Interview with Supernatural Executive Producer Sera Gamble

This is the part where I still get to feel like the luckiest person alive. Sera Gamble, Executive Producer for Supernatural, was again kind enough to answer some burning questions that surfaced during the first half of this apocalyptic fifth season. Considering the lengthy list I sent her, which included a lot of my own tough questions along with ones from the other writers on this site, I’m thrilled with what she sent back. Sera, just like my previous interviews with her, is coy with spoilers, although she does drop a couple about the next episode due to air on January 21st, “Sam, Interrupted.” As you all remember, the preview shows the boys in a mental hospital. She also offers some teasers about the archangel Michael and his interest in Dean, what she thought about some of the episodes already aired and plans for the 100th episode. She did avoid some speculative questions about season six, the future direction of the brotherly relationship, and season five ratings so far, so we graciously accept her silence as a “no comment” for those. So, I’ll issue the warning now, SPOILERS AHEAD. For even the worst of spoilerphobes though, it’s mostly Sera having fun with us. Which I do love. Remember, we are uber fans on this site, so the questions tend to be a bit more detailed than the normal “Give us some juicy spoilers.” After all, we are a curious bunch here at The Winchester Family Business. So if the questions seem longer than the answers at times, that’s just the way we roll. Anyway, on with the Q & A. Enjoy!

———————–

Alice: So, this isn’t the warm and fuzzy apocalypse after all, is it? This Lucifer guy is pretty dangerous. He wants to wipe out humans, he wants to wipe out demons, and he doesn’t care too much for angels either. Is his goal pretty much to be the last being in the universe? When plotting his storyline, what is Lucifer’s main motivation?
SG: More of Lucifer’s plan will be revealed as the season goes on. Can’t lay it all out for you without spoiling future episodes!

Alice: I’m still trying to wrap my head around how these angels keep bringing up the parallels between Michael and Lucifer and Dean and Sam. Are they doing it to justify their concept of pre-destiny? Don’t they see Sam and Dean have reconciled from their betrayal of each other and are determined to fight together? Or does none of that matter to them once the betrayal is done?
SG: Sam and Dean may have reconciled, but that doesn’t negate the parallels between their history and Lucifer and Michael’s. Their family stories are still eerily similar. And yeah, from the angels’ perspective, it’s all well and good that Sam and Dean think they’re gonna fight together—but they’re the predestined vessels, so ultimately they’re gonna give in.

Elle: Lucifer was able to take hold of his back-up vessel in lieu of Sam. Any chance that Michael has a back-up and we’ll be able to meet this character without Dean’s consent to being “an angel condom”?
SG: You will meet Michael soon. I can’t say more about the form he will take.

Karen: Is Michael planning to approach Dean himself about becoming his vessel? I realize Dean couldn’t withstand Castiel’s true voice but I would think he would be able to hear Michael’s since they are destined to be together.
SG: Yes, Michael’s going to approach Dean. No, Dean cannot tolerate hearing angels’ true voices.

Elle2: Any hints on when Dean is going to get his amulet back – or isn’t he?
SG: The amulet figures into an upcoming episode. If I directly answer your question, I’ll give too much away about both Dean and Cass. Not to mention God.

Alice: There is something the Trickster/Gabriel said that’s still sticking with me. “And it’s going to end bloody for all of us. That’s just how it’s gonna be.” No matter what Sam and Dean do, people close to them die (or get paralyzed) and they can’t stop these foretold events from happening. In the writer’s room, do you guys question what it is about these guys that motivates them to get out of bed in the morning? Do you see Sam and Dean ever hitting a breaking point? Or does the next episode in the nut house answer that question?
SG: We touch on this in the mental hospital episode, yes. We regularly comment in the writers’ room that they function under an impossible amount of stress. But hey, that’s what makes ‘em heroes.

Jasminka: As a therapist who treats trauma survivors and terminally ill patients I’ve been amazed by the psychological continuity this show managed to establish. Taken from what we know of Sam and Dean, their personalities are so well-drawn that their reactions are absolutely organic, especially after their traumatic experiences (I see many or those reactions on an every day basis when speaking to people who have survived war or torture in war). I’d love to know – do you seek psychological advice in these matters or does it come out of the writers’ room just as organically? How much do you actually discuss the psychological impact of the traumas the brothers survive?
SG: We talk about the brothers’ psychology all the time. This inspired an upcoming episode where Sam and Dean have to check themselves into a mental hospital to deal with a monster. We thought it would be funny if they got admitted simply by telling the truth about themselves. We played the diagnosis part for laughs, but we also got into the reality of how these guys live. At one point Dean lists how much he drinks, how little he sleeps, how few connections he’s had, and you’re hit by how deeply troubled he actually is. It’s a miracle he and Sam keep it together.

Elle2: Any insight into Bobby’s continued development in the second half of Season 5?
SG: A case will bring Sam and Dean to Bobby’s town. That episode brings new insight into Bobby’s current state of mind and also expands his backstory.

Tigershire: Will we see Anna again? If no, will we ever find out what happened to her? My assumption was she was dragged back to Heaven for reprogramming, but considering recent turn of events – perhaps a more, permanent, decision was made?
SG: Anna’s in an upcoming episode. You’re right, she was taken to Heaven for reprogramming when Castiel turned her in. The episode will explain what happened after that.

Alice: As far as the standalone episodes go this season, I think they’ve been very strong. How cool was that to get Chad Everett to play older Dean in “The Curious Case of Dean Winchester?” Was he awesome or what?
SG: We loved Chad as Dean. He brought so much enthusiasm to the part—he really did his homework, and he captured lots of little mannerisms and quirks. That’s on top of looking a lot like Jensen. Couldn’t have asked for better.

Alice: “Changing Channels” was a huge conversation piece at the recent “Salute to Supernatural” convention in Chicago. Everyone loved its mad genius (as do I). Was that a collaborative effort among the writers, or did all those TV show parodies actually come from Jeremy Carver’s twisted (but brilliant) mind?
SG: Each episode is collaborative. No brilliant episode is ever brought to fruition in a cave—and you certainly can’t lay the blame for a crappy one on a single writer’s head. That said, this episode was Jeremy’s idea, and he carried it through a head-spinning break to take it from merely clever to grounded and important within the mythology of our show. It’s one of his gifts, as you can tell from other episodes he’s written. He really does deserve all the admiration you’re aiming at him.

Tigershire: Do episodes like “Abandon All Hope” make you cry too?
SG: Abandon All Hope was the first time I actually cried watching a director’s cut. At first I thought maybe I was just having one of those days, but I checked in with the other writers… I don’t want to incriminate anybody, so I will just say that one or more male producers also shed what we like to refer to as A Single Perfect Man-Tear.

Elle2: You’ve grown from writer to supervisor of other writers to producer and executive producer. If given the chance to shed all the responsibilities and only concentrate on writing, would you do it? Why or why not?
SG: No way. Writing’s the hardest part of the job. It gets easier as you get more experienced—but it never gets easy. All those non-writing responsibilities let me engage other parts of my brain for part of the day. It’s a relief.

Faellie: It seems to me that writing for a long television series may be different from writing for almost anything else, because there’s the possibility of an on-going collaboration between actors and writers, each constantly bringing something new to what we see on screen. Has the way you write any of the characters in Supernatural changed because of the way they’ve been played?
SG: I try to write all the recurring characters with the strengths of the actors in mind. It’s a perk of the job, getting to know an actor that well.

Karen: When the series does come to an end do you have a different take on how you would of like things to wrap up with the brothers? Or are you completely of the same mindset as Mr. Kripke?
SG: I think Eric and I are on the same page about it.

Alice: What’s the next episode you’ll be writing?
SG: I just finished an episode that takes us back in time to revisit Young John and Mary Winchester.

Alice: Wow, the 100th episode is coming up! Who’d have thunk? Any big plans for that one in particular?
SG: Party, of course. My only firm plan is to have a couple of drinks with the crew. Bob Singer promised he’d play guitar. You didn’t mean the actual content of the episode, did you?
———-
Sounds like it’ll be one great party! A well deserved one too. Thanks again to Sera Gamble for taking time to answer our probing questions. This hiatus all of a sudden just got longer.

Source: The Winchester Family Business

Posted by Audiegrl

Another first from the Obama White House Kitchen…First Lady reveals “secret ingredient“

First Lady Michelle Obama, Flay, Comerford, Brown, Batali and Lagasse

Obama Foodorama—First Lady Michelle Obama will make a special appearance on the season premiere of the popular Food Network show Iron Chef America in January, in a savvy move to extend her healthy food messaging to a new audience. Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford will compete on the show in a special two hour “super chef battle.” Comerford’s teammate is grill master Bobby Flay, who guest-cheffed at the White House for the Father’s Day event in June, when he cooked up some lovely steaks with President Obama. Spoiler alert: Mrs. Obama will be revealing the “secret ingredient” that the chefs will use in their televised cook-off, which is a hallmark of the Iron Chef America series. The “secret ingredient” in this case is anything that grows in the White House Kitchen Garden, which leaves things wiiiide open, because the Kitchen Garden has produced a stunning variety of crops this year. Comerford and Flay are competing against the highly competitive team of celeb chefs Emeril Lagasse, who specializes in Southern/New Orleans cooking, and Mario Batali, an Italian cooking superstar.

Comerford in the Kitchen Garden during the Iron Chef America filming, harvesting with teammate Flay

Scenes for the show were already shot at the White House, with Comerford and the three other chefs harvesting crops from the Kitchen Garden, and Mrs. Obama having face-time with the guest chefs and discussing the importance of getting kids to eat their veggies. In her onscreen cameo, Mrs. Obama will discuss her campaign to reduce childhood obesity through better school lunches, community gardens, farmers’ markets and exercise, which is now known as the Healthy Kids Initiative around the White House. The show’s January air-date is timed perfectly to be right before Congress comes back into session, when legislators will ostensibly be addressing the re-authorization of the Child Nutrition Act, which provides federal funding for school feeding programs. Better school lunches are one of Mrs. Obama’s priorities, and President Obama’s too; Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack frequently notes in his public remarks that this was the very first subject President Obama discussed with him during their “job interview.”

More @ Obama Foodorama, where you can find White House Food Initiatives…And Other Bipartisan Bytes of Food Politics

Hey bloggers,

Today has real revitalizing and brand new. What I witnessed today gives me hope and also helps with the new blog venture that will start this weekend!

First, got to get into the EARFEAR (607 & Bobby) “Album of the Year” release party/concert. As a fan, I was blown away by the crowd and the energy given off by veterans in the music game here in AR. Its one of the BEST shows Ive seen in a while. Passion is what drives us to make music, paintings, etc. I can’t really elaborate on the music as whole; you have to look at the other blog! ;D

Second, I started a NEW BLOG, lol! The new blog is called “First Wave Media & Entertainment”! The blog is designed to really get into the core of local music mixtapes & albums as well as the local artists, but will expand into other areas like fashion, modeling, etc. The first 3 cover stories are

1. Suga City’s “Black Friday” Mixtape
2. Epiphany’s “Respect part 1-Epiphany”; 1 of 4 mini-mixtapes
3. EARFEAR’s “Album of the Year” Album/Concert

Hard Facts: When starting new ventures, you are really taking a gamble on whether something is going to succeed or fail. Even the best research can’t automatically declare you an instant success; learning from the mistakes helps you grow as an individual to improve on the next venture you may want to partake on. As for me, I have to take this new blog story-by-story and just wait for the results.

Well Im about to pop in this EARFEAR album so until the fingers bless the keys again…

Darryl Thomas-CEO of ASUE LLC

Desde el sello inglés Funkatech nos llegan las promos de su próximo lanzamiento al mercado digital y vinilo, un lanzamiento que cuenta con dos pistas de los artistas Pyramid y Specimen A, que vuelven a mostrarnos dos grandes producciones a base de ritmos frenéticos e influencias rockeras tituladas “Move” junto al vocalista Bobby y “No Games“, las cuales saldrán a la venta el próximo 7 de Diciembre, siendo el último lanzamiento del año para Funkatech.

Estas pistas podréis encontrarlas en las mejores webs de descargas y vinilos online.

Revision:

1. Pyramid vs Specimen A feat Bobby – Move (Original Mix)

Sin duda esta es la mejor pista de las dos que nos presentan en este lanzamiento, un trabajo sencillamente perfecto y con un ritmo de vértigo, baterias tremendamente trabajadas y marcadas dan un gran ritmo y fuerza a la pista junto a los grandes redobles, unos bajos crujientes y punzantes capaces de hacer bailar a cualquiera y frenéticas melodias acompañadas de las grandes vocales y el gran manejo en los efectos de ecos en las mismas y un gran manejo de la técnica del Glitch. Sin duda una gran pista para cerrar el año por parte de Funkatech!

2. Pyramid vs Specimen A – No Games (Original Mix)

De nuevo nos encontramos con otra batería de infarto, con grandes redobles para los diferentes cambios de ritmos y unas demoledores lineas de bajo esta vez algo más influenciadas en el Electro House con una fuerza desgarradora, grandes melodias de acompañamiento y efectos por todas partes, pequeñas muestras vocales para acompañar, una atmosfera muy bien cuidada, y unas subidas frenéticas, para que no pares de bailar en todo el tiempo.

Para más información:

www.myspace.com/funkatechrecords

www.myspace.com/specimena

www.myspace.com/pyramidbreaks

“Fizbo” and…

“Here Comes My Girl”

November 25th, 2009

Thanksgiving is a holiday about family, which when deployed in television does one of three things. The first is to emphasize the cohesiveness of a particular group of characters who work seamlessly when brought into the same setting. The second is to emphasize the sheer chaos that results from the show’s personalities coming together, to either comic or dramatic purposes. The third, meanwhile, is to demonstrate that the show is a convoluted mess where bringing the characters together is a futile exercise that will fail to provide interesting television.

What’s helpful for ABC’s 9pm comedies is that both of them have built their identity around the idea of family, to the point where bringing the gang together is like second nature to the two shows. Cougar Town has really started to charm me as of late, and “Here Comes My Girl” is yet another fine episode that brings together this group of individuals into a family of sorts that’s just an enormous amount of fun to watch bounce off of each other. And “Fizbo” is perhaps my favourite Modern Family episode yet, taking advantage of the chaos at the heart of this family and bringing things to a satisfying (and also sort of sweet) conclusion.

It made for a really comforting hour of television comedy, which is what the timeslot has been providing (on average) all season.

Perhaps the strongest individual element of the episodes were the show’s fully taking advantage of the strengths of a pair of supporting characters, in this instance Dan Byrd’s Travis and Eric Stonestreet’s Cameron. The two characters have been strong overall, but this episode allowed them to take things to another level. With Travis, this means going beyond his sarcasm and awkwardness to the heart of his relationship with his mother, resulting in Jules losing her sense of self-control and failing miserably at being anything close to “cool.” The result is a really honest, but funny, story of a son coming to terms with the role his mother will play in his adult life, and while it had its broader comic moments (the balloon gag) and its quippy one-liners (the rolling pin would make me feel self-conscious too) it was more about that moment at episode’s end (set to, thanks to the sleuthing skills of Mrs. Sepinwall, Noah and the Whale’s “Give a Little Love,”) where Jules and Travis share a quiet moment preparing Thanksgiving dinner. It was a wonderful piece of acting from Cox and Byrd, and totally sells that Travis is more well-adjusted than Jules but is nonetheless believably awkward. It was a heartfelt and funny little story that really sold me on the relationship.

As for the genius of Fizbo, I don’t really know where to start. Stonestreet’s Cameron has become the show’s breakout character: while Ty Burrell’s Phil stole the pilot (Lion King moment notwithstanding, even, I’d argue), Cameron has been able to show more dimensions and has a slightly better foil in Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s Mitchell. Fizbo was a stroke of genius because of both the sheer commitment of Stonestreet and some legitimately amazing directing choices. Look at the dramatic angles the show uses to introduce the character as Cameron puts on the nose/eye makeup, or the amazing shot of Fizbo’s foot stepping out of the car when Mitchell’s about to get attacked at the gas station. The show worked to create the legend of Fizbo, and while Stonestreet was nailing the smaller moments (like the “something”/”nothing” gag with Jay) the direction was establishing just how epic this ass-kicking, balloon-animal machine really is. It didn’t have the emotion of Cougar Town’s storyline, but it didn’t have to: who needs sentiment when you have legend?

Cougar Town was less interested in creating such a huge sense of destiny, but I thought the comic rhythms the show has established in recent weeks were working in overdrive: there were a number of fantastic scenes with Ellie and Laurie playing off of one another, the dynamic between the three men was as strong as it always is, and both broader scenes (the “Hi Kylie” song and the basketball games) were executed to their full effect. I also like that they came right out and pointed out that both Bobby and Grayson are at the point in their lives where Jules is the perfect woman for them, and that they used this for both comic and dramatic effect. There was a joke to be had in Grayson’s suggestion of buying it deep inside and avoiding it, but it’s also kind of true, and the characters have a strong enough dynamic for me to buy things going slowly. Some shows I’d wish that they’d get the usual storylines out of the way, but I’m so enjoying just hanging out with this family that a Thanksgiving dinner can simply hint at some things before just being about spending time together.

And perhaps the best thing about “Fizbo” was that this same theme wasn’t hammered into our heads. The conclusion did end on a note that Luke got a great birthday after all, one where he (and not the holiday) was the center of attention and where the whole family came together, but it came to be through a series of hilarious circumstances. After complaining about V’s in media res opening this week, it was great to see one where the views into the hospital scene made us on alert for potential maladies, and the result was a lot of brilliant comic tension as you had both legitimate threats (the scorpion, Dylan’s mayo allergy, the crossbow) and hilarious phobias (Phil’s fear of clowns, which was a great piece of acting from Ty Burrell) pulling us in various different directions. When things eventually go terribly wrong, with Manny becoming the great hero (“My dog’s still in there” was a cute touch) only to have Luke end up breaking his arm after slipping on Claire’s “comb sheaves” beads was the sort of wonderfully fitting climax that the show should do more often. The show earned that scene in the hospital in a way that previous episodes haven’t earned their tidy endings, and the result was a really great half-hour of television.

Overall, two families I’d be glad to have Thanksgiving dinner with, so long as there’s no crossbows involved and Fizbo is invited.

Cultural Observations

• Want to take this chance to wish all of my American readers a Happy Thanksgiving – sure, it’s not as good as the real CANADIAN Thanksgiving, but I hear it’s still a pretty big deal and all that jazz.
• There were a number of great Fizbo sight gags, but I think the battle for me is the post-badass novelty clock pullout and the running away from the scorpion like a small child. So different, and so amazing.
• Although there were a few too many Michael Scott style “Make joke and mug to camera” moments for Phil in this one, I liked that the show continued last week’s trend of Phil making fun of Claire as opposed to vice-versa.
• Andy’s “I’ve got a secret” heartburn was a fun bit of comedy from Ian Gomez, and Christa Miller is as lovely as always in twisting the knife.
• My one question from the show: while Bill Lawrence’s usual signature touches (the use of music, the oddball comedy, the physical comedy, etc.) are all in place along with a sense of sweetness that the show was lacking in the pilot, I do wonder if the show is interested in investigating actual sadness or tragedy at all. Scrubs, as a medical show was forced to confront it, but these characters are relating to the point where something happening to a distant relative could be played emotionally, but it definitely feels more resistant than Scrubs (or, for that matter, Spin City) to the idea. Just a thought.

“Culling”

November 24th, 2009

It’s been a couple of weeks since I’ve checked in on Sons of Anarchy, primarily because I’ve run out of superlative things to say about the show. Right now, the show is riding a wave of momentum that feels almost Wire-esque, relying less on twists or turns (which would perhaps illicit more of an immediate desire to write about it) and more on a clear depiction of SAMCRO accomplishing what they want to accomplish in the form of some really compelling asskickery.

“Culling” is the first time in a few episodes where things, you could argue, go wrong, but what’s most intriguing is how uniquely situated the audience is within this story from a traditional law and order perspective. Because our point of view lies with the Sons, who are in this for vengeance over justice, we root against the ATF and become legitimately concerned when the Charming P.D. enter into the equation. The show has us cheering things that television doesn’t necessarily always condition us to cheer, and it makes for an episode that builds tension not by having things go terribly wrong but rather having the definition of justice become a debatable topic on which different characters have very different perspectives.

It’s the complicated web the show has been spinning with shocking clarity all season, and it’s making for an enormously entertaining march to the finale.

Considering that Alan Sepinwall and Zack Handlen have both covered the entire episode in detail long before I could, I won’t go into every little thing, but I want to focus on a couple of central ideas in the episode.

The first is the idea that we’re in some way upset that A.J. Weston and Ethan Zobell have been arrested and placed into custody. While The Wire was a show that played with questions of justice, it was doing so within the justice system itself: their concern was whether the target was going to go to prison for all of their crimes as opposed to just some simple drug charge, so the purpose of the Major Crimes Unit was to investigate further to be able to follow the money and build a more substantial case. However, on Sons of Anarchy, those types of cops are effectively the enemy, with Agent Stahl proving to be the personification of the opportunistic, spiteful law enforcement that the Sons have to contend with. Obviously, the ATF is the enemy of a motorcycle club who runs guns, so it’s not as if they’re going to be some sort of heroes in these scenarios, but the characterization of Stahl has taken away any sense that the organization is capable of dishing out justice. There were bad cops on The Wire, but there were also good cops, and they were our ostensible heroes.

One of the things that makes an episode like this work, though, is that Deputy Hale has not been painted with the same brush. In the first season, he was there as the Charming P.D. equivalent of Stahl, someone who wasn’t as enlightened as Unser about the Sons’ role in the community and who in his lack of understanding of the club fought against them tooth and nail. Of course, in the first season, some viewers might have related to Hale, as this isn’t exactly the easiest world to jump into and immediately empathize with the hardcore bikers running guns and obstructing justice. But by the time of the second season, we identify with the Sons (Jax especially) to the point where Hale remaining a pain in their side would turn him into another Stahl, and I’m impressed with how Sutter has given the character a real sense of purpose. Working with Jax to try to bring down Clay over what happened to Donna shows that he hasn’t entirely written off the club, and in this episode his actions are not an attack on the club so much as they are an attempt to keep the club from following through with their planned vengeance.

Hale is not out to destroy the club so much as he is out there to keep them honest. The problem with the Sons is that they both need the traditional legal system, like when they send our two-fingered friend to the station to give evidence about the Karakara fire so that they can collect the insurance money, but yet they don’t want it to follow through. Hale has no choice but to arrest Weston based on the information provided, but that isn’t what the Sons consider justice. If they had wanted justice, Gemma would have had a rape kit done and they could have arrested Weston then and there. For everything that Zobelle and Weston have done, the Sons want them dead, and yet Hale’s job is to enforce the law and send them to jail for the crimes he knows they’ve committed within Charming’s borders. When Jax claims that the brawl is none of his business, Hale is right: they’re in charming, who else’s business is it? And yet, because he works against their idea of vengeance, and because we know that long term Zobell and Weston represent too much of a threat to be warded off with some arson/drug charges, he’s standing in the way of our idea of justice. However, rather than hating him for it (which felt more natural in the first season), I find myself identifying with Hale, and feeling bad for being stuck in this position unsure of how to handle Unser’s involvement and the sheer chaos of it all.

Of course, we know how Tara handles it. Those discussions with Gemma, first about how Tara was entitled to a certain amount of worship from the croweaters because of her association with Jax and then about how God has a purpose for everyone that no one can keep them from achieving, woke up the inner Gemma inside Tara. As she takes a simple choke and turns it into a bloody attack and a threat on her hospital administrator’s life, you see the most stirring example yet of how far she’s gone. Back a while ago, when she was reading Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle and pondering whether she could truly see into this life, we had seen her sex up Jax in a Karakara bathroom and be capable of showing a more purposeful side to herself. However, that was always about Tara asserting herself within SAMCRO, whereas this is Tara asserting herself in a SAMCRO-fashion within her everyday life. The scene was visceral and powerful, as Maggie Siff sold the hell out of the attack (and, to give her full credit, the administrator did a good job of selling her shock and making me glad to see her take one to the chin). And it confirms that, whether we would think the same in real life, the show has crafted a scenario where we want to see Tara take back her job with force and fear, and where that feels just (even if it goes against every sense of ethics we can imagine).

Heading into next week’s finale, we find the Sons at an impasse: they’ve played the League into a corner, and managed to foil the ATF’s plan to take out the Irish, but their overall goal of vengeance has been foiled by law enforcement (which was partially their own mistake, really). The result is that the two people they wanted to drag outside of Charming and kill aren’t going anywhere, at least for now – and while their wits got them out of a few scrapes as of late, I’m legitimately not sure how they’re going to deal with this one, and I greatly look forward to what Sutter and Co. have to offer.

Cultural Observations

• So, did SAMCRO expect Hale to follow them out to the brawl? The presence of the Chinese and the Niners would seem to indicate not, as Jax wanted to finish off Weston once and for all, and yet the “Unser moves on the cigar shop” side of things requires Hale to be away from the station (although he somehow got back in time to find them just walking in), so I’m not entirely sure what the timing was there.
• Loved the small little beat of Bobby and Clay discussing Half-sack and him losing his Prospect status in just a month. If this is leading to a ore substantial role in Season Three, wondrous. If it leads to him being killed before getting patched in, I will loudly curse out Sutter on Twitter for the world to see.
• Really enjoyed the opening sequence as we see the Sons putting everything together and getting their ducks in a row (and out of the rain) ahead of their plan coming into play.
• I’m a little disappointed that Chibbs didn’t get to take out Jimmy O while he had a chance, but the idea of Titus Welliver recurring is worth the delay of justice being served.
• I really intended this to be short, honest.

8 Fully dowlnloadable tracks, including 7 outstanding covers by the genius that is…

I am musing today about the nature of mothers and how they seem to be the same everywhere you go, and across all species.

As many of you know, I am perpetually ‘calf clucky’. I just love them. Until recently, we had plans to adopt two bobby calves that were marked for the meatworks and hand raise them. Then we started a horse charity and suddenly our land has been earmarked for horses destined for the meatworks!

We still have plans to get calves, but they the timing just isn’t right at the moment.

For the time being, I have to enjoy my neighbours’ calves through the fence. I have calves on two sides of our property and today, the newest arrival, a gorgeous little calf that we’ve named “Freedom” (because his new owners have named him “Freezer”… why? Apparently because “that’s where he’s going”… grrr) was up for some play.

He spotted my dogs as I wandered around doing the midday horse and chicken feeds and came to fence to say hello. He’s only about the size of a Golden Retriever and they had fun touching noses through the fence, until one of my dogs started barking loudly in his face. He startled backwards, looking a little shaken. Now, his mum (who is huge!), was nearby and had been calling out cautionary moos to her little man to be careful. When he jumped backwards, she rushed to his side, shook her head at the dogs in a scolding, protective gesture, then began licking and nuzzling the little man all over to check that he was okay and to ease his shock.

I stood watching this with a smile on my face, enjoying just how strong the mothering, protective instinct is across all species. I’ve seen it in horses, and cats, and cows and humans. And it’s all the same.

While “Freedom” may not be destined for the life I would like him to have (i.e. wandering around and living out his days in comfort and style), I am at least pleased that he and his mother get to enjoy this sacred mother-baby time together, rather than being separated at a few days old and experiencing all the grief and trauma that accompanies it. I do hope she gets to see him grow up.

bobby posting:

The Kinks – A Well Respected Man (Juno soundtrack)

There’s a blog that I like to check in with pretty regularly called 22 Words.  It’s a pretty straightforward concept:  every post is simply twenty two words long.  Genius, right?  The writer, Abraham Piper (son of pastor/writer John Piper…which is an intriguing enough reason to read the blog in it’s own right), claims the blog is an “experiment in getting to the point.” I can get behind that.  I may tend to err on the other side of the amount-of-words-used-in-blog-post spectrum.  Chalk me up for 22 hundred words and I’m good to go.  But I can understand the importance of straight-forwardness.  In fact, I could spend this post waxing on and on about that balance, about the tension between brevity and longevity.  But I’m saving the sort of carpal tunnel that that amount of typing will give me for another day.  Instead, I want us to look at a recent post by Mr. Piper on his blog.

In his post entitled, “Alright guys, man up & admit how girly you are”, Piper wrote:

I’ll go first:

• I like yarn shops and pink bathroom decor.
• I occasionally use a straightener.
• I’ll enjoy the church craft fair.

First of all, count the words.  22.  Brilliant.  Okay, now that we’re over that, though, we need to assess what in the world we just read.  “Yarn shops and pink bathroom decor”.  Hmm.  I may not be able to get there.  But I’m also trying to understand.  “I’ll enjoy the church craft fair”.  Well.  You’ve pushed me even further away.  But hey, maybe you like to paint.  Maybe you’re an artist.  But then there’s that one scrunched right there in the middle.  My guess is it was put there on purpose.  Piper was trying to hide it.  I used to do that when “not telling the whole truth” to my parent’s back in the day.  It’s a great strategy for marriage conversations as well.  Trust me.  Okay.  Don’t.  But really, “I occasionally use a straightener”.  What?  No.  Let me try that again.  WHAT?!?!  Really?  A straightener?  Oh dear.

What’s interesting…okay…what’s even more interesting is the fact that Piper’s little “girly” confessions were not unique to him.  Of course some men commented that they liked chick flicks and cooking for their wives.  For that I say, “well done, men.  Good for you.”  Sometimes P.S. I Love You and a good, man-cooked meal hit the spot.  But other guys on the comment sections starting crossing that same line that Piper crossed.

“I use a straightener everyday for my faux hawk.” Wait, men still do faux hawks?  Who knew.  Listen, David Beckham has moved on.  It’s time for you to as well.  Here’s your newest inspiration.

“I straighten my hair. I even have some heat protection spray for it as well.  I was late for a meal out recently because I was straightening my hair.” Okay…that makes for three men on this one blog that have admitted to straightening their hair.  What’s going on here?

I’m obsessed with bags and shoes, and my wife, who hates to shop, does not allow me to go to the mall. I can almost get behind shoes.  I like some shoes.  And we use different types of shoes for different activties.  Weddings.  Exercising.  Working.  But bags?  Multiple bags?  Being “obsessed” with them?  Interesting.  Very, very interesting.

And finally, perhaps the kicker:

“I pick out all of my wife’s clothes and makeup.  Plus, God help me, I liked the movie “Yentl” as a kid… have no idea why… I’m still seeking therapy for that one.” Oh sakes alive!  Really?!  I don’t know which of those two admissions is worse.  They’re both making me cringe.  In fact,  I wasn’t the only one.

The next commenter on the blog wrote, “I guess I’m insecure, but this comment stream feels odd to me,” followed by someone else writing, “Not that this is any reflection on these comments or the men behind them, but I can’t read these without hearing them in a falsetto voice.”

The post exploded.  72 comments.  Men, women, single and married, all responding vigorously to the topic at hand.  You can track it all yourself right here. It sort of left me shell-shocked.  You see, it felt like many of the men were crossing the line. That they were perhaps putting themselves out there a little too much.  I almost felt embarrassed for them, seeing as how they definitely were not embarrassed for themselves.  Then on the other side of things, it felt like many folks were coming down too hard on these men for opening up in the way that they did.  So what if you use a hair straightener?  What’s the big deal about pink?  Crafts are for girls…and boys, right?  Hmm…

It got me thinking a lot about the connection between Christian men and manliness.  Sure, as someone else pointed out on the site, non-Christian men engage in these kind of questions.  Have you ever really read GQ?  Better yet, have you looked at the ads in GQ?  Have you seen the demographic they’re trying to reach there?  Let that be your project next time the Missus wants to go read books at Barnes & Noble.  So it’s not just a Christian men thing.  It’s universal.

You see, men nowadays are okay with their feminine side.  Sometimes, it’s even flaunted.  “Metrosexual” was the buzz word of the early 2000s.  I even, sort of, embraced it there for a while before feeling just a bit put-off by it all.  I like a good haircut.  I know how to match my own clothes.  I know who Emma Thompson is.  But I also love sports, grilling, and camping and I hate shaving, Soaps Operas, and spending more than 60 bucks on a pair of jeans.  They’re jeans!  My guy friends buy jeans that cost twice as much as that.  Three times.  Nearly $200.  For denim!  Sorry.  That’s another post for another time.

Right about now I’m realizing the appeal of keeping your writing confined to just 22 words.  There’s so many things I want to say, so many ideas to address, so much masculinity that right now feels undressed.  My thoughts are as sprawled as the suburbs, as scattered as Waffle House hashbrowns.  But if I were to really suck it up, you know, man up, and narrow it down, here’s my two largest thoughts as I try to turn this ship back home a bit:

1 / Where does Wild at Heart and the sweeping Men’s Movement within Christianity fit into any of this?  How are we, as Christian men, supposed to respond to this?  How are we, as those same men, finding our way to and thru masculinity?

I just finished Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz.  I know.  I’m a loser.  I should’ve read it six years ago.  When it first became a National Bestseller.  But I don’t do National Bestseller’s.  I look down on people that do.  But I’m wrong.  This book would’ve been even better if I’d read it back then, while I was still in college, grappling with so much of what the book grapples with.  Same for the Harry Potter books.  Should’ve been reading them all along.  Again, I’m an idiot.  They’re all incredible.

Anyway, I’m now interested in reading what else Miller has to offer.  I’ve read a good chunk of another of his books, To Own a Dragon:  Reflections on Growing up Without a Father.  It’s incredible and I can’t wait to tackle it all (nice manly metaphor there) as soon as I get my hands on a copy.  I think it’ll answer some of my questions.  Especially all those that still linger after reading, and trying to live out, Wild at Heart. Here’s a taste for you:

For a long time I wandered around in a fog.  Manhood felt like something that had been handed to me accidentally.  I just knew somebody was going to explain I was actually a lesbian with a penis, and if I wanted I could continue to watch college football, but should probably tone down the interest in post-season baseball, as this territory was reserved for men who had killed sleeping bears.  Or for men who loved Jesus.

Hilarious.  Brilliant.  Dead-on.  Read it for yourself.  I’ll be excited to join you for that roller coaster.  Oh…and I think that’s the only time the phrase “lesbian with a penis” is used in the book.  At least, I hope.

So that’s the first issue.  Here’s the other.

2 / Did Abraham Piper even cross any sort of line?  Did those other men?  Am I just off on this one?  Is there a line?  If so, where is it?  If not, should there be?

This perhaps, is what this writing comes down to:  Is there any sort of big deal here or did I cross the line myself by perhaps trying to turn this into something it’s not?  No answers here.  Just questions.  No pretty bow to tie on the end of this one.  Make that, no pretty and pink bow to tie.  Speaking of Pretty in Pink, I’m thinking there’s some men that would like to take this opportunity to make a confession about certain movies that they might like more than they should…

I’m out.  Not “out”.  Not like that.  I mean, I’m done writing.  For today.  Hey, this paragraph?  22 words.  Brilliant.  Count ‘em.

Dagens bilde…
Bare et lite kose bilde av Fido, han elsker næmlig å ligge på rygg når han koser. Samtidig som han viser fram hele hærligheten hans som han selv mener at er…

Arma er min og de labbene lengre ned er Bobby sine..

Bobby stakkars er ikke så glad for å bli tatt bilde av med blitzen på. Den er litt skarp…..

Da hjelper det med litt skjønnhetspleie for øyene. Litt realex for øyene er tingen…..

Tja!

Nu var det ett bra tag sedan jag skrev något och anledningen till detta är att jag har varit inhopparn på BP’s under tiden som Bobby varit i Thailand. Det har gått riktigt bra och jag å Pontus har dominerat i köket. Pontus har även börjat ett nytt liv så nu hänger han med mig på träningarna.

Jag har även börjat arbetspraktisera på skolan som någon sorts IT-tekniker/ allt i allo och hitills går det bra och är inte alltför tråkigt, så nu är det jag och Jesper som dominerar Norsjöskolans hallar!

Jag har dock fortfarande lite problem med den ryggskada, som jag antog var en muskelsträckning, vilket oroar mig lite. Som tur är så ska jag på ett doktorsbesök den 1/12 och då får jag förhoppningsvis veta ifall jag har knäckt ett revben eller om det är muskeln som fortfarande inte har reparerat sig helt.

HADI!

Adam.

…the pufferfish is the most poisonous edible fish?

..the piranha is the most ferocious freshwater fish?

…the animal with the longest claws is the giant armadillo? (Its claws are three inches long!)

(The answer to last issue’s question is false. Humpback whales do not have teeth. Instead, they have bristles, which strain the krill and other small animals from the water for the whales to eat.)

Write about Bobby

From Toy Story to Bolt, animation has brought us an array of wonderful characters to cherish and enjoy. This roundup highlights a selection of simply awe inspiring 3D characters.

Stunning 3D Characters

Captain Jack Sparrow

Created using 3DSmax, Zbrush and Photoshop, the attention to detail and expression are fantastic.

Bobby, The Little Octopus

Textured using ZBrush and decorated with Blender, taking 5 days of work. Bobby is a unique and fascinating piece of work.

Harlequin

Hauntingly realistic, Harlequin is truly a spectacular piece of art. At first glance, one might think this was a well lit photo.

Science Doc

Modeled in maya and rendered in Mental Ray, Science is an excellent character, with matching production values.

Goblin Mechanic

Inspired by Max Cant’s soldiers when modeling the furnace on his back he is full of expression and crammed with an array of wonderful details.

Will Smith Caricature

Hilarious and superbly created using Cinema 4D, ZBrush and Photoshop. It has a warmth and charm that make it stand out.

Jelly Spider Friend

Realistic and a little creepy, this is beautifully crafted with amazing colors and textures. The lighting adds to the freakish feel of the piece.

Cloud Tribute

A tribute to the popular Final Fantasy character Cloud, the emotion behind the eyes is extremely powerful.

Beautiful Vanadisa

Created in Daz Studio with a rendering time of over 22 hours, this is a simply breathtaking 3D portrait.

Isabelle

Modeled using a combination of Poser, Vue, Cinema 4D and Photoshop CS, she has a real sense of mystery and magic.

Art Ventura

A wonderful caricature, Art Ventura solves mysterious CG cases. The behind the scenes of its creation is worth viewing.

Ogryn Stare

The artists first project using ZBrush with the entire piece taking over two days. It makes great use of textures.

Rose

A beautiful pose and composition, great use of light and a thoroughly captivating expression make Rose a compelling piece.

Emocionado

A funny and charming piece with great attention to detail on the cloth patterns and the stubble on the chin.

Aztec Priest

Inspired by Mel Gibson’s movie “Apocalypto”, this Aztec Priest is detailed, imaginative and original.

Cyber Goth

Created using a combination of Poser and Photoshop, the design on her scalp and the eye markings really draw the eye.

Samurai Troll

The texture work in the armor plates and skin are amazing given that the artist views this as a work in progress.

Smoking Creature

I don’t what’s more frightening, the hideous character or the amazing amount of realism he possesses.

Kai

This is Kai, Nariko’s dedicated friend (from Heavenly Sword). Created using Poser, Vue and Photoshop.

Shadow Conscious

Absolutely incredible detail, the artist really captured the emptiness in her eyes and created a character deep in thought.

Female Vampire

Inspired by the vampire film 30 Days of Nights, this female vampire looks really realistic and deliciously evil.

Arwen

Created using Cinema 4D, Poser, Vue and Photoshop with an obscene render time, Arwen is a pearlescent beauty.

Fries With That

Fantastic modelling, texturing and shading make this utterly realistic, you will think it’s a photograph. An amazing achievement in 3D realism.

Suspicious Minds

An incredibly striking, beautiful, realistic and moving portrait with an interesting story behind it.

The Worlds Enemy

A superb model of Sephiroth from Final Fantasy with the rendering taking 3 hours and the post production taking 6 hours.

Chris In 3D

An absolutely stunning combination of Poser and Photoshop work. Do yourself a favor and check out this render’s immaculate details.

Cyborg Head 01

The level of detail is nothing short of amazing, enhanced by the textures and lightning that give this 3D render superb qualities.

Ethereal

Artwork based on the W40k universe, it’s an Ethereal from the TAU empire, taking 2 days to complete using Cinema 4D, ZBrush, VRay and Photoshop.

Knight of the Temple

A lone knight of the Temple, standing guard. The chainmail and stone are particularly brilliant in detail and texture.

Grandma

Just awesome detail, amazing textures, superb blending and the befuddling expression on the woman’s face make this a wonderful piece of work.