother just sat there, passively, and allowed this to happen; therefore she should be subject to the same charges, since her passivity contributed to this situation.

Make no mistake... I have doubts that the Colorado cops will make this stick and if they do a sloppy job, that could lead to the Heenes suing them and grabbing even more airtime. So my honest hope is that the Colorado cops have substantial proof of their charges.

Speaking of exploitation...

In my defense, I didn't get the whole story - just a tidbit.

According to Entertainment Tonight, the Jackson family's nose(s) are all out of joint because AIG seems to be cutting them out of the This Is It premiere.

AIG's response - are not!

Personally, I wouldn't be mad if AIG ban them from the red carpet, given how they badmouthed, and likely, will continue to badmouth, this whole enterprise. I still scratch my head at the thought of the Jacksons claiming that MJ wasn't in condition to do this tour, and yet, they fully expected him to do their tour; at least with the This Is It tour, MJ would've done all of the heavy lifting for himself, by himself.

My hope is that AIG will not play nice with the Jacksons; they are a multi-headed monster incapable of thinking logically. And they have brought the tacky with them at every turn, save Janet, Rebbie and MJ's children.How else could you explain why they continue to badmouth this project when the Jackson Family Trust stands to get 90% of the profits earned?

Oh, wait... it's likely that the ones badmouthing it aren't included in the Family Trust.

We are a family... unless I don't stand to get any cash out of the deal.

Yep... that makes total sense!

'Balloon boy' yarn: Thank you, media, for making this story possible

I thank heavens that I didn't watch CNN, HLN, or any other 24/7 news network on Thursday. I'm glad that I didn't get invested in the safe return of the child who was, allegedly, inside a runaway makeshift weather balloon/aircraft.

The boy was hiding from his parents.

The parents will not ground him.

The parents took him on every news/morning show that would have them.

And Dad decided to get indignant when questioned about his son's answer - I was going it for the show - or words to that effect.

No, I don't think this whole thing is a hoax - per se.

I do question whether the father actually entertained the notion that his 6 year old son was really in the balloon. This dude pretends to be an invention and yet, he lead the authorities and the world to believe that his 'aircraft' was durable enough to carry a 6 year old to such heights? It looked like any Mylar balloon you can buy at the Dollar Castle.

Now, assuming that the 'aircraft' was powered by helium, you would think that the prospect of his 6 year old having prolonged exposure to helium, in a confined capsule, would be the biggest concern, second only to the thought of the boy falling through the flimsy material of the capsule. I saw it on Spike TV's 1000 Ways to Die - helium kills! I have an issue with this father, allegedly and repeatedly, telling his son to stay away from the balloon when there were significant hazards involved with this 'project'.

The camera didn't lie - the father was ridiculously upset that his balloon floated away before he was ready. His son (the cameraman) told him that the little boy was inside the balloon. Personally, I think the parents, pumped with adrenaline, called the authorities, as they should; however, as the adrenaline levels decreased, I seriously doubt that the parents honestly believed that the boy was really in it, unless the father was completely convinced that his construction acumen could construct an aircraft that could support that kid's weight. This is completely possible, given that the douche held a news conference outside of his home, which consisted of him collecting journalists' questions in a box and telling them to return later for another news conferences where actual answers would be provided.

There is some definite narcissism at play, here, and the wife/mother isn't doing anything to put it back in check. She is a passive piece of $h*t, stuck with a mentally impaired fcuktard, raising a bunch of out of control, bold-faced liars.

How soon before they get their reality show?

Santa Barbara 25 - Mason versus the Capwells

I haven't posted a Mason clip in a while, although emphasizing on Justin Deas and Robin Wright were completely justified.

I found this clip, demonstrating how much of a black sheep Mason was. This was during the time when Kelly was trying to discover the real killer of her brother, Channing. She finally believed that Joe wasn't responsible; so Mason became the primary suspect.

Why? Because Peter Flint told her so.

Peter Flint - her ex-fiance she threw over for Joe. Persecution complex Peter Flint, who later became the infamous serial rapist/murderer called the Carnation Killer.

But Mason had a major rivalry with Channing, which included Channing using and impregnating Santana Andrade just to get Mason's goat. That, and Peter's allegations were enough to put Mason in Kelly and CC's crosshairs.

Well, my Mason turned it around on them in this clip. For whatever reason, CC always favored the kids that Sophia bore, but treated Mason like a poor relation. This was the beginning of Mason giving CC a lot of hell for his past mistreatments.

Mad Men - Keeping it zipped = Getting a pink slip?

One of the craziest things about Mad Men is that the cheating men are two to three acquaintances/associates away from from getting busted by their wives

Pete banged Don's secretary, Peggy; he later banged the au pair down the hall of his apartment.

Roger banged office manager, Joan; he later banged and married Don's replacement secretary, Jane.

Crane banged Pete's secretary at the Kennedy/Nixon debate office party.

Don banged his client, Rachel; later, he banged Bobbie, the wife/manager of the comedian who starred in a Sterling-Cooper sponsored show; and now, he's banging his daughter's former teacher.

And although Don had the dime dropped on him by Bobbie's husband, he usually gets away with it, despite his recklessness.

On Sunday's episode, someone turned down the chance for extramarital sex and ultimately, was canned for it.

It was Sal!

Sal, of all people. Seriously?

Sal was propositioned by Lucky Strikes Jr. (yep, dude was on the DL). Dude was brazen about it too. He totally groped Sal's chest; told Sal to lock the editing room door, since the technician would be gone for a while, so they could get down... to business. Sal handled the situation tactfully, emphasizing that he was a married man. Then Lucky Strikes Jr. calls up Crane and demanded that Sal be fired. Crane hedged and ultimately, Roger canned Sal.

The worst part about it was that Don did nothing to stop this. And he referred to Sal as 'you people'. 'You people'? Sal didn't do anything to encourage Lucky Strike Jr.'s advances and he tried to squelch any potential awkwardness or embarassment. Plus, Sal is probably the hardest working person in the office. Yes, Don works hard too, but he's also doing a lot of extramarital fcuking too. That job meant everything to Sal and for Don to be so cavalier about letting him go was just pissy. Of course, Don has been pricky lately, since Bertram locked him into a contract.

Sal has a fantastic case for sexual harassment and discrimation; unfortunately, this is in the 60s and Sal is still closeted. Mind you, men who file sexual harassment/discrimination complaints aren't exactly treated with respect today either.

The Young and the Restless - Her name is Beth Maitland

Friday's episode was mainly about Colleen's memorial service, with the additional drama of Lily being unable to attend due to her compromised immunity system due to cancer. Personally, I wished that those plots were the whole of the show, but naturally, the writers had to insinuate the Newmans into this storyline, which remains a very sore subject for me. I don't give a rip about Sharon grappling with her 'lost' baby; I don't give a rip about Nick's divided loyalties; nor do I care about Victoria feeling isolated because JT isn't toe-dancing with the news that Victor isn't rejecting Colleen's heart; and I really don't care that, yet again, Nikki allowed herself to be pulled into Victor's personal drama. I would've been perfectly contented if Friday's show was solely about the Abbotts and the Winters because they were the source of the emotion and heart of the episode.

To be honest, I cried throughout the whole memorial, except when Victoria wanted to read Victor's letter. Her presence was like a cold bucket of water in an otherwise very emotional ceremony. The performances were phenomenal; unfortunately, I don't know the names of all of the actors during these scenes, so I will have to use their characters' names. A good example was Billy - typically, I can't stand Billy, especially his interactions with Chloe, but during this storyline, my opinions of what was happening fell in line with his. And when he was charged with arranging the memorial, he did his niece proud. And when he set the stage for what the service would be and punctuated the ending of it with everyone letting go of red balloons, I was actually proud of him.

I was kinda surprised at how moved I was by Neil (Kristoff St. John). Make no mistake, St. John usually brings it, in terms of performance, but his demeanor during this whole thing added authenticity. He made you believe that he knew, appreciated, and loved Colleen for being Lily's friend and for Colleen being Colleen. You felt the gravity of Neil's fears for Lily, especially when he had to face the completely unexpected death of Colleen. He felt like a family friend and a genuine friend to Traci.

The rest of the Abbotts were fine, but the standout was absolutely, positively Traci. For the last few weeks, she has been the heart (no pun intended) of the whole storyline. I have always been a fan of Traci, since I saw myself in her. I'm a twin and unfortunately, I was the decidedly chubbier twin all of my life, so I could relate to Traci's growing pains/rivalries with Ashley, and later, her rivalries with Lauren and her incessant drive to have unqualified happiness within her own skin and on her own terms. The majority of the time, Traci was unsuccessful at getting what she wanted, but she never became bitter about it. So when Traci mothered Colleen, and was damn good at it, it was a significant, well-fought victory; and when her precious child was taken away, it hurt me so deeply. I am ashamed to say that although I related to the Traci character on a personal level, I never knew the name of her portrayer. I was several years gone from Y & R before I began reading soap opera credits, so I never knew her name until yesterday.

Beth Maitland is her name.

Beth Maitland crushed it, on Friday's episode and for the episodes leading up to the memorial. Traci's grief was truly one of the most startlingly authentic portrayals I've seen in years. At times, it was too overwhelming to watch, but impossible to turn off. And the fact that Maitland's Traci tried to be sunny beneath the downpour of tears was quintessential Traci, but her pain was unlike any pain Traci endured over the last 20+ years.

Beth Maitland's performance should be an argument towards giving veterans the frontburner versus hunting down models/reality show contestants and giving them undeserved screen time. Yes, soaps are great testing grounds for new actors, but the vets can and should be the professors on screen.

Kudos, Beth Maitland!

Dedicated to Shiloh Jolie Pitt!!!

As a Jolie-Pitt fan, I am used to reading very nasty posts again this couple, the two as individuals, and their children. Actually, in recent years, a lot of the vitriol has been towards the Jolie-Pitt children. And given that the nasty posts are from women, their ire are usually directed at the girl children. Up until last week, Vivienne was rarely seen, therefore haters had little ammo towards her; unfortunately, Zahara and Shiloh don't have that as an advantage. I will get to Zahara in my next post, because haters' beef is an ongoing recurrent them. The rants against Shiloh, on the other hand, is a new one.

In recent weeks, haters have been in a tizzy about Shiloh's manner of dress; specifically, the fact that the 3 year old apparently likes dressing like a boy. Mind you, when Shiloh was wearing pants and a T-shirt, which is pretty unisex, but she also wears hats, cleats (on occasion), neckties, and on occasion, a toy sword. Based on little Shiloh's choice in accessories, some haters concluded that Shiloh will be the next Chastity Bono.

Really? The next Chastity Bono.

Because when I look at old footage of Chastity at age three, she was dressed really girly. Of course, that wouldn't be the point to haters, since they like to draw conclusions based on flimsy evidence.

Wearing pants don't make little girls gay.

Wearing pants don't make little girls little boys trapped in the wrong body.

Once upon a time, little girls could wear pants for a multitude of reasons without receiving GLT pamphlets in the mail. Once upon a time, little girls could wear pants, along with dresses. Once upon a time, little girls could be elaborate about playing dress up. The only difference for Shiloh is that she has a mother who allowed her to take her 'dressing up' out in public... actually, there are two differences... the second difference is that there is a contingent that willingly turns dummy whenever the Jolie-Pitts are involved.

For those who are my age, they know that they drooled whenever Denise Huxtable/Lisa Bonet rocked baggy men's suits and hats. Or when Madonna donned suits during her Express Yourself/Vogue period. Or, maybe they were fans of Punky Brewster, who wore denim vests, ripped jeans with brightly colored accessories. Or they remember Love and Basketball, when a baseball-capped Monica got into a two on two basketball game with Q and his boys before they realized she was a girl. Or any other instance when a girl 'dressed like a boy'. Despite the contrived, reality TV-born conventional wisdom, a girl/woman's life isn't made when she gets the inevitable 'makeover'.

Right now, Shiloh just like wearing pants, T-shirts, and toy swords. But a while back, she never went anywhere without her dollies or teddies. Hell, she probably still feel the same way about her dollies as she does about her swords. She probably like roughhousing with her older brothers and Zee, but appreciate doing girls-only things with Zee, along with baby things with the twins.

Why some want to pigeonhole a toddler is beyond me, but they really want to do it to Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. Why? Because she's not Shiloh Aniston-Pitt.

Nevertheless, this video is dedicated to Shiloh. From the same pics that resulted in haters' homophobia/ anti-toddler crossdressing, I gauge that this little girl is an imaginative, bold child who isn't afraid to be whomever or whatever her imagination dictates. This reminded me of 1953's From A to ZZZZ, a Looney Tunes cartoon which was about a daydreaming little boy named Ralph Phillips. Despite constant discouragement, he can't or won't abandon his compulsion to see himself in various fantasies. My hope is that Shiloh has that tip of tenacious spirit when it comes to her own inner life.



Rock on, Baby Girl!!!

No wonder MJ fired him!

So Rabbi Shmuley Boteach was on the Tom Joyner Morning Show to promote his new book "The Michael Jackson Tapes" and to say the least, Boteach failed to strike the right note.

First of all, he was beyond rude to Tom. He completely ignored Tom's questions in favor of spouting off rhetoric that he likely practiced before the interview. Then he became belligerent when Tom admitted that he didn't read the book. At a certain point, Sybil interrupted Boteach's tirade by stating that his publishers failed to deliver an advance copy in a timely manner and that Tom's questions could be asked without the benefit of reading the book. And for me, given that the rabbi has been all over the place promoting this book, Tom could muddle through based on Rabbi Schmuley's previous interviews. Rabbi Shmuley came on the show with a ready-made attitude which was totally unjustified and it belied the purpose of his participation on the show - to sell books.

It wasn't likely that I would buy the book, but Rabbi Shmuley's attitude made it a done deal. Granted, Tom Joyner has some well-healed opinions about certain things like putting people's business out on the street, but typically, Tom conducts himself professionally and respectfully. Sybil and J. on the other hand, have been known to step in it, whether intentionally or accidentally. But again, Rabbi Shmuley didn't give Tom, J. or Sybil a chance to do anything... except be a target of his misplaced anger and frustration.

It was likely that Rabbi Shmuley's firing was due to MJ's unwillingness to climb out of his personal despair, but Rabbi Shmuley's tunnel-vision and insistence that he should have the last (read: only) word could also be a factor.

Santa Barbara 25 - Afterglow with Cruz and Eden

Since finding that 'full version' of The Lady in My Life on You Tube, I've been in a romantic, amorous mood.

The solution?

Cruz and Eden.

This clip illustrates that Cruz is the man and probably the strongest reason why that couple worked. A Martinez's Cruz continues to be a standard for a 'perfect' man, although I know that no such thing exists.

But being loving, honest, and articulate is a great start.

Oh... my... lady parts!!!!

There are several things that are pancake fryers for me.

Taye Diggs in How Stella Got Her Groove Back.

Brad Pitt in Fight Club and Snatch.

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie revealing some subtle, but sexy chemistry via their body language.

Brad Pitt carrying one or more of his children, especially if one of them is Zahara. My eggs sing whenever I see Brad with Zahara.

Jimmy Stewart nuzzling Donna Reed's hair in It's a Wonderful Life. Or for that matter, any love scene involving Jimmy Stewart. Yes, he was presented as corn-fed all-American, but that dude generated a lot of heat on screen.

There are dozens of others, but this morning, I stumbled upon a golden nugget while rooting around You Tube. And the best part is that it's an improvement of something that's been a part of my life for the last 25 years.

As I mentioned in previous posts, Thriller was my first album. I listened to it incessantly when I was little and continue to enjoy it to this day. When MJ died, I inched a little more out of the closet regarding my MJ love/fascination. This fascination threatens to become a full-blown obsession as the debut of This Is It inches closer. Last night, I decided to look at clips of MJ's live performances just to ready myself for October 28th (assuming I can get tickets). Anyway, I was looking at the list of videos and The Lady in My Life jumped out at me. Although I was only 10 when I got the Thriller album, that track was very affecting, although I couldn't put my finger on why. As I got a little older, I found myself slow-dancing with myself to it. It was one of MJ's greatest jams ever. And last night, I ran across a video labelled 'The Lady in My Life - Full Version'.

'Full Version?'

Oh...

my...

lady parts.

I never expected something so awesomely romantic. This version is beyond the LP version, which is the more recognized version.

If this full version was on the Thriller album, I guarantee that the teen pregnancy rate would've skyrocketed from '83 thru... whenever. I am an adult and all, but I think that if some dude played this version, he would get results.

And the still that ThrillerMJFan used... OMG, MJ was so fcuking fine!!!!

The Young and the Restless - Heartbreaking

I can't wait for this Colleen transplant storyline to be over.

Victor doesn't deserve the heart. The Newmans don't deserve a second chance with Victor. And the Abbotts don't deserve this level of heartache.

However, the last two segments of today's episode really got to me.

Billy and Katherine in the chapel.

JT saying goodbye to Colleen.

Traci saying goodbye to Colleen - d@mn, that was really hard to watch.

And seeing Victor and Colleen being wheeled to their respective operating rooms while their families looked on - and the version of Nadia's Theme/ Y & R theme - I was crying my eyes out.

Nevertheless, I still hate this turn, although it was very affecting.

And to be honest, I don't know if I'm going to continue watching Y & R after this. The writers' clear favoritism towards the Newmans is vomit-inducing. And more than likely, this experience will not change any member of this family for the better.