Saturday’s New York Times features an article about comedian Ellen DeGeneres discussing on Oprah Winfrey’s daytime talk show her recent marriage to actress Portia de Rossi. The wedding, filled with what the article suggests “may have been the most public display of gushingly romantic affection between two gay or lesbian celebrities,” came less than a week after Maine voters rejected same-sex marriage, making America’s widespread adoration of DeGeneres all the more interesting in terms of figuring out where exactly Americans stand on the issue of gay marriage.

In the handful of states where same-sex marriage is legal, legislatures and courts — not voters — have made it so. A few polls in recent months have suggested that while a majority of Americans believe that gay couples should be able to enter into unions with some of the legal protections of marriage, a minority believe that gays and lesbians should be permitted to “marry,” per se. Same-sex marriage doesn’t fit into the kind of family that many Americans believe should be idealized; it offends many others’ deeply felt religious principles.

And yet Ms. DeGeneres, who exchanged vows with Ms. de Rossi during a span last year when same-sex marriage was legal in California, seems more popular than ever — and among audiences squarely in the mainstream.

There are various explanations for the seemingly contradictory nature of Americans rejecting same sex marriage in several states, yet fully embracing Ms. DeGeneres. Some LGBT leaders suggest that the movement’s success will soon reflect Ellen’s. Toni Broaddus, the executive director of the Equality Federation, for example, says that “The story of Ellen is, in a way, a sort of metaphor for the story of the movement.” Others, like journalist Rachel Maddow, maintain that Ellen’s status as a comedian who “danc[es] in her sneakers and mak[es] everybody else get up and dance too” makes her unthreatening by nature.

However, the article purports that she is perceived as less threatening by virtue of her gender as well. The article suggests that this may be the case because demeaning stereotypes about gay men typically don’t extend to lesbian women. The article’s author, Frank Bruni, names a whole slew of lesbian entertainers on primetime TV, but gay men are not yet as accepted in the mainstream.

The article concludes by elucidating the radical nature of DeGeneres and de Rossi’s marriage—whilst also emphasizing that they are simply two people in love. This attitude is perfectly encapsulated in this simple phrase describing the image of the couple feeding cake to each other: “They look like countless other newlyweds. Then again, not.” We would like to congratulate Ms. DeGeneres and Ms. DeRossi for their recent nuptials, and furthermore state that we are hopeful that the public’s love of Ms. DeGeneres is a sign that opinions on same-sex marriage are evolving.

W 1997 roku Ellen DeGeneres wyautowała się na okładce magazynu “Time”, po czym udzieliła długiego i trudnego wywiadu w talk show Oprah Winfrey. Wszyscy pamiętamy, jakie były konsekwencje tych dwóch wystąpień: Ellen straciła swój sitcom zatytułowany po prostu “Ellen”, przez kilka lat nie miała pracy i nie otrzymywała żadnych propozycji, nie najlepiej jej się wiodło w życiu prywatnym. Po trzech czy czterech latach jednak wszystko odmieniło się w życiu “najsławniejszej lesbijki świata”, jak mówi o niej żona Portia de Rossi. W tym tygodniu Ellen wróciła do programu Oprah, by opowiedzieć o ostatniej dekadzie i małżeństwie z Portią, ale przede wszystkim po to, by zaprezentować najnowszy numer “O, The Oprah Magazine“.

(www.oprah.com)

“O Magazine” nie rozdaje okładek byle komu. W zasadzie nie rozdaje ich nikomu. Aż do tego roku każdy numer należał do Winfrey nie pozostawiając wątpliwości, że “O” jest o niej, dla niej i dzięki niej. Wyjątki zdarzyły się dwa: w kwietniu Oprah zaprosiła do współpracy Michelle Obamę, grudniową okładkę natomiast zdobi duet DeGeneres/Winfrey – i to w czterech różnych odsłonach!

O tym, jak doszło do wyjątkowej współpracy Ellen i Oprah, opowiadają obie panie w pierwszej części “The Oprah Winfrey show” nadanego 9 listopada.

Ellen nie byłaby sobą, gdyby nie chciała osiągnąć jeszcze więcej. Okładkę “O” już ma. Czas więc rozpocząć kampanię promocyjną i sprawić, by grudniowy numer pobił dotychczasowy rekord sprzedaży wynoszący 2,7 miliona kopii.

W trzeciej części nadszedł czas na podsumowanie ostatnich dwunastu lat, czyli całego wyautowanego życia Ellen. Jesteście ciekawe, jak się czuła po stracie sitcomu? Albo jak to się stało, że mimo wszystko dostała swój własny talk show? A może nie wiecie jeszcze, że będzie jurorem w amerykańskim “Idolu”?

No i nareszcie najbardziej wyczekiwany fragment tego prawdopodobnie najważniejszego dla środowisk LGBT wywiadu w tym roku. Do Ellen dołączyła Portia.

Zdrowsza niż kiedykolwiek, szczęśliwsza niż kiedykolwiek i bardziej sobą niż kiedykolwiek – Ellen DeGeneres ‘09.

Prawie godzina z Ellen i Portią u Oprah. To podobno pierwszy wywiad, jakiego udzieliły razem po ślubie. Zabawny, momentami wzruszający i bardzo amerykański. Być może równie ważny, jak ten sprzed dwunastu lat. Wtedy Ellen tłumaczyła się z bycia lesbijką i, sądząc po komentarzach widzów i internautów, wielu osobom otworzyła oczy. Teraz, jako najbardziej znana lesbijka świata z żoną u boku jest w stanie zmienić opinię Amerykanów, a co za tym idzie – całego świata, o związkach i małżeństwach homoseksualnych. A w dodatku robi to z taką klasą, której pozazdrościć jej może cały lesbijsko-gejowski świat.

Not that these women need any press at all, but Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are one of those incredible couples that people want to place on a pedestal and admire as something they can one day become.  What better evidence is there for making marriage for all legal?  Plus, every hag needs someone who enjoys lady parts in their homo army.

Ik ben normaal niet echt van de celebrity weddings, maar ik moet jullie toch echt even sturen richting een video van het huwelijk van Ellen DeGeneres en Portia De Rossi. Zo ontzettend lief. Klik hier voor de trouwvideo, en hier voor een stukje uit het interview met Oprah afgelopen maandag.

Ellen en Portia zijn getrouwd toen het net even legaal was in California. Ik snap niet waarom mensen hier in de VS zo moeilijk doen over het feit dat mensen van hetzelfde geslacht ook legaal kunnen trouwen. Blegh Prop 8. Blegh (amerikaanse? religieuze?) kortzichtigheid.

Ellen was on Oprah monday and there interview was really uplifting. She talked a lot about being gay and being in the limelight. While the whole interview was great, I really enjoyed the segment on her and her wife Portia De Rossi. Enjoy this short video!

Cea mai faimoasa lesbiana, cum e Ellen numita de americani, a fost invitata lui Oprah intr-o editie speciala. Si a venit impreuna cu Portia. Au vorbit despre relatia lor, cum s-au cunoscut, de viata lor actuala si cum e viata dupa casatorie. Portia nu vroia sa admita ca e gay, de frica sa nu isi strice cariera – pe atunci era avocata din Ally McBeal. Ellen dupa ce a admis public ca e gay a stat fara job cativa ani.

Au vorbit si despre casatoria lor: “Inainte daca un cuplu gay spunea ea este sotia mea, oamenii din jur faceau tot felul de observatii. Acum este un fapt, este lege. Spun ca ea este sotia mea si asta este un fapt”. Mai mult aici. 

The first time I tried this show I didn’t like it at all. Maybe I was just too tired to appreciate it. Maybe I just needed more time to get used to the characters. Whatever the reason, I was not interested at all. Then I came home and my brothers and sister kept talking about it so like with so many other shows, I figures I would have to try it again. Now I’m loving it, and have made my way through a season and a half, courtesy of watchxonline.com.

Arrested Development is about a rich family that falls apart after the father is arrested for numerous misdeeds. In truth, the family was falling apart before that because they’re all crazy. There’s George Senior, the dad. Oscar, his identical twin brother who is pretty much a bum. Lucille, the mother of the family who is overprotective and overbearing. Gob, the oldest brother who is obsessed with magic tricks. Michael, a single father and the only responsible family member. Michael’s socially awkward son George Michael who is overly studious and secretly in love with his cousin. Lindsay is Michael’s twin sister (Portia de Rossi), she loves campaigning for causes and is very lazy. Tobias is Lindsay’s husband, an ex-psychologist, failing actor, and a never nude (which is exactly what it sounds like). Maybee is Lindsay and Tobias’s rebellious and sneaky daughter. There is Buster, the youngest Bluth who is the most developmentally stunted thanks to Lucille’s attention. And I suppose we could count Anyong, the Asian boy that Lucille adopted when she wanted to teach Buster a lesson. (Anyong means hi, no one actually knows what his name is.)

Michael is forced to run the company in his father’s absence and mistakes. The family has so many financial problems that he has only a staircar (think the stairs for private plains) as transportation but his family seems not to understand this and continues living as though nothing has changed. Lindsay married Tobias in an act of rebellion so their marriage is always iffy.

The comedy is really off-beat, sometimes in your face and sometimes subtle. I think Portia de Rossi is my favorite part of the show (she’s fantastic on current show Better Off Ted) and wish there was more of her in the show. Of course, this is the show where we first meet Michael Cera, playing George Michael (so funny to see him so little!!!)

Anyway, if you’re looking for a show to watch, this is a great one, especially since there are plans for a movie in the works.

Największy serwis o lesbijkach i dla lesbijek w Internecie to na pewno AfterEllen.com. Co roku organizuje plebiscyt na najseksowniejszą kobietę. Przez kilka miesięcy można głosować, potem redakcja skrupulatnie liczy punkty i tuż przed wakacjami dowiadujemy się, kim ONA jest.

W tym roku wygrała Portia de Rossi.

Prywatnie – żona Ellen DeGeneres, zawodowo – świetna aktorka komediowa. Wystarczy przypomnieć Nell, kreację w “Ally McBeal“. Albo Lindsay w “Arrested Development“. Albo moją ulubioną rolę – Veroniki w “Better off Ted“.

Nowy serial (“Better off Ted”), zeszłoroczny ślub z Ellen i walka o prawo do zawierania ślubów jednopłciowych – to z pewnością najważniejsze czynniki, które przesądziły o jej zwycięstwie.

Ten wybór świadczy nie tylko o naszym dobrym guście. To również dowód na to, że gust kobiet, gust lesbijek, niekoniecznie tożsamy jest z gustem mężczyzn. W tym samym czasie ogłoszone zostały podobne plebiscyty Maxima i Playboya. W obydwu Portia nie znalazła się nawet w pierwszej pięćdziesiątce.

Ja jestem dumna z takiego wyboru. Bo któż nie zgodzi się, że osoba, która nagrywa taki spot, jest najlepszą reprezentantką środowisk LGBT?

Listy 100 najseksowniejszych kobiet pozazdrościło AfterEllen.com brytyjskie pismo dla lesbijek DIVA. Wyniki ukazały się w tym miesiącu.

Nie powiem, kto wygrał. Być może część z Was czeka jeszcze na swój egzemplarz. Powiem tylko, że Portia zajęła dopiero 18 miejsce. Tak! Osiemnaste miejsce! No i jak to zinterpretować? My, Europejki, mamy inny gust niż Amerykanki? Inaczej widzimy kobiety jesienią, a inaczej wiosną?

Czekałam na te wyniki. Naprawdę na nie czekałam. Byłam pewna, że będzie to powtórka z AfterEllen, no, może z nieco większym udziałem Brytyjek. Ale takiej rewolty się nie spodziewałam. W pierwszej piątce nie ma żadnej wyautowanej lesbijki. W pierwszej dziesiątce jest tylko jedna – Leisha Hailey znana z “The L Word”.

W pierwszej dwudziestce lesbijki są dwie – do Leishy dołącza Portia.

Cała lista wygląda podobnie. Nadreprezentacja heteryczek, kilka kobiet, które wspominały o bliżej-niezdefiniowanych-romansach-les-w-przeszłości i garstka tylko wyautowanych i dumnych dziewczyn. I tak sobie siedzę i myślę: o czym to świadczy? Dlaczego tak mało w tej “setce” lesbijek?

Cieszy mnie wprawdzie wysokie miejsce Nigelli Lawson czy Elly Jackson, ale gdzie te wszystkie wspaniałe kobiety, które miały odwagę wyjść z szafy? Bo to, że w pierwszej dwudziestce naliczyłam dwie lesbijki nie znaczy, że tak naprawdę ich tam nie ma. Przynajmniej kilka z tych kobiet stało się bohaterkami plotek dotyczących ich orientacji seksualnej, ale stanowczo (lub mniej stanowczo) im zaprzeczają.

Czyli co? Europejki doceniają nieafiszowanie się z seksualnością? Wybierają model bezpieczny i niekontrowersyjny? Nie interesują ich wzory do naśladowania i zamiast nich szukają ładnych i estetycznych dziewczyn nadających się na plakaty w pokojach licealistek? Czy też po prosu gust mamy inny? Boję się wyciągać zbyt daleko idące wnioski. Poczekam tydzień. Wtedy przedstawię Wam całą setkę i może, jak już emocje opadną, napiszę coś mądrzejszego.

]]> http://philbacerra.com/2009/11/02/arrested-development-movie-script-in-works/ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:30:20 +0000 philbacerra http://philbacerra.com/2009/11/02/arrested-development-movie-script-in-works/

From The Hollywood Reporter – Narrator: Now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything … and just may get some of it back.

“Arrested Development” creator Mitchell Hurwitz and his co-executive producer James Vallely are working on a screenplay for the long-debated feature version of their short-lived Fox series. Even as they prep a new Fox comedy series with “Arrested” star Will Arnett, the writers are spinning more bizarre encounters for Orange County’s eccentric, spoiled Bluth clan for possible feature production in the spring.

Imagine, which produced the TV show, and Fox Searchlight are producing the film.

Hurwitz had said that he wouldn’t start writing a film unless all the main actors, including Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Arnett, Alia Shawkat, Portia de Rossi and Jeffrey Tambor, were committed. Earlier in the year, speculation circulated about which wanted to return as the show’s hyper-invested fans pushed from the sidelines and the actors themselves spurred excitement.

Hurwitz and Vallely are now forging ahead. Scheduling might be difficult, however, as several — Bateman, Cera and Arnett — have seen their careers bloom in TV and film since the series debuted in 2003.

Director Ron Howard, who executive produced the series and provided the voice of the narrator, played himself in the final episode hearing a pitch of the Bluth story and suggesting it for a movie. Hurwitz, however, will direct the feature.

Hurwitz, who is repped by WME, and Vallely, who is repped by CAA and Brillstein Entertainment Partners, won Emmys for their writing on “Arrested.” They work together on the animated Fox comedy “Sit Down, Shut Up.”

By Jay A. Fernandez and Lesley Goldberg
The Hollywood Reporter

Arrested Development

IFC, is one of my favorite TV stations. There’s always great independent movies to watch .   Now, on Sunday and Tuesday nights, IFC is airing Arrested Development (one of my favorite TV shows ever).  Arrested Development originally aired from 2003-2006. I actually own the first season on DVD, and I watch the episodes over and over.

“Arrested Development is one of the smartest and funniest shows of the last decade with a hilarious presentation of absurd family dysfunction,” said Jennifer Caserta, executive VP/General Manager of IFC. “It’s a perfect fit for IFC, which viewers recognize as an authority on what’s new, next and relevant in television, film, music, gaming and online, and, more recently, comedy.” *

Apparently, a feature script is in the works! Yay! But until then,  you can watch the 53 TV episodes on IFC or Hulu.

Here’s the link to the Arrested Development Pilot on Hulu.

*broadcastingcable.com

]]> http://joeonthetube.com/2009/10/20/arrested-development-to-air-on-ifc/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:19:44 +0000 JoeOnTheTube http://joeonthetube.com/2009/10/20/arrested-development-to-air-on-ifc/

Reruns of the best sitcom in the past ten years, in my opinion, Arrested Development will begin airing on the Independent Film Channel starting October 25.  Each week the channel will air two episodes, one on Sundays and one on Thursdays.

This is awesome news as far as I’m concerned.  Arrested Developmentt is one fo the few shows that I can watch over and over again.  Here’s the full report from Reuters:

The Independent Film Channel has picked up the rights to air “Arrested Development” and plans back-to-back airings on Sunday and Tuesday nights starting October 25.

The former Fox comedy has aired on HDNet and G4, in addition to being offered online via MSN.

The Emmy-winning show, whose three seasons originally aired from 2003 to 2006, centers on a formerly wealthy and highly dysfunctional family. Its ensemble cast included Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, Jessica Walter, Portia de Rossi and Jeffrey Tambor.

“Arrested Development” foi aquele tipo de série que logo que estreou a gente sabia que seria cancelada logo logo. E nem porque era ruim, pelo contrário, era sensacional. Só que não tinha vampiros, gente perdida, médicos irônicos ou ex-estrelas de Hollywood.

Pra quem não se lembra ou nunca viu, “Arrested…” (ou “Caindo na Real” na TV aberta) contava a história de uma família completamente desestruturada, que passa por uma crise financeira e por situações vergonhosas, depois que o patriarca vai preso. Ela era filmada como se fosse um falso documentário e revelou Jason Bateman e Michael Cera (ambos estão em “Juno”).

Os boatos da adaptação para o cinema começaram logo que ela acabou, em 2006 (depois de três temporada), mas nada havia sido confirmado até o Hollywood Reporter divulgar o anúncio de que o criador da série, Mitchell Hurwitz, e o produtor James Vallely já estão escrevendo o roteiro para o longa.

O mais legal é que Hurwitz havia dito que só adaptaria “Arrested Development” se todo o elenco topasse, então há chances de vermos Portia de Rossi, Will Arnett, David Cross, Jeffrey Tambor e Jessica Walter retomarem, ao lado de Bateman e Cera, a seus papéis na hilária família Bluth.

Como o roteiro ainda está sendo escrito, o filme não deve sair antes de 2011, mas a produção é da ótima Fox Searchlight, que só tem lançado ótimos filmes.

Ok, it’s official. Rob Brezsny’s revised and expanded edition of Pronoia Is the Antidote for Paranoia: How the Whole World is Conspiring to Shower You with Blessings just hit bookstores.

WHAT IS PRONOIA?

DEFINITION: Pronoia is the antidote for paranoia. It’s the understanding that the universe is fundamentally friendly. It’s a mode of training your senses and intellect so you’re able to perceive the fact that life always gives you exactly what you need, exactly when you need it.

HYPOTHESES: Evil is boring. Cynicism is idiotic. Fear is a bad habit. Despair is lazy. Joy is fascinating. Love is an act of heroic genius. Pleasure is our birthright.

PROCEDURE: Act as if the universe is a prodigious miracle created for your amusement and illumination. Assume that secret helpers are working behind the scenes to assist you in turning into the gorgeous masterpiece you were born to be. Join the conspiracy to shower all of creation with blessings.

DISCLAIMER: The material in PRONOIA may be too intense and controversial for some readers. It contains graphic scenes of peace, love, joy, passion, reverence, splendor, and understanding. You should therefore proceed with caution if you are a jaded hipster who is suspicious of feeling healthy and happy. Ask yourself: “Am I ready to stop equating cynicism with insight? Do I dare take the risk that exposing myself to uplifting entertainment might dull my intelligence? If you doubt your ability to handle relaxing breakthroughs, you should stop reading now.

Intrigued? Grab a copy of the book and enjoy! In the meantime, here are Brezsny’s “Free Will Astrology” forecasts for the month of October.

FREE WILL ASTROLOGY
October
© Copyright 2009  Rob Brezsny

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Is the electron a wave or a particle? Physicists had to conduct thousands of experiments to arrive at the definitive answer, which is that it’s both. In other words, the solution to one of the fundamental questions about the nature of reality is a paradox. I think this strongly suggests that the correct response to many other riddles about the ultimate truth might be two seemingly opposing explanations. Could the Unitarians and Buddhists both be right? Socialists and capitalists? Mystics and scientists? In the upcoming days, Aries, you will be offered lots of practice in adopting this approach as you deal with a personal dilemma that’s very much akin to “Is the electron a wave or a particle?”

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Have you ever mused on the fact that your body is actually a kind of furnace? And that your whole life depends upon it? Food and oxygen are constantly combusting inside you, generating fiery energy that fuels your every movement, thought, and feeling. This awareness of fire as a source of vitality, not a destroyer, would be valuable for you to cultivate in the coming days. Your steady, earthy rhythm needs a shot of radiance and luminosity and fervor.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Several couples I know keep lists of the five celebrities they’d be allowed to boink if the chance ever presented itself. My friend Jim, for instance, will incur no karmic repercussions with his girlfriend Alicia if he ever spends a night of carnal delight with the following people: Lady Gaga, Sarah Silverman, Karen O, Shakira, or Halle Berry. Alicia’s permitted to enjoy liaisons with Johnny Depp, Chris Rock, Marilyn Manson, Jimmy Fallon, and Portia de Rossi. I bring this up, Gemini, because I believe you’ll soon be the beneficiary of some extravagant cosmic luck that could offer you a close brush with an exotic form of pleasure. This might not exactly take the form of a one-night stand with a famous fox, but it could be almost as extraordinary.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): I’m happy you’re getting back to fundamentals and shedding pretensions and nourishing your roots, but I also want to make sure that you don’t get too funky and lowdown. I’d hate to have to be hoisting you up out of the gutter next month, or counseling you on how to cover for the fact that you’ve compromised your own highest standards. So please resist any temptations you might feel to descend toward the lowest common denominator, Cancerian. As you deepen your center of gravity, make sure you keep your attitude elevated.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “I may not love you,” wrote R. R. Doister, “but I can certainly love my fantasy about you.” Personally, I’ve been guilty of embodying that attitude toward certain people in my life. There have also been allies to whom I could have said, “I do love you, although I love my fantasy about you a little more.” And it has even been the case on numerous occasions that I’ve been proud to declare, “I love you even more than I love my fantasy about you.” What about you, Leo? Where do you stand on the issue? This is an excellent time to get on the righteous side of the great divide, which is to say: Adore your special people for who they really are more than for your fantasies about them.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In a puckish fantasy, the poet Linh Dinh imagined a hypothetical scenario in which it would be uncool to be too cool. “In an effort to inject more pep and resolve into its lethargic citizens,” he waxed with prophetic longing, “the government is mandating the use of an exclamation mark at the end of each sentence, spoken or written. ‘It looks like rain!’ for example, or ‘I must sleep!’” I suggest that you take his vision, Leo, and turn it into reality for the immediate future! You would really benefit from getting more excited than usual! Who knows, maybe a simple thing like imagining every one of your sentences ending with an exclamation mark could make your whole being more thrillable!

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Is there a big difference between your current job and your beloved career? Do you suffer from the unsettling feeling that your calling hasn’t called you yet? Are you under the impression that your main reason for being here on Earth may reveal itself at some unknown time in the future, but not anytime soon? If you answered no to all those questions, congrats! You are more than halfway toward living a victorious life. But if you answered yes to at least one question, it’s high time to take action. Start by formulating an intention to find out what you need to know in order to deal with the problem more aggressively. The cosmic forces are arrayed in such a way as to reward you for doing so.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): The Indian guru known as Amma has hugged over 30 million people during her three-decades career. I’ve known people who’ve received blessings from her, and they tell me that she can magically undo your karmic knots with her spiritual power, freeing you from having to suffer indefinitely for the bad decisions you made in the past. Amma rarely does a complete unraveling of all karmic knots in one sitting, however. Your negative conditioning might be holding you together, after all, and a sudden super-fix could cause you to fall apart. That’s the situation I suspect is true for you right now, Scorpio: You’ll be wise to undo some, but not all, of your karmic knots.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): The coming weeks will have something to offend and agitate everyone — except you. Whines and moans and yelps will ring out across the land, even as you’re emanating poise and aplomb. You may be tempted to brazenly exploit everyone’s vulnerability and seize control of your corner of the world, but I think that would be shortsighted of you. A better strategy for capitalizing on your advantage would be to dole out large doses of mercy, making sure that the people who will be important to your future don’t lose their way.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): “The bear must deal with 20 obstacles, and each one of them involves pears,” says the Sufi proverb, “because the bear adores pears.” That’s a twisty truth worth meditating on, Capricorn. I suspect that the gifts coming your way will bring their own unique problems; the dreams you’re in love with will generate new dilemmas to solve. By no means does this imply that you should avoid accepting the gifts or pursuing your dreams. Part of the fun of doing great things is dealing with the changes they generate!

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): On behalf of all us non-Aquarians, I’d like to express our appreciation for the experiments you’ve been performing. Please don’t be discouraged just because the results thus far have been inconclusive and left you feeling a trifle rudderless. We feel confident that sooner or later you’ll come up with discoveries that will have bottom-line value to both you and the rest of us. We’d also like to apologize for the shortsighted and timid types among us who are accusing you of being unrealistic or overly optimistic. Please keep trying those novel approaches and making those imaginative forays.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): While reviewing the work of Angelina Jolie in the film Taking Lives, A. O. Scott called her “the flesh-and-blood actress most likely to be mistaken for a computer-generated special effect.” I don’t expect you to rival Jolie’s odd talent anytime soon, but I wonder if maybe you’ll be seeing a lot of that kind of stuff in the world around you. Some of the characters who will be advancing the plotlines in your life story may seem to be able to breathe fire, walk through walls, or change the weather at will. At the very least, you’ll witness phenomena that resemble optical illusions. My advice: Try to get these exotic outbreaks to work for you rather than against you. Embrace them, don’t fear them.

Homework: Are you doing anything in particular to kill the apocalypse and usher in the Great Awakening? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Rob Brezsny’s “Free Will Astrology.”

CLICK HERE to subscribe to Rob Brezsny’s newsletter.

CLICK HERE to learn more about Rob Brezsny’s book, Pronoia is the Antidote for Paranoia, Revised and Expanded.

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Making Strides – Hey, Susie (comic | Calvin, Hobbes, Susie | G)

Fake News
Five Versions Of The Limo Ride Home (fic | Jon/liberal!”Stephen”, Joan/”Stephanie”, Jon/r!Stephen (Sailor Jon version), Schmon Schmewart, Jon, “Stephen”, Jon/happy!”Stephen” | G through NC-17)
Lesbians, Explained (comic | Joan/”Stephanie” | R)

Hellsing
Making Strides – Meow! (art | Seras | NSFW)

Red Dwarf/Sailor Moon
Making Strides – Sailor Red Dwarfers (art | sailor!Rimmer, sailor!Lister | worksafe)

Sailor Moon
Making Strides – In The Pink (art | Super Sailor Chibi-Moon | worksafe)

Star Trek
Making Strides – Aww, Data (art | Data, OC | worksafe)

Top Gear/Sailor Moon
Making Strides – Top Sailors (art | sailor!Richard Hammond, sailor!Jeremy Clarkson, sailor!James May, sailor!The Stig | worksafe)

Original/Miscellaneous
Making Strides – Aww, Ellen (art | Ellen DeGeneres, Portia de Rossi | worksafe)

Next Week in Shine:
All’s fair in love and war…

There’s been a slew of weddings in the last few months. We’ve made it for some, some we had to pass. Some we enjoyed, some were worse than my wisdom tooth extraction. Some had funny videos, some had the usual wedding montages that made this girl wonder if the wedding video editing firms have some sort of template. One video was over an hour long; complete with interviews and out takes. (Side bar to future couples: 10 mins- TOPS.). Some had great food, others made this girl and the boy head off early for supper; often, with other guests who barely touched their food too.

Weddings are always lovely events; mostly. Particularly if its not a long drawn affair, with great music and food. Its a time for celebration of love, of a promise of a life together and the new chapters that are inked on the tapestries of coupled souls. And the sad thing is, most get so caught up with the wedding, they forget about the marriage.

This girl came across Ellen Degeneres and Portia de Rossi’s wedding video and its simply one of the loveliest she has seen. No less, they had the oh-so-talented Joshua Radin sing his beautiful “Today” on it.

Today (By Joshua Radin)
Shoe laces untied
You can dry your eye
Perfect shadows lie behind us and this is the day I make you mine

The way your hair lies
Sometimes unrecognized
All the way from Nice today on a train
Nothing to say but there’s still time

You are the one I’ve been waiting for today
Here comes the sun
It’s been baiting morn today

Lately I’ve lost my tongue
Today you found my song
Unknown our love has grown and I thank God you came along

You are the one I’ve been waiting for today
Here comes the sun
It’s been baiting morn today

You looked right through me
There was no one else
I sat beside you and became myself today
Today

You are the one I’ve been waiting for today
Here comes the sun
It’s been baiting morn today

I find this show to be absolutely brilliant. It isn’t perfect but I am glad I randomly watched it that one  time. I’ll say it again it is quick, quirky, smart, and clever. Plus of course funny. This show is Portia De Rossi though. She is strong in every episode she is in. Though I wasn’t the biggest fan of her magician’s assistant antics it was an interesting unintentional Arrested Development nod.

Not really sure what I can say, I think they need to keep the current dynamics for as long as possible. Ted and Linda cannot get together yet, I wouldn’t even say in season 2. They might date for a little bit but I think it needs to go horribly wrong cause it would ruin the chemistry and dynamics of the show. For example the whole flower garden at the end was a little bit to much Pushing Daisies and this show shouldn’t do cute it should do the biting humor it is so good at.

I thought all of the episodes were strong this summer the final episode had a weak point or two but I can look past that because of how usually excellent the 20 minute episodes are.

The next direction is changing up who is working with who. I would love for a Veronica episode where she has to do work with Phil and Lem. I also wouldn’t mind a few more moments of making fun of Ted. His character is so straight laced it would be funny if he got some criticism. He is to much of a people pleaser and if the other characters could harp on that it would be great.

Hard to offer to much criticism on this show, it is definitely something I am going to be picking up on DVD. Again it isn’t perfect but usually the one liners and jokes hit rather then miss. I’d love for some more Phil and Lem though. Jonathan Slavin and Michael Barrett are just as strong as De Rossi if not stronger. I think the show is Portia’s show with everyone else in it but I think those two really do give her a run for her money for the best one liners (especially in the most recent episode about Lem’s mom knowing all about Ted and Jabberwockey).

I hope it finds some sort of audience with a DVD cause otherwise I think this and next season will be it. It is a strong little show but it doesn’t have an audience.

So I was watching Big Brother a few weeks ago and during commercials, I was just browsing the channel and this show caught my eye. I went online to look it up and I’m very happy I did because Better Off Ted is now one of my favorite shows (I don’t usually follow tv shows..although I do try to). I absolutely love this show and I’m super happy that ABC announced that there will be season 2 – which starts Jan 2010….booooooooooooooooooohooo! I find this show witty, funny, romantic, and…hmm fresh…very different from the other shows out there right now. I also love all of the characters in this show (this makes me miss Will & Grace)..I ADORE Jay Harrington and Portia de Rossi! The two scientists are also really lovable. The only character I’m kiiiiiiiiind of iffy about is the girl that plays Linda. Maybe she’ll grow on me later on.

TV Show: Better Off Ted

I watched the last two episodes of Better Off Ted Tuesday night & I’m really sad that I have to wait until next year to watch season 2.