Does Julian Fellowes (Downton Abbey) Hate Women, Babies or Marriage?

Ok, hate is a strong word but I can’t help but think that Mr. Fellowes has something against women or better yet, married women. 

Now, if you haven’t watched series 4 of Downton Abbey, SPOILER ALERT!! You have been warned.

At the beginning of the new series, it hit me that the Crowley women have had it rough in marriage.  The Countess Cora lost her baby, Lady Mary lost her husband while having her baby while Lady Sybil died in child birth. It makes me almost grateful that Lady Edith has not been successful in the road towards marriage. I’d hate for her to meet the same fate. 

I thought this fate was only on the Crowleys until I remembered Anna and Mr. Bates. Mr. Bates is sent to jail for a crime he didn’t commit. Then as if the nicest person on the show hasn’t suffered enough, Anna gets raped. I mean seriously?! Watching Anna try to cope with the rape and her changed relationships with the men around her, particularly her husband, has really been heartbreaking. Anna’s mental condition is understandably frail. 

Poor Mrs. Hughes, she is the one who holds all secrets; how does she not burst. Only Mrs. Hughes knows. Although Anna asked her not to say anything, Mrs. Hughes didn’t exactly promise she wouldn’t. I am really hoping she finds a way to let it be known who the perpetrator is and help Anna. But just like Anna feared, I am afraid that Mr. Bates will end up in jail when he finds out. I am just hoping Anna is not pregnant.

I’m Not Racist But….

I came across a website called http://www.sleeplessinaustin.com/

This man is committed and taking the time to create a site in his quest to find the one. (Note to self – you should try this.) He starts off by saying:

I am willing to pay anyone $1,500 as a finders fee for anyone that can help find me a girlfriend. (I will give you a extra $1,000 as a bonus if this turns into marriage, I offer this extra bonus as I hope it will motivate you to find me a woman of great quality)

I have been in Austin over 3 years now and have not been successful at finding a girl that wants a long term relationship in all this time, so I would like to enlist the readers here in my search, and I will pay anyone $1,500 if you can actually make this happen.

I am 39 years old, (date of birth is 9-18-1974 so that makes me a Virgo) 6′,4″ and 195lbs. I live in South Austin. I am looking for a girl that has a thin or athletic build. No one over 130lbs. Ages 21 – 41 White, Hispanic, or of European descent.

Serious inquires only

Sounds good so far, right? Okay. Then it goes all downhill from here (note that he has since taken out this portion of his posting and the most offensive parts have been bolded):

I will not date a Black girl. I don’t care if she looks like Halle Berry, I will not ever date a Black girl.

However, I will date any other race, Hispanic, Mexican, Spanish, Russian, Italian, French, European, White, whatever, anything except Black.


I am not a racist person. In fact I tend to get along much better with Black guys than I do White guys.

However, I do not like Rap or Hip Hop music. I do not even consider that to be real music. And I do not like Black people that listen to that kind of music. I do not like Black people that have a criminal record or smoke pot or do any other type of drugs. I do not like Black people that live in the “projects” or live off welfare or food stamps. I do not like Black people that do not have a full time job. I do not like Black people that wear their pants halfway down to their knees. And I do not like Black people that don’t speak proper English and pronounce their words correctly. I do not like Black people that dress like thugs or gangstas. I do not like uneducated Black People. And if you are a Black person that lives in East Austin or up North Austin around the Rundberg area then chances are I probably don’t like you either! So there! haha!!!!!

I am NOT racist. I just do NOT like ignorant, useless, TRASH.

I also don’t like White people that do those same types of things!

And, I do not believe that Whites & Blacks should mix races sexually and have kids together.

I think it’s ok for Whites & Hispanics. But not Blacks.

I would NEVER, EVER, EVER date a woman if I found out she had EVER been sexually active with a Black man.

Honestly, the whole thing should have been bolded. Way to paint all black women with one ignorant brush. So it’s ok to be friends with black men but not date black women? Preference is preference and I will not fault you for being attracted to a certain race or ethnicity. However, if you have to convince your readers that you are not racist and repeat it several times, chances are you are a racist sir! I will let you, the reader, decide.

If you are interested in Romeo, he can be reached at romeo@romeorose.com

"Make Me a Sandwich Woman!" Said Alexander Skarsgard

There’s been a whole lot of hoopla about the site 300sandwiches.com. Gorgeous girl learning how to make a sandwich for her man…

…or so I thought. She supposedly wakes up each morning to the following conversation with her boyfriend, Eric:

“Honey, how long you have been awake?” Eric asks

“About 15 minutes,” she’d reply

“You’ve been up for 15 minutes and you haven’t made me a sandwich?”

Now before I get a bunch of hate mail, let me state that there’s nothing wrong with cooking for your man. The thing that irks me is tone and delivery – watch your tone and delivery. However, the first thing that convinced me that the girl might be delusional is the fact that she thought her man looked like the tall glass of thirst-quenching water that is Alexander Skarsgard. The second thing I thought was “Isn’t this man gay?” The pictures do not help either.

She is so close to her 300th sandwich. Here's a clip of them on NBC. 


300 Sandwich Response to Critics

She has set him up to look like an asshole if he does not propose to her. The lengths some women will go through to get a ring. Girl, at least you’ve learned how to cook…a sandwich.

New Adele

Adele is back! The first single off her new album, 21, has dropped. Rolling in the deep makes me believe that she will not suffer the best new artist Grammy curse. Oh, do you not know about that? Ok, then. I will write you a little article about that.

But back to your scheduled programming.

Adele's sophomore cd is co-produced by Rick Rubin. Yes, Def Jam's Rick Rubin who did a great job on hip hop acts and the last cd by the Dixie Chicks, Taking The Long Way Home Her soulful voice is perfectly laden with anger and rage needed for this revenge-filled ballad. Amen to seeing the light and being a strong woman; that lover will wish he never met her! Adele fans will not be disappointed and she will definitely make new fans off of this track. Looking forward to February 22nd.

Divorce Court - Tyler Perry Style

I happen to have too much time on my hands lately. This means a lot of tv watching. I came across an episode of Divorce Court. Man, this was the most hilarious episode of Divorce Court I have ever seen! D'Atra Hicks - an actress and amazing singer familiar to us in movies and plays by Tyler Perry - is in court with her estranged husband. She admits to being abusive towards him but she also caught him living a life with another woman out of town. Take note of how she is dealing with her anger issues. Priceless!!

Fall 2010 New Show: Better With You

Better With You is a new comedy on ABC about 3 couples. Mia and Casey (Joanna Garcia and Jake Lacy) have been dating 7 and a half weeks. Their relationship has progressed very fast. Mia is pregnant and her and Jake are engaged. Her older sister Maddie (Jennifer Finnigan) has been dating Ben (Josh Cooke) for 9 years. They are not married and continue to defend their "valid life choice". Mia and Maddie's parents (played by Kurt Fuller and the wonderful Debra Jo Rupp of That 70's Show) have been together 35 years. We are introduced to all three couples as Mia prepares to break the engagement rule to her family.

So that's the plot. Verdict? It's forgettable. It's a show I would put on if there was nothing else to watch really. There was nothing fresh or exciting about it - which is too bad because I find Josh Cooke super hot! Honestly, that's all I can say about the show...next!

Committed

So I finally got around watching Why Did I Get Married Too? The film is now available on dvd. I was eager to see how this sequel would hold up to the original and I was pleasantly surprised; but not that much. For one, all the main actors from the first movie were on board for the sequel. It has been a few years since we last saw them and they’ve all gone through changes. Tyler Perry and Sharon Leal’s characters now have kids and seem happier. Jill Scott and Lamman Rucker’s characters have relocated to Georgia with a baby. Malik Yoba and Janet Jackson’s characters are still married but body language says a lot. Tasha Smith and Michael J. White’s characters are still as dysfunctional and loud as ever. However, White’s character now has a steady job as a sportscaster.

Much like the previous Tyler Perry films without Madea, everyone is not leading the life they want their friends to see; they all have something to hide. Their annual couple’s retreat has a crasher; Richard T. Jones, who now realizes he let go of a great woman (Jill Scott’s character) and wants her back. Why now? That’s revealed much later in the film.
I felt that these couples were handed too many obstacles. Does everyone’s marriage have to be falling apart? Isn’t there one couple actually happy? A few performances stood out to me. Angela (Tasha Smith) brought on all the laughs but unlike the first film, she went way overboard with her over-the-top antics. Sidenote: The actress has a body to die for!

Patricia (Janet Jackson) really moved me. Much of this is to be credited to Janet Jackson. Her breakdown scenes alone are worth the admission price to this film. For the first time I actually saw Janet Jackson as an actress. I also couldn’t help but wonder if she taped the scenes before or after her famous brother’s death. Patricia, in my opinion, went through too much in one lifetime. The loss of a child, now a divorce and the surprise ending that I don’t want to spoil for anyone who hasn’t watched the film. This is definitely one of Perry’s stronger films.

Jam of The Day

You can always count on Eminem to give as a video that's not only entertaining but also though provoking and controversial. Personally, Rihanna and Eminem are a good pick for this song. We are all too aware of their relationship dramas. Enjoy a wonderful song.

Dreams and Reality

I think my love for tv, movies and all things entertainment is getting out of control. For one, I’m freaking out now that Lost is over I’ll have to leave my room. Not one of the crop of new shows available this fall is catching my attention…NOT ONE! And that has never happened to me! Secondly, I somehow dream about movie stars in the oddest ways. Allow me to share my dream with you.

As a kid, I shared a room with my two siblings. There was a bunk-bed and a twin bed in one room. If we had visitors, my siblings would share the bottom bunk while I would sleep on the top and the guest would have the twin bed. But in my dream, I had the twin bed, Will Ferrell had the bottom bunk-bed while Mark Wahlberg and Eva Mendes were sleeping downstairs in the living room. The movement of furniture downstairs wakes me. The first thing that pops in my mind, because I suspect I’m a pervert, is that Mark and Eva are getting it on! Will also can’t sleep and fells uneasy because his wife and friend are both sleeping downstairs.

I am then transported to the set of their new movie, The Other Guys. Mark gets injured and Eva runs to him leaving Will very hurt. Now, instead of me thinking what a horrible wife she is, I notice she’s wearing panties that are too small under her shorts. Plus, she has a wedgie. All I could wonder is why would a Calvin Klein underwear model not invest in a thong, or even panties in her size? And with that thought, I woke up. I wonder why Dwayne Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson did not feature in this dream. 

4th of July Weekend

The best thing about the 4th of July weeked is not the barbecues, fireworks or the long weekend, it's the tv marathons! Hey, I did say that I'm a tvholic. So, after partaking in housewarming parties and birthday parties, I spent Sunday glued to the tv alternating between 48 hours on ID and the NCIS marathon on USA network. Today, it's Cheaters on the G4 channel. I LOVE Cheaters! Kind of ironic that I'm watching this before a first date tonight but I digress. It's amazing the things people say after being confronted for cheating.

On the other spectrum of this, WE channel is having a wedding marathon. I landed on an episode of Bridezillas; Where are they now? Thank you WE for answering my question. I have always been curious to know whether some of these very disfunctional relationships lasted after the wedding. Lo and behold, most did. Further, the bridezillas always thought they were not as bad as they were portrayed. Yeah, ok, uh huh, *side-eye* Happy 4th everyone!

The Real L Word - Gangsta!

Do you have Showtime? If so, watch The Real L Word. I'm not a fan of reality tv but I had to tune into this one since Shane is not getting her own spin off from The L Word. Boy, am I glad I tuned in! Ok, so before I get to the point; short synopsis. The Real L Word follows six lesbians, two of whom are a couple planning their wedding, living out in LA. The most intriguing character to me is Whitney. Whitney is a white dread-locked special effects artist. Whitney would make a player proud. Do not read the following if you don't want to know what happens.......


At the end of the first episode, Whitney drops of her new "girlfriend" at the airport. Then she says "Before I go home there's one more thing I have to do." I'll have you know she drives to another terminal to pick up another girl who's visiting her!!! Dayumn! This reminds me of Notorious BIG's verse off of One More Chance remix 

the finest women I love with a passion
ya man's a wimp, I give that ass a good thrashing
high fashion, flying into all states
sexing me while your man masturbates
Isn't this great? Your flight leaves at eight
Her flight lands at nine, my game just rewind


Play on playa!

Sidenote: Yes, she loves straight girls too...

Scandal, Scandal, Read All About It - Indonesia Edition

What an Asian gossip filled day! The cherry on top? Getting to view the Cut Tari (actress) and Ariel (lead singer of Peterpan) sex tape. Who are these? I guess you haven't been reading news sites today including CNN, CBS, Huffington Post to name a few. Indonesia has been hit by it's first ever celebrity sex scandal. How big is it? The police have been raiding schools all over Indonesia trying to stop the spread of the videos. Still don't get it? Hmm, it's like seeing a sex tape between Jennifer Anniston and John Mayer back when they were together. What makes it even bigger is that in an overwhelmingly Muslim state, they face 12 years each in jail for producing pornography. And this after watching Something Happened in Bali (read my review). This is making my trip to Bali next year more and more likely.

Did I mention there is also one of Ariel and his current girlfriend Luna Maya, a top model and actress. They've already started losing major endorsement. They have come out asking the fans not to believe everything they hear and not to judge them. Cut Tari, now married, also swears it's not her. Mmm, looking at this video though, this is not an R. Kelly grainy video where there's doubt it's him. Yes, I also watched that infamous video when it first came out. But hey, I shall not accuse you Ariel/Cut/Luna, but thank you for 8 minutes of pure entertainment. I rate it platinum XXX. I understand why some Indonesian teenager is quoted as having watched it four times.

Do you want to see it? Well, it took me 10 minutes of googling to find it. For the millions of you much more computer savvy than me, you can cut that time in half. But if you find the Luna Maya one, do your bestie (moi) a favor and forward it. I need my sleep now.

Fever - I Don't Have It

Here's the thing, I feel lonely. I feel used and abused then cast aside like a day old undie. Mother won't chat but calls to learn how to set the dvd recorder, friends won't return texts or calls. It's like I never existed. Damn the World Cup! Is this how it feels to be the only one without "the fever"? I remember being in Spain in 1998 just as the world cup was starting. Streets were empty! The game wasn't being held in Spain but in neighbouring France! Now imagine how it is in Africa. I can only bet that companies and government agencies on each continent apart from North America (excluding Mexico) will not expect much from their employees between now and July 11th. Might as well give everyone a month off! Capital FM Kenya put together this list of survival tips to live by during this one month. Take heed; I have already failed step one.

1. From 11 June to 11 July 2010, you should read the sport pages so you are aware of what's going on regarding the World Cup and will be able to join in conversations. If you fail to do this, you'll be looked at in a bad way or be totally ignored. DO NOT complain about not receiving any attention.
2. During the World Cup the television is mine, mine, mine at all times without any exceptions.

3. I don't mind if you have to pass by in front of the TV during a game as long as you do it crawling on the floor and without distracting me. If you decide to stand naked in front of the TV, make sure you put clothes on right after because if you catch a cold, I won't have time to take you to the doctor or look after you during the World Cup month.

4. During the games I will be blind, deaf and mute - unless I require a refill of my drink or something to eat. You are out of your mind if you expect me to listen to you, open the door, answer the telephone, or pick up the baby that just fell from the second floor....it won't happen.

To read the rest, visit http://www.capitalfm.co.ke/radio/wassupdetails.php?showwhatsupId=525#ixzz0qYOd4uXx

Love, Obsession, Possession

Love, Obsession, Possession. Easy to confuse all three during the span of a relationship. This weekend I had a marathon viewing of the Korean drama, Something Happened in Bali available for purchase on amazon. Also known as Memories in Bali/What Happened in Bali/Hearts in Bali. This 20 episode Korean drama stars Ha Ji Won as Lee Soo-Jung, an orphaned, down on her luck, multi-lingual travel agent in Bali. While in Bali she is assigned to be the tour guide for the rich heir Jung Jae-Min (the excellent Jo In Sung), his arranged fiance Choi Young-Joo (Park Ye Jin) and Kang In-Wook (So Ji Sub), the ex-boyfriend Young-Joo still loves but cannot marry due to parental disapproval. This meeting in Bali sets forth a series of events that follow all four back to Seoul and makes one ponder; How far will you go for the one you love or to attain wealth?

 

The questions that came to my mind are "When does love turn to Obsession?" "Does loving someone mean you want to possess them?" "Don't the three; love, obsession and possession intertwine at some point?" When you love someone, you want them to be happy, you want to give them all you can, you will sacrifice all you have for their well being. Love is selfless. But then, there is a different side of love, one where you want to own what you feel is slipping away from you. Possession is owning. The person you love belongs to you and you feel the need to let everyone including your love know this. Then there is obsession. You want to know everything there is to know about the other person. Where they are, who they are with, what they are doing, what they are thinking. You are consumed with each and everything about this person. Doesn't possession and obsession come when there is uncertainty in one's relationship or lack of a requited love? How do you learn to distinguish between the three when involved in a love triangle? Watch this drama to see how these four individuals learn to deal when they are faced with this dilemma.

The Constant

It's going to be a Lost filled day so be warned. The Constant is the name of a Lost episode from Season 4. The losties were jumping from one time period to another. But for Desmond, only his consciousness was jumping. After meeting Daniel Faraday in the past, a fellow lostie, Desmond found that he needed to find his constant. Someone to ground him and attach himself to; a constant. No matter what year he was, he would always have this person to center him. For Desmond, it is the love of his life; Penny.



Have you ever thought of your constant? I have. As I've mentioned previously, it has been a really trying week emotionally. *Jordan, my ex, is getting married. Not in a few years or months but next few weeks. It has brought all kinds of emotions that I had lied to myself were long gone. Jordan is my constant. When my father disappointed me, Jordan called from the other corner of the world to talk me to sleep. When I encountered challenges at work, Jordan comforted me and eased my fears. I've lost my constant. May be that is why I feel lost.  

In the world of television, past Desmond convinces past Penny to keep her number the same for he will call her on Christmas at a future date. Penny is very skeptical. But she loves him and lo and behold, future Penny picks up the phone when future Desmond calls from the island. Happy and clean endings are scenarios meant for the imaginary world of television. In real life, Jordan is gone; future me writes this so as to squash the urge to call Jordan's number. My constant is gone. I'm lost. It's time I find my way home.

*Names have been changed to protect identity.

Who's Right?

I have been bored this week; cooped up indoors apart from physical therapy sessions. It has also been a very trying week emotionally. Today I decided to venture outdoors. Destination: Movies. Film: Just Wright.

 

I have wanted to go watch this film for some time but was finally up for it this week. The film stars Queen Latifah as Physical Therapist Leslie Wright and Common as New Jersey Nets Player Scott McKnight. This movie interested me because 1; Common is FOINE! 2; Scott McKnight is attracted to who Leslie is and never sees her size. 3; Common is FOINE! That has been my one hang-up. No, not Common’s beauty but weight in relationships. Every year for my birthday I ask my sister to gift me $5,000 for liposuction. The wonderful person that she is always says an emphatic “NO” thank God! I miss my small self from back when I danced with my University Dance Team. I always believed that the less I weighed meant I got asked out more. But rarely did these connections go past looks. The older I got, the more I valued personality over great looks. Yes, we all have a type. But I have noticed that a beautiful being inside can make a person beautiful on the outside. A connection can be had with a regular Joe who doesn’t fit your picture of the ideal man. All you need to do is take time to know them. That’s what Scott did.

Scott initially pushed aside his attraction to Leslie after he meets her God-Sister Morgan played by Paula Patton. Morgan is gorgeous on the outside but has some deep issues thus is only looking out for herself and the man who can provide her with a better life. Their courtship is fast and when things go south for Scott, Morgan is quick to hightail it out of there. But Leslie has always been there for Scott; before and during Scott’s trying times. Scott takes time to know Leslie. But if Leslie is so wonderful, why is she single? I have been asked this question many times. But Leslie’s answer is exactly what I used to say. “I’m looking for the one I can’t live without.” I used to want this until I met the one I couldn’t live without. It was wonderful until I realized there was someone else he couldn’t live without. That’s when I realized that although I loved him and couldn’t imagine life without him; I needed him to feel like his world was over without me. My friend *Isabel’s sister *Dana told me that you should marry a man who loves you more than you love him. That’s Just Wright for me.

*Names have been change to protect identity

Is It a Wonderful Afterlife?

I love Gurinder Chadha films. She of the Bend it Like Beckham and Bride and Prejudice fame. It was therefore a no brainer that I had to watch her latest film, "It's A Wonderful Afterlife". What's the film about?



In short, Indian parents and their quest to marry their children. Something that I'm familiar with since some of closest friends are Indian. In this case, we have Roopi. She's a regular girl, doing great work and not in a rush to marry. But her mother, will not rest (in more ways than one) until Roopi marries. I see how great Roopi is but to her suitors parents, they only see her as fat and unattractive. This really hurts her mother (and me!). So as not to give the story away, I'll get to a thought I had. I know that that there's a huge pressure for my Indian girlfriends to be married. One is in her mid-twenties but she's already considered an old maid. I find her beautiful externally and internally.

Like Roopi, my girlfriend loves her job, she is independent yet respects traditional customs and her parents wishes. But how do reconcile your independent self with an arranged marriage? Especially one where you do not have the luxury to date for a year or two before marriage. Is this why Roopi has a hard time when she meets her potential husband? Although time was of the essence for Roopi, a fact she was not aware of until the end, she was able to date her guy for sometime. Is this better for the couple? On a last note, although Roopi's weight was an issue to seemingly everyone (mind you, she didn't look bigger than a size 12), her eventual boyfriend, played by the HAWT Sendhil Ramamurthy of Heroes, did not even seem to notice. This only seems to happen in the movies but I digress. Sis?

Greys, You are now the candidate for live viewing!

Wow, now that was exciting. Ok, so if you haven't watched the season finale of Grey's Anatomy, SPOILERS.....YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.....



So, Meredith=pregnant, couple of Mercy-Westers=dead, Owen and Derek=shot. Shonda Rhimes and her writers sure kept me on the edge of my sit with this one. But this is not a review of the show. One scene got me thinking. Mandy Moore was tonight's guest star. She and Dr. Bailey (so glad they no longer call her the Nazi) managed not to get shot after she played dead and Dr. Bailey lied by saying she was a nurse when the shooter asked if she was a surgeon. For someone who is so proud of her job and her abilities, I would have thought she would not make any apologies for who she is. But when the she was facing the gun, I felt like Dr. Bailey remember her son, and showed that she's human just like the rest of us. I know I would lie if it meant keeping me alive. It's not cowardly or a sign of weakness; it's smart.

As Dr. Bailey finally told Dr. Percy that he won't survive the gunshot wound, he asks her to tell Reed (a fellow Mercy-Wester) that he loves her. They had been friends for a long, he always had a crush on her and he didn't want to die without her knowing. Mary (Mandy Moore) then says, "she knows, girls always know." Do we? In my experience, I have been blindsided twice when I found out a friend had feelings for me. I had no clue and just stood paralyzed for a few minutes. But for the one friend that I knew had feelings for me, I felt guilty. He is such a great guy but I didn't feel the same way. So why guilt. I wonder how Reed would react when she finds out. Then again, we'll never know. Reed was the first casualty of the night.

One thing I am happy about is that FINALLY Meredith truly knows Derek is her guy. She wants to be with him forever and have babies who have his hair. There's no need to be afraid of intimacy and family anymore. If someone as screwed up as Meredith (come one, you know she is), can embrace this, no reason why I can't. Sis, thoughts?