Touch of Grey will, well, touch upon the rainbow that is life. Good music, good times, and good friends combine to make all the splendid colors. Touch of Grey will celebrate this beautiful rainbow.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Renewal and Hope Restored



There is a TV god somewhere. Fringe has been renewed for a season 5, to consist of 13 episodes. This is a key number for two reasons: this will give the writers enough time to finish telling the story that must be told, and this will push Fringe past 100 episodes, which means syndication priveleges.

Who knows, it may even get picked up by another network and continue beyond the 13 episodes. Even if it doesn't, Fringe will now be able to deliver to its fans the remaining episodes we so deserve, and the finish that the story deserves.

Thanks, powers that be, for believing in Fringe, its writers and cast, and its fans! The following is but a short synopsis of the series. Enjoy!



Tuesday, April 24, 2012

The End of All Hope?







This is an update and combination of two blogs from the last year or so. In retrospect, and knowing what I know now about FRINGE, I can honestly say that it has more than surpassed the X-FILES. This is the most amazing ensemble cast, writing, and acting ever assembled on the small screen. The best show on television? YES. The best show ever? Quite possible. Last week's episode is the best I have seen in the four years of watching this show, and believe me, this rabid fan has seen every episode multiple times. You could say I'm fairly obsessed with it; in fact, the morning after last week's show, I awoke with it in my head at 4 a.m., replaying every scene as well as I could remember it. If you haven't watched this show, it's not too late. It is on the "bubble" for a fifth season, and its fans so deserve more time with these people who we have welcomed into our homes and become most fond of over the past 4 years. Take my word for it, you will not see anything better on television now.



Below are the original posts:


Period.




Fringe has captivated me since the first episode. But this show has gotten progressively better with each subsequent episode. Last night's showing knocked it out of the park.




I dearly love and respect this show with its excellent actors, superb writing, and a mythology that rivals, even bests at times, that of the X-Files.




Just one question: WHY HASN'T JOHN NOBLE GOTTEN AN EMMY YET????? This man is hands-down THE best actor on TV right now.




If you aren't watching, you are missing an incredible tour-de-force. One word of warning: If you haven't watched before, and you start now, you will be hopelessly lost. But I encourage you to watch nonetheless. You will be able to come up to speed eventually, and I promise you won't regret the time spent. John Noble is worth EVERY minute. He is heartbreakingly awesome, and without him, there would be no show.




Give it a try, won't you? One more warning: I have a feeling when it ends, as all shows must eventually, it won't be on a happy note. But isn't that what life is really like? Isn't the universe(s) of a fickle nature? Given the thread of the story, it MUST end not as we would wish, but as it has to. But, of course, people of this universe and that are human, and have one thing in common: hope.




So, I HOPE you'll watch.






Give this man an Emmy already!












John Noble has put on the performance of a lifetime for two weeks running now on Fox's "Fringe", not to mention three seasons' worth of fine acting. What does it take?






The interaction between Noble and his television son, Joshua Jackson, is the most complex, touching, powerful thing I have seen on TV. As good as Jackson is, he is still surely learning master class acting from Noble. And well he should.





C'mon, television academy, or whoever you are - fork it over! He has more than earned it!


Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Is It Hot In Here Or Is It Just Me?

The joys of being a middle-aged woman, with remnants of the 10-year old "Star Wars" freak thrown in. Such is my life. Sometimes the thermostat isn't even involved...



Monday, April 9, 2012

Simply Because...

...I went riding yesterday on a motorcycle for the first time in a long, long time.

...A swell Easter Sunday was spent with family and sweet friends.

...I played chess yesterday and was beaten. Fair and square, by an equally clever player.

...I watched the beautiful sunset from my back porch, wrapping up a most unexpectedly splendid day.

...I awoke early this morning with this song in my head. I hope it stays there all day. Maybe it's the conversation we had about the Beatles. Funny thing, I almost wore my Beatles tee yesterday. I will make a point of putting it on after work today.



Saturday, April 7, 2012

The Measure of a Man

Easter means so many things to so many people. Besides the religious aspect, there are Easter egg hunts, family dinners, and unique traditions.




For me, Easter just doesn't seem like Easter until I see "Lillies of the Field" starring my favorite actor, Sidney Poitier. Poitier skillfully portrays an itinerant handyman who, in his travels, comes upon a group of German nuns in the Arizona desert. These nuns believe Poitier's character, Homer Smith, was sent by God to build them a chapel. And maybe he was. Poitier won the Academy Award for best actor, a first by a black man at that time, and it was well-deserved. Even though he didn't do his own singing in the film (the voice dubbed was Jester Hairson, who you might remember as Rollie in, ironically, "Amen"), Poitier captured the fire and determination of a man on a mission. That is, once the nuns convinced him of that mission. And, indeed, he built them a chapel. Here's the signature song from that movie, and I can't think of a more fitting one for Easter.





I woke up with another song in my head this morning, but it is also connected to Poitier. It is "To Sir, With Love" by Lulu, from another of Poitier's beloved movies of the same name. Some of us, if we are very lucky, have a teacher like the one portrayed by Poitier, one who makes a real difference in our life, one who "takes you from crayons to perfume". I have been thinking of my certain "Sir" a lot lately, and feel nothing but gratitude. This song always brings me to tears. I have it here as another Easter gift to you.




Sidney Poitier is an extraordinary actor and gentleman who has filled my life with sweet wonder in some of my favorite movies: "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", "A Raisin in the Sun", "The Defiant Ones", and "Blackboard Jungle". His autobiography, "The Measure of a Man" sits upon my shelf in a place of honor, befitting a man upon whom many honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, have been bestowed.


To me, the measure of a man is simply this: the magnitude of the immeasurable impact one man has had upon the world. Mr. Poitier stands tall, now and forever.

Happy Easter, everyone.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

April Fool?

Don't be fooled by this guy! He has the ability to make anyone laugh, but in doing so, the joke is on you. Weird Al Yankovic's satirical covers of songs most of us know by heart have become themselves a part of pop culture. I first heard Weird Al on the Dr. Demento show doing his "My Bologna", I believe around 1979 or 1980. Such a fitting beginning to an illustrious career built on skewering the most ridiculous excesses of the music business.

Things you might not know about Weird Al: he is an only child; his real name is Alfred Matthew Yankovic; he has garnered three Grammy awards, four gold records, and six platinum records. He was years ahead of his classmates, and Valedictorian when he graduated high school two years early. He went on to complete a bachelor's degree in architecture, and reportedly possesses an IQ above genius level. He holds dear such satirical material as that from Shel Silverstein, Frank Zappa, Monty Python, and (of course) Dr. Demento. He is married with one daughter and is a strict Vegan. He is also a children's book author (I have his book on my bookshelf!), a producer, actor, and director. I can tell you from experience that if you get a chance to see this entertainer in person, DO! He is frantic, brilliant, funny, and just completely AWESOME!

April Fool? No, more like shrewd, brilliant, GENIUS! Never has an accordian been smarter.