Greetings to all the peeps that aren't away watching the new Batman movie! Are you craving some new, fun entertainment-like fabulousness - from the king himself, Joss Whedon?? Hie* yourself to Dr. Horrible.com!! Oh, all parts are also available for download at iTunes. You know, if you want to put it on your iPod or iPhone. ;-)

*hie - pronunciation: \ˈhī\; function: verb; definition: to strive, hasten; to go quickly



Also, a reminder (yes, I've been sadly lacking in my Suz news updates - but a countdown is right there under my blog header, for crying out loud): Into the Fire comes out Tuesday, peeps! All I can say is Barnes and Noble better have it on my porch when I get home from work...oh, I'm taking off that day for an unrelated matter. Duh. B&N, if they truly appreciated my business, would have ITF on my porch when I get home from work Monday. Talk about the best gift evar!

I'll be updating the "Patience is a Virtue" section later, too. And I almost forgot, I have joined the lemmings and am now Twittering. LOL I'm c2s over there so feel free to follow me through my incredibly boring days.

Labels: book stuff, entertainment, linkage, lolcat, silliness, Suz, tinkering

...for any Torchwood fans (or anyone who wants to become a fan). Tomorrow night is the premiere of season two on BBC America (only slightly behind our British friends this time).



W00t!!

Now back to cleaning. What's the opposite of w00t?

Labels: entertainment

...so I'm taking a break from my tree-ing, peeps. And I thought I would let you know (I meant to do this weeks ago) that if you aren't watching Torchwood on BBC America - you should be! Any British peeps who might be lurking out there already know what I'm talking about and have seen the whole first season (fiends!).



It was spun off from Dr. Who. Now, I've never been a DW fan but I'm loving Torchwood so don't let that stop you from checking it out. Yes, if you start watching now, about half the season is over but BBC America is usually pretty good about marathons leading up to season finales so there will be a chance to catch up, most likely. And the DVD set of the first season will be out in January, too.

In other news bits, in case you didn't hear, AAR has the new Top 100 poll results up. I'll be comparing my list with the final results and reporting back in soon.

ETA: I counted up - 24 of my top 100 made it onto the big list and I've read about 74 (some I couldn't remember, one way or the other...so it may be more like 70). Eeek!

That's all for now, later, peeps!

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, entertainment, linkage

Well, a friend and I saw Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix this afternoon. I always try to remind myself not to expect the movie to be like the book and sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't. It didn't work this time. I was disappointed. It isn't that the movie was awful or anything...but there was so much missing.

They took the longest book and made the shortest movie - and anyone who read the book could tell there was a lot of stuff left out. I know they have to edit the books down. I get that. But at least condense the story! It seemed like lots of exposition was cut to allow for a few special effects set pieces. I would rather have had the exposition, personally. The parts they left in were done quite well and the film looked good - except for the centaurs who continue to look like freaky half-done amateur animation. Why won't they let ILM do all the special effects??!?!? WHY?!

On the other hand, I was pleasantly surprised by how much the kids' acting has improved. Yes, they have been slowly improving from the beginning but it seemed like a huge leap forward this time. They really are growing up. *sniff*

So, in conclusion, should you go see the movie? Yes, if you're a fan of the series. Do you need to rush out right now? Not so much.

Who else has seen it??

**ETA: So, near the end of the movie when one of the characters (who has been in deep denial) finally admits that You Know Who is back, the guy sitting behind us goes "DUH!". LOLOL

Labels: 2 cents, entertainment, movie

/end southern drawl

So, this is my Spring/Summer look, I think. I might tinker a bit more but not for a while. I'm headed off into the scrapbook zone this weekend. W00t! Oh yeah, I might go check out some pirates, too.

Some eye candy for your enjoyment:



Set sail for a fabulous weekend mateys!

Labels: cuties, entertainment, holiday, pictures, pirates, tinkering

...we interrupt the vacation pics to bring you a reminder that today is Derby Day! What is Derby Day, you ask (you poor uninformed soul) - the day the Kentucky Derby is run at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.



No, I've never been to the Derby (I want to go and sit in a box...therefore, a lottery win is required) but I watch it every year. :o) I tend to pull for the long shots and choose my horses by the colors of their silks. Hey, I never claimed to know anything about racing!! ;-)

Post time is 6:00 EDT and it only lasts about 3 minutes so a big time investment isn't required. It's a fabulous spectacle even watching on TV.

Vacay pics up later!!

Labels: entertainment, linkage

...the play in in preview mode at the moment with early reviews popping up. And since I know you all want to see a bit more of Daniel (stop that giggling!), I thought I would direct you to The Sun's early report...with a new-to-me picture. No, not full frontal...but a full back view. You were warned...

;-)

Labels: cuties, entertainment, linkage

...here's some more grown-up eye candy. ;-)






The things I do for you, peeps...the suffering...the anguish. I hope you feel good about yourselves! LOL

Labels: cuties, entertainment, pictures

...oh yeah, it was my youth passing me by (okay, some would say it has already passed; to which I say: "Shut up!"). The proof that tipped me off to this sad state of affairs??

Well, I'm a Harry Potter fan...I believe I have mentioned before. Not a scary, psycho fan. Just a fan. More of the books than the movies but, all the same, I enjoy the movies. To keep up on all thing Potter-ish, I occasionally surf by The Leaky Cauldron (a repository for Potter-dom). Anywhoo, from previous visits, I knew Daniel Radcliffe was going to be appearing in a stage production of Equus in London's West End - but they had publicity photos in their galleries, peeps! OMG!!

Remember when Harry was young?



So when did this happen????



I'm just...speechless. Discuss amongst yourselves.

ETA: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be in stores July 21st!!

Labels: cuties, entertainment, pictures

> What were the first items referred to as gadgets?

Now, you know I love me some gadgets!! LOL According to the trivia book sitting on my desk at work (and I'm at home so excuse any awkward wording):

> Gadget was first used in France in 1886 in connection to small, metal replicas of Statue of Liberty that were being sold in Europe to commemorate the big version. "Gadget" came from the name of the originator of the miniatures - M. Gaget.


See, don't you feel smarter already? :-D

In other gadget news - how do you like the SNAP thing I put on the blog (roll over a link to see what I mean)? Cool?? Or annoying?

Labels: entertainment, gadgets, linkage, web stuff, widgets

Wicked cool!!

Wanna try it yourself?? Go here! Coolness found via the ever fabulous Tech_Space blog at USA Today.com.

Labels: entertainment, linkage, silliness, web stuff

Since this has been floating around, I'll play too. :o) It's one of the few things I can do on my PC while the iBook is in the shop getting a bigger hard drive (oh, the pain! I miss it so!!!!).

5 Yummy things:
1. My mom's fried chicken
2. Chocolate mousse
3. French fries
4. Ben & Jerry's vanilla caramel fudge ice cream
5. Sour cream pound cake

5 Songs I Know by Heart:
1. the whole Carpenters' Christmas album (no rudeness about the Carpenters, please - best Christmas album EVER!)
2. Part of Your World from the Little Mermaid
3. No Sleep Tonight
4. Over the Rainbow
5. Sin Wagon

5 things I'd do with a lot of money:
1. Sail around the world
2. Buy a beach house
3. Buy a beach house for parents (well, my mom would like it so...)
4. Buy a flea market for my dad
5. Quit my job and never look back :o) (that should be at the top of the list, yes?)

5 places I would escape to:
1. the Caribbean
2. the Mediterranean (yeah, I just got back...so?)
3. Tahiti
4. Australia
5. Iceland

5 things I would never wear:
1. Daisy Duke's (seriously, no one should wear these!)
2. bell bottoms (see comment above)
3. lame' (have you noticed that without the accent mark it reads LAME??? Do I need to say more?)
4. tube tops
5. platform shoes (I've made peace with my height, thank you)

5 favorite TV shows:
1. Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
2. Gilmore Girls
3. Boston Legal
4. Lost
5. Grey's Anatomy

5 things I enjoy doing:
1. reading
2. watching TV
3. traveling
4. baking
5. playing on the internet

5 favorite toys:
1. iBook
2. iPod
3. DVR
4. digital camera
5. PDA

Anybody else who wants to play - have at it!

Labels: entertainment, meme

Have I mentioned who's going to be on LOST tomorrow night (and maybe another episode after the break)????



That all I'm sayin'...

Labels: cuties, entertainment, pictures

Check it out, peeps!

Go here to see How Many of Me there are! Well, not me...YOU!

There are 91 of me!! LOL

Labels: entertainment, web stuff

In case you be a lily-livered land lubber (and live under a rock) - today be Talk Like a Pirate Day!! Arrrrrrrr

In related sea-faring news, my mother and I are getting ready to head off on a Mediterranean cruise (hey! I heard that muttering over there...). WOOT! We leave Thursday afternoon but things will be busy between now and then so my online time will be limited. I'm taking the iBook and there is internet access onboard so I may be able to sneak in a quick update somewhere along the way (we have a couple of whole days at sea).

So everybody be good (or don't get caught being bad) and I'll be back in a few weeks!

Oh, and go see Mad Ethel for some most excellent pirate books! Or you have to walk the plank!! Nobody wants to walk the plank, me hearties! It's worse than keel-hauling! Arrrrrrrr!

Labels: entertainment, pirates, silliness

...that I am a Mac person?? Because I am! I mean, yeah I have to deal with PCs at work and I have one at home, too...the one at home mostly gathers dust, though. Why, you ask? Because Macs are so much cooler!! :-D And my Mac is an iBook so it sits with me on the sofa (my main surfing spot).

Anyway, today at Macworld there were several new product announcements - and that's always fun! Including iPod Nanos in colors (I'm not linking to every separate thing...take yourselves to the Apple homepage and surf on!) - kind of like the Minis were - and a redesigned Shuffle that is TINY!! So very cute! I may be forced to add it to my Christmas list (if I can ignore the fact that I already have a Mini and a Video iPod). :o) Speaking of the Video iPod...now you can get games for it at iTunes! Including Bejeweled (I LOVE Bejeweled)!! And PacMan and Mah Jhongg. Nifty!!

See, I have more interests than just books...I do LOVE me some gadgets, too!

Labels: 2 cents, apple, entertainment, gadgets, web stuff

...AAR's Top 100:

BOLD - I've read it
BLUE - in the TBR
everything else - nope

1. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
2. Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale
3. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
4. As You Desire by Connie Brockway
5. Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie
6. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
7. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
8. Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann
9. All Through the Night by Connie Brockway
10. Sea Swept by Nora Roberts
11. It Had to be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
12. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh
13. Morning Glory by LaVyrle Spencer
14. The Proposition by Judith Ivory
15. A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught
16. Ravished by Amanda Quick
17. Frederica by Georgette Heyer
18. Mrs. Drew Plays Her Hand by Carla Kelly
19. MacKenzie's Mountain by Linda Howard
20. Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard
21. The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
22. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - I've seen the mini-series, does that count??
23. The Bride by Julie Garwood
24. Devil's Bride by Stephanie Laurens
25. To Have and to Hold by Patricia Gaffney
26. Born in Fire by Nora Roberts
27. Winter Garden by Adele Ashworth
28. Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann
29. The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn
30. Saving Grace by Julie Garwood
31. My Dearest Enemy by Connie Brockway
32. In the Midnight Rain by Barbara Samuel
33. The Windflower by Laura London
34. Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
35. Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught
36. Nobody's Baby but Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
37. A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux
38. Paradise by Judith McNaught
39. The Shadow and the Star by Laura Kinsale
40. Dream Man by Linda Howard
41. Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann
42. Silk and Shadows by Mary Jo Putney
43. See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson
44. Shattered Rainbows by Mary Jo Putney
45. Thunder and Roses by Mary Jo Putney
46. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn
47. Heart Throb by Suzanne Brockmann
48. For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale
49. Honor's Splendor by Julie Garwood
50. Lord Carew's Bride by Mary Balogh
51. Untie my Heart by Judith Ivory
52. Dream a Little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
53. The Secret by Julie Garwood
54. This is All I Ask by Lynn Kurland
55. Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
56. One Perfect Rose by Mary Jo Putney
57. To Love and to Cherish by Patricia Gaffney
58. Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
59. Heaven, Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
60. Venetia by Georgette Heyer
61. Daughter of the Game by Tracy Grant
62. The Prize by Julie Garwood
63. Reforming Lord Ragsdale by Carla Kelly
64. Prince Joe by Suzanne Brockmann
65. The Notorious Rake by Mary Balogh
66. Heartless by Mary Balogh
67. Son of the Morning by Linda Howard
68. Sleeping Beauty by Judith Ivory
69. Where Dreams Begin by Lisa Kleypas
70. The Devil's Cub by Georgette Heyer
71. The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons
72. The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegar
73. With This Ring by Carla Kelly
74. The Lion's Lady by Julie Garwood
75. The Rake by Mary Jo Putney
76. Fallen from Grace by Laura Leone
77. Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath
78. Castles by Julie Garwood
79. One Good Turn by Carla Kelly
80. Chesapeake Blue by Nora Roberts
81. By Arrangement by Madeline Hunter
82. Perfect by Judith McNaught
83. My Darling Caroline by Adele Ashworth
84. The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
85. The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann
86. Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
87. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
88. Kill and Tell by Linda Howard
89. After the Night by Linda Howard
90. More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh
91. Born in Ice by Nora Roberts
92. Miss Wonderful by Loretta Chase
93. The Charm School by Susan Wiggs
94. Scoundrel by Elizabeth Elliott
95. How to Marry a Marquis by Julia Quinn
96. Angel Rogue by Mary Jo Putney
97. Trust Me by Jayne Ann Krentz
98. Dancing on the Wind by Mary Jo Putney
99. Once and Always by Judith McNaught
100. This Heart of Mine by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

If I counted correctly, I've read 64 of the top 100 - yikes! Go me!!

Also, because Kristie did it, I will too:

My top 25 with only one book allowed per author (in alphabetical order):

1. Kiss and Tell by Cherry Adair
2. Bewitching by Jill Barnett
3. Devilish by Jo Beverely
4. Hot Target by Suzanne Brockmann
5. Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase
6. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
7. The Windflower by Sharon and Tom Curtis
8. The Morning Side of Dawn by Justine Davis
9. A Well Favored Gentleman by Christina Dodd
10. Princess by Gaelen Foley
11. True Confessions by Rachel Gibson
12. After the Night by Linda Howard
13. The Proposition by Judith Ivory
14. Mine to Take by Dara Joy
15. Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon
16. Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale
17. Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas
18. Stardust of Yesterday by Lynn Kurland
19. Born in Sin by Kinley MacGregor (hey, if she can write under two names, I can pick two books)
20. Breath of Magic by Teresa Medeiros
21. The Dark Highlander by Karen Marie Moning
22. Heart Thief by Robin D. Owens
23. Heaven Texas by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
24. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (it was this or The Duke and I but I LOVE Colin!)
25. Dark Lover by JR Ward

Anybody else wanna play??

Labels: book stuff, entertainment, meme

This was already on my TBB list so I'm glad to share the info!

SLAVE TO SENSATION

Nalini Singh

Berkley / September 2006

Welcome to a future where emotion is a crime and powers of the mind clash brutally against those of the heart.

Sascha Duncan is one of the Psy, a psychic race that has cut off its emotions in an effort to prevent murderous insanity. Those who feel are punished by having their brains wiped clean, their personalities and memories destroyed.

Lucas Hunter is a Changeling, a shapeshifter who craves sensation, lives for touch. When their separate worlds collide in the serial murders of Changeling women, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities…or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation.

Excerpt

I am participating in a blogging experiment hosted at dearauthor.com. To enter the contest, put up this blurb, image, and trackback and you are entered to win the following prize package.

• $200 Amazon gift certificate


• Signed copy of Slave to Sensation


• New Zealand goodies chosen by Singh


• ARC of Christine Feehan's October 31 release: Conspiracy Game

You can read about the experiment here and you can download the code that you need to participate here.

Labels: book stuff, contest, entertainment

...from Dictionary.com, today's word is:

concatenation - \kon-kat-uh-NAY-shuhn; kuhn-\, noun:
A series of links united; a series or order of things depending on each other, as if linked together; a chain, a succession.

So I, of course, started thinking about book series. :o)

Some of my favorites series:

Lynn Kurland's de Piaget series
Jo Beverley's Malloren series
J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series
J.D. Robb's In Death series
Suzanne Brockmann's Troubleshooters series
    By the way, Into the Storm is out week after next (the 15th)!! Woo hoo!!

Of course there are tons more that I enjoy - Julie Q's Bridgertons, Lisa K's Wallflowers, Sherri's Dark-Hunters and a zillion more. :o)

What are some of your faves?? Any hidden gems that need some good words scattered around the Blog-o-sphere?

Labels: 2 cents, entertainment, meme

So I'm at the local WallyWorld this afternoon and I see this:
















I realize the back copy is a bit small so let me quote the very first bit:

An immortal warrior, given the power to make right what once went wrong...in a time not his own.


Does anyone else hear those bells ringing?? Anyone? Anyone?? Bueller?

That's right, gentle readers! Whoever wrote the back copy must have been a fan of Quantum Leap. Now, I love me some Quantum Leap so I immediated recognized that bit from the prologue spoken over the opening credits of EVERY FREAKING EPISODE!!

"Theorizing that one could time travel within his own lifetime, Dr. Sam Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap accelerator and Vanished...He woke to find himself trapped in the past, facing mirror images that were not his own and driven by an unknown force to change history for the better. His only guide on this journey is Al, an observer from his own time, who appears in the form of a hologram that only Sam can see and hear. And so Dr. Beckett finds himself leaping from life to life, striving to put right what once went wrong and hoping each time that his next leap will be the leap home."

Good grief! I don't even know where to go with this...so I'll move on after I tell you that I picked it up and it's going to the top of the TBR (Lisa K will have to forgive me). I'm curious about this - especially since Ms. Mackenzie has two more connected books coming in October and December.

To complete my first thought - do your impulse book buys usually turn out well? Or do you mostly end up wishing with every fiber of your being that you had just said no?

Labels: 2 cents, book stuff, entertainment