My spring Comic Con tour started in Toronto and ended in Boston. If you're not in the know about all-things-Comic-Con, then you probably don't consider the "man behind the curtain," or, who puts these things on.

Wizard World puts on Comic Cons all over the country, including Toronto, Philly, Chicago, Mid-Ohio, Austin, and New Orleans. Their latest acquisition is the "Big Apple" Comic Con for 2013, but that's not the same as the New York Comic Con. Comic Cons in other areas of North America are put on by other companies, like the San Diego "International" Comic Con and, of course, East Coast Cons like Baltimore and Boston.

The Boston Comic Con was a lot of fun. Toronto had a ton of celebs and so, was more about individual fans of individual celebs...and, Yu Gi Oh. There were lots of tween, teen, and young adult boys looking for the opportunity to play in tournaments. You had Artists' Alley, of course, but there were more browsers than buyers because the crowd was more interested in celebrity-sightings and photo opps, using the vendors as a sort of time-filler/killer. In Boston, the focus was on comic books themselves. The celebs? Guys like Al Jaffe of MAD magazine. There were also a ton of families--including mom, dad, and older teens with younger siblings. There were great costumes at both Boston and Toronto, basically, fans who dress up as characters from everything to Star Trek and Star Wars, to X-Men...there was one Merlin from the SyFy show of the same name in Toronto, and one Katniss Everdeen in Boston.

The space was different in Boston, all encompassed in one long, very wide hallway, or branch, of the Hynes Convention Center. The Hynes Convention Center is accessible via the Prudential Center and Copley Plaza off of Boylston Street. Great location near high-end shopping and eateries, as well as more family friendly venues, right in downtown Boston. The hallway was lined with vendors selling all kinds of interesting things, but also, lots of comic artists and indie film-makers, as well as people in costume for photo-opps with fans. On the right side of the hallway, or plaza-level, there were separate rooms for speakers like me, as well as a zombie movie-marathon, while the left had a very large space used for Artists' Alley. There were artists from all the major Marvel and DC groups, as well as Th3rd World and the artist for Cinderella, a great female-hero driven graphic novel. There was about 8,000 fans trolling the Boston Comic Con, mostly in costume. There were no lines, plenty of space and lots of friendly, smiling faces. There was a real fun-vibe happening at the Boston Comic Con. And I was there on the second day. Which tells the whole story, doesn't it?

In Toronto, the speaker rooms and celeb Q&A's took place in one wing of the Metro Convention Centre in downtown Toronto, also near  restaurants as well as the famed Rogers Stadium and CN Tower; the featured rooms were in the center of the wing with hallways and access doors on both sides. Further down, you could find tournament rooms and on the second level, there was Artists' Alley--a warehouse-sized space that had food vendors all around the perimeter, artists and authors in the center and at the back, celeb photo/autograph stations. Like the Boston Comic Con, Toronto had two main rooms for speakers--one large (480-person capacity) and one smaller (350-person capacity). I was originally scheduled for the smaller space, but like Boston, we made a few last minute changes to accomodate the show. Wizard World offers VIP ticketing so for every event or speaker over the course of the day, there were two lines--one for VIP ticket-holders and one for people with general admission day passes. There were two long lines of people waiting to enter the room for my show...which somewhat freaked me out when I realized what was happening. I've had large audiences before--but never people willing to stand in line for 20 minutes to see me. And in Toronto, unlike Boston, no one in attendance was a family member or friend--but I did meet plenty of fans of my books, and, of vampires in general, and, of the supernatural, and, of paranormal romance, and, of superheroes...so it was a real mix that made for a very enthusiastic, engaged audience.

The fans for my Boston show numbered upwards of 120 or so. In Toronto, my audience was almost double that. Of course, the room in Boston seated about 120 (as opposed to Toronto--which seated 480!), and yes, there were people standing up in the back in Boston. Now, what made the Boston audience even more awesome was the surprise. What surprise? Let me explain:

I was scheduled for a room without a projector; the problem there is part of my show at all Comic Cons depends on a multi-media presentation I made specifically to go along with my talk. Without the visuals and sound  to go with my presentation, it would be like serving pancakes...without the syrup. Dry. And tasteless. So, the promoter for Boston had offered to rearrange the zombie movie-marathon so I could do my show properly. Very generous of him, because it meant tweaking the schedule. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make the changes in time to get into the program. So as I spoke to a full room yesterday, while the fans were just awesome and super-engaged in my talk, actively asking questions and sharing comments, I mistakenly thought most were in the room for the zombie-flicks. After I closed my talk, and the kind applause resounded around the room, not only was I bombarded by pop culture enthusiasts, but I realized as we cleared the space before getting George Romero's Night of the Living Dead on the silver screen, that the room was empty of all but five people. That crowd, the people who squished-in, even stood up, to listen to my talk weren't just being polite, they were there specifically to see my show. I am a Native Bostonian and there were five people in attendance who knew me--so what about the other 110 +/- folks???

It was awesome to see so many people pack the room just for my show. I loved my time in Toronto, too--don't get me wrong. It was fabulous. But being in my hometown and having people who didn't know me show up just to see me was pretty amazing. I was humbled, and grateful.

My Comic Con tour continues this fall. Stay tuned for more details! What am I doing in the meantime? Well, for starters--TED. No, it's not what you think. I'll be presenting in the field my Doctorate is in, Medical Humanities, for a TEDx talk in New York this June. I'll also be participating in an event at Yale this summer. By September, I'll be back on the Wizard World Tour for at least two of the three fall Comic Cons scheduled in Mid-Ohio, Austin, and New Orleans.

So what's the big deal? Why are hundreds of people packing into rooms at these Cons to see me? Well, you'll just have to see it for yourself. I can tell you that I do have a book chapter coming out on vampires in popular culture in the definitive book edited by Jody Pennington, Evil in Pop Culture, coming out next year. And yes, there are other projects in the pipeline. A hint? Sure!

Things aren't always black and white...sometimes, they're in Shades of Grey...and other colors, too: Purples, golds, reds, blues, but I've already said too much. ;)

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So, you want the dish? The insider-info on all the dirty details??? Sure, I can help you there. Hang on to your hat!

CW-darling, Torrey DeVitto, who plays Melissa Hastings on Pretty Little Liars and Dr. Meredith Fell on Vampire Diaries, is as sweet, nice and TALENTED as you would imagine her to be. She has natural grace under pressure and handled difficult fan-questions during her Q&A with husband of one-year, Paul Wesley, like a champ. Yes, I was moderating the panel. And yes, Torrey was sitting next to me. She was wearing a super-flattering black and white jacket and killer heels. Donning the in-style of darker hair with light-ends in loose curls, she shined. Plain and simple.

DeVitto and Wesley married a year ago this month on the 16th; DeVitto's talents go way beyond the silver screen to her violin. Yes, she's a terrific musician. Her father was a drummer for Billy Joel and her middle name is in Joel's honor. She even played her fiddle for Christie Brinkley at Brinkley's wedding to Peter Cooke.

What I loved about the couple was how Wesley generously shared the spotlight and limelight with DeVitto. There were about 400 screaming females of all ages in the 45-minute Q&A that took place at 3pm EST at the Metro in Toronto. The "talent," as celebs like Wesley and DeVitto are called at events like this, enter the room a few minutes after the session starts. Because, as moderator, I had to lay down some ground rules first. And, get the crowd even more frenzied for their brush with Vampire Diaries fame. Tough job, but someone's got to do it.

The two came running in after my intro and got right to work, engaging with excited fans. Wesley had no problem joking easily with fans, even when one made a comment about how small Wesley is in person. DeVitto picked up the question, explaining how television cameras add height and width to people. And she's right. A television camera adds about ten pounds to a person's perceived frame, and, because of perspective, adds a few inches as well. Wesley also admitted to having slacked a bit on his daily Vamp Diaries work outs, saying playfully, "What do you want? I'm tired...," followed by his signature James Dean-like smile.

DeVitto and Wesley were tight-lipped about next week's season finale, hinting only that Stefan develops a new relationship.

Another interesting revelation was when a fan asked Wesley if he'd ever watched the evolution of Joss Whedon's Angel to prepare for his role as the Ripper. Wesley stunned us all by saying he's never seen Boreanaz's work. Ever. We were all a bit disappointed to learn that Wesley isn't a fan of the genre he's a part of. But that's what acting is all about, isn't it? As fans, we'd like to imagine the people who portray some of our favorite characters are just as enthusiastic as we are.

Wesley also revealed that if he wasn't acting, he'd be writing. I found this of particular interest as a writer and writing professor, and almost handed him my card right on the spot.

DeVitto said she always knew she wanted to be in show biz while Wesley said it was something that evolved over time for him. His favorite movie: Goodfellas. DeVitto, on the other hand, named three--including Newsies.

Now, in case you're wondering, the schedule for a celeb at Comic Con is rather grueling. You're meeting and greeting people for several hours in the morning; you get a short break for lunch before prepping for your next appearance--usually a Q&A--followed by more photo opps with fans. Your hand is cramped by day's end; your throat is dry. You can only see blue spots before your eyes because there have been cameras flashing in your face the entire day. You don't have time to change, so you're sweating--all day--with only brief moments of privacy to touch up and refresh on the go. You have to smile constantly. You can never slouch. And eating or drinking is out of the question because press and photogs are always looking for that "everyday" moment to sell to mags. Even walking down the hallway is a chore because you can't do it without being followed by flashes and promises of eternal love. And the thing is, these actors are just people. Like you and I. They simply embody the ideas writers pull their thinning hair out to develop for you, the fans. And yes, I pull my hair out on a daily basis.

Speaking of hair, Wesley claims to do his own trademark spike.

As moderator, I had to wrap the session at about 3:50pm to get the next celeb (Gerry Ryan) in the room on time; not an easy thing to do, given that the Q&A line at the mic was still 20-people deep. But Wesley and DeVitto were very personable with their fans, giving each question careful consideration and elaborate answers--the kind that you wait in line for 45 minutes to hear. Luckily, Paul Wesley was gracious enough to offer to do further meet-n-greets in his booth stationed along Artists' Alley on the upper level.

Before Torrey DeVitto left the stage, she looked for me to shake my hand, thanking me for my work. She cued Wesley to do the same before their hasty departure. I was holding my cane in my right hand and wasn't quite ready for the back-handed hand-shake so Wesley apologized and shook my other hand, also thanking me before being deluged by fans asking him to stop and take a picture with him. He was being ushered out by his manager and bodyguard, even though it was clear he loved his fans and would have stayed in the room all day chatting them up if he could.

Wesley and DeVitto's first-class flight to Toronto wasn't as easy as one might imagine; not only was Joan Rivers a passenger (so one may find their fashion choice of the day under scrutiny on her next episode of Fashion Police), but the couple had to endure their plane being struck by lightening! DeVitto said it sounded like one of the plane engines had died when they were first hit; she thought the plane was going down. While Wesley joked that he knew they'd be fine, having previously read about how a plane's construction is meant to hold up to lightening. He laughed as described the odd way the pilot came on the speakers, commenting about how it was Friday the 13th so weird things were bound to happen. Indeed.

Before DeVitto and Wesley's session was set up, SyFy's Being Human cast members, including Meaghan Rath, Sam Huntington and Sam Witwer were doing their own Q&A. I was prepping for my spot with Paul and Torrey so was unable to sit in on their session but did rub elbows with Huntington, Rath and Witwer as I was getting on stage for the Vampire Diaries show at 3pm. The chatty threesome, particularly Huntington, were super-friendly with fans and staff. I didn't have time to get too involved but can tell audiences that as I was prepping on stage, Witwer gave me a good, hard, long look. Up. And down. Witwer is six years my junior so I was terribly complimented, especially given his rumored connection with the gorgeous, Alexa Davalos. Three people were responsible for my look that day: Kate Somerville (and her insanely good skin care), my colorist, Jason (who made my hair absolutely perfect for the occassion even though I'm the worst client in the world), and of course, the indominable Roberto Cavalli (for his Moorea batwing blouse that not only helped me keep my cool all day long, but helped me look the part as well). Oh, and lest I forget to mention the adorable, Dr. Irwin Smigel, who has helped celebs like Kelly Ripa keep their smiles whiter and brighter for years--thank you for your generosity.    

Three years ago, I went through a terrible trauma. More cruelty than anyone can imagine. It caused me to have health difficulties that included neurological symptoms like losing feeling on my left side, decreased mobility, weight gain, and depression. So as I stood on stage yesterday with the talented, generous and kind Paul Wesley and his lovely wife and co-star, Torrey DeVitto (whose million-watt smile is even more dazzling in person than on screen), I felt as though--with the help of friends mentioned above and my manager, as well as the love of my life, Bob--like the vampires I so passionately study, write, and speak about, I was born again. Into a new life. A better life. One where dreams can come true. And the cruelty that has caused not only me, but all of humanity, to turn to fanged-monsters as our saviors, has disappeared.

My one regret? Not having the time to tell Torrey and Paul that they'd be perfectly cast as Ana and Christian in the upcoming movie production of Fifty Shades of Grey. Oh, and by the way, if you are a fan of James' work, I can only hint at connection to an upcoming project surrounding the now infamous "mommy porn"--the dominant to Ana's submissive, as it were.
 
More to come on Toronto Comic Con 2012!!! And stay tuned for next week's reflection on the Boston Comic Con:

Must. Eat. Brains.

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AWKWARD. 09/29/2011
 
AWKWARD. is another one of MTV's forays into non-reality television and...it's amazing. Creator, writer and sometimes-director, 37-year old Lauren Iungerich, undoubtedly plans on keeping things interesting in Season 2 for her main character, 16-year old Jenna Hamilton, played by MENSA-girl Ashley Rickards. Rickards is recognizable from her roles on One Tree Hill, Ugly Betty, CSI: NY, and Entourage. Iungerich's list of credits is smaller; she wrote an episode of Ten Things I Hate About You prior to penning AWKWARD. but has several new projects in the works, thanks in part to her brevity and wit as seen in the pre-midnight slotted AWKWARD.

The premise is classic: Jenna Hamilton, the daughter of clueless high school sweethearts, gives "the gift of her vagi" to high school hottie and all-around popular guy, Matty McKibben, played by Beau Mirchoff. Soon after their clandestine supply-closet union, Matty socially rejects Jenna; to make matters worse, Jenna then receives a scathing anonymous letter detailing her loserdom. As if those two horrors aren't horrible enough for then-15-year old Jenna, she trips in the bathroom, almost dying--but not before breaking her arm. Everyone--both at home and at school--assumes Jenna tried to commit suicide, despite the clearly accidental circumstances. Awkward.
 
Jenna becomes "That Girl" as she calls herself on her blog...yes, she's a writer. And I suspect Jenna's just shy of being a carbon copy of creator Iungerich. You see, I'm only three years older than Iungerich. Like Rickards, I graduated high school at a younger age than most of my peers. And Jenna's experiences mimic the dynamics of a late 80's high school hallway down to the fat cheerleader who buys her popularity, thanks to rich parents. Yup, we had one of those, too. And my rich, fat cheerleader loved to torture me...like sadistic Sadie tortures Jenna. When my Sadie passed a bra back in chemistry class telling everyone I was a stripper and I'd left it at a party, I owned it a la Jenna: I stood up in class, lifted my shirt and said, "That's not mine. It's not big enough." Ah, the good old days.

Jenna's lucky she has Iungerich writing her life. Because generally, the two most popular guys in school would not really be vying for Jenna's attention. They'd corner her in the nurse's office and tell her she's the kind of girl everyone wants to have sex with, but that no one will actually date. Now that's AWKWARD.

Fantastic one-liners like "Welcome to Karma-geddon, bitch," and "The elipsis are the sluts of grammar," hit home-runs as both clever and witty. And the audience--probably mostly people between my age and Iungerich's--loves to see Jenna have the happy problem of choosing between the less articulate but super-sweet Matty and the class President who isn't afraid to be himself, Jake Rosati, played well by Brett Davern.

Jake and Jenna bond when he shows his respect for her positive attitude toward all the school drama; sadly, this guy didn't exist in real life. He's pure imagination on Iungerich's part. After rejecting his chaste-cheerleader girlfriend, Lissa's, offer to have her "be-hymen," Jake begins to think of easy-going and easy-to-talk-to Jenna as more than just a friend.

As with all good season finales, AWKWARD. has its audience feeling sad for the evolving, and newly rejected, Matty and simultaneously happy for Jenna and Jake, but with a sense of foreboding...Jake has no idea that Jenna and his best friend, Matty, were an item. When that comes out--and it will--Jake will certainly reject Jenna. Matty's silence is forgivable; he kept quiet to avoid hurting Jake, who was very verbal about his developing feelings for Jenna. Jenna, on the other hand, knows that Matty and Jake are best pals--and she's now at the top of what we feminist scholars call the "heterosexual matrix," the place where all good girls go bad. King Arthur's Guenivere comes to mind...and look at what happened to her: relegated to a nunnery! Mary Jane Watson from Spider-Man ended up in a hell-dimension. Jean Grey from X-Men ended up dying...a lot. Princess Leia almost layed her own brother! Being the pinnacle of that love-triangle almost always means--in both literary and literal terms--that the female is going to get screwed, one way or another.

And the fact of the matter is, Jenna's already been screwed. By Matty. By her friends. By her teachers. Her guidance counselor. And as we learn in the finale, even her own mother!

We need more girl-characters like Jenna on small and big screens alike. While I'm thrilled AWKWARD. will have a Season 2, I shudder to think of Jenna's future path. I hope Iungerich doesn't really feel cruelty is necessary for kindness. Jenna's vapid mother has that one all wrapped up in a neat mirrored-ceiling, bra-less bow. 

Kudos to creator Iungerich and the cast and crew of MTV's AWKWARD.! On the Housel-scale, you earn a well-deserved 9/10. On par with films like Easy A and Pretty in Pink, AWKWARD. keeps things interesting on TV screens...like it was in the beginning with Martha Quinn! I knew you had it in you, MTV....



 
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I AM NUMBER FOUR 02/28/2011
 
You may be happily surprised by this film adaptation of a young adult novel co-authored by the infamous James Frey, who Oprah broke into "a million little pieces" on national television after learning Frey's memoir on addiction was more fiction than truth. Remarkably, Frey is still getting published. I AM NUMBER FOUR debuted for six weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list in fall 2010. Luckily for Frey and co-author, Jobie Hughes--who continue to write more books in The Lorien Legacies series together under the single pen name, Pittacus Lore--this visual version of urban fantasy has grossed more than $57-million since its release ten days ago.

The film is directed by DJ Caruso, whose work you know from films like Disturbia and Eagle Eye and television shows like Dark Angel and Smallville....and speaking of Smallville, there's a little Superman in Caruso's most recent movie-mix.
The basic premise couldn't be more like the ubermensch himself if Jerry Seigel and Joe Schuster rose from their graves and wrote the script...but as that wasn't possible, the dynamic duo of Miles Millar and Alfred Gough, also of Smallville fame, wrote the I AM NUMBER FOUR screenplay with Buffy-alum, Marti Noxon:

An alien boy s sent to Earth upon the destruction of his home world; he is now the hope of not just Earth, but the Universe itself. Though an alien, he appears human and has special powers. He's smarter, stronger and faster than other boys his age. He even has a special box, a la Superman's "Fortress of Solitude," sent with him from his own planet--I half expected him to open it and hear Marlon Brando's voice saying, "Kal-El...." And yes, there are magical crystals from his home world, too.

Michael Bay and Steven Spielberg produced, which explained the explosive appeal of the film. Alex Pettyfer, a British actor who you may recognize from his work with Burberry, plays the title role of John Smith (aka "Superman"), and also stars in the Beauty and the Beast film adaptation, Beastly, with Vanessa Hudgens, debuting March 4, 2011. You'll recognize Dianna Aragon from Glee as well as Aussie actors Teresa Palmer and Callan McAuliffe. McAuliffe made his American debut in Rob Reiner's Flipped and Palmer has been in movies with Hollywood greats like Nicholas Cage and former-SNL funnyman, Adam Sandler. Look for Palmer as Talia al Ghul in the upcoming adaptation of Justice League of America.
 
Though the original novel series is a clear adaptation of Seigel and Schuster's original Superman, with cookie-cutter Campbellian trials...even magical flight, Caruso, Millar, Gough, Noxon, and cinematographer, Guillermo Navarro--whose work in the Hellboy franchise earned him props from this reviewer, along with an Oscar nod for his work in Pan's Labryinth--make what could have been an unimaginative remix of Superman for the 21st century into an entertaining film for a broad demographic.

I AM NUMBER FOUR gets a strong 7/10 on the Housel-scale. 

Bring on the decade of the superhero! 




 

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If you're a fan of BBC's Being Human, which ran it's second season in summer 2010, then you might want to invest--out of pure curiosity--in SyFy's "Americanized" adaptation of a show about three room-mates in their 20's: a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost.

The irony is, the show is made in Canada.

The SyFy version is set in the Boston-area; the werewolf and vampire, Josh and Aidan, are both nurses at the fictional Suffolk County Hospital (the city of Boston is in Suffolk County, Massachusetts). Why Boston? Perhaps a tribute to Nancy Holzner's 2009 debut urban fantasy Deadtown....

Josh is the Americanized George--Jewish with a lesbian sister (c'mon...Jessica Stein anyone???) and a nurse with Aidan, the Americanized "Mitchell," at the hospital. "Aidan" is named after the actor who plays "Mitchell" in the original series, Aidan Turner. The actor playing "Aidan" is Sam Witwer; Sam Huntington plays "Josh"; and Meaghan Rath plays "Sally," Annie's counterpart. 

It was all very odd--seeing the "Americanized" version, including the patronizing reference to Twilight. For lack of a better supernatural show amidst the reckless primetime comedy-attempts these days, it's watchable. A bit long in the tooth (if you will), Being Human SyFy is not on par with the original series. But the production of an "Americanized" adaptation of a BBC show already popular in America is not the fault of the writers, the director(s), or the actors.

However, it was a thrill to see Satan, I mean, Mark Pellegrino, who played Satan on Supernatural (returning with a new episode on CW F-1/28, 9pm EST!) as Bishop (Herrick on BBC)--Aidan's maker. 

I wish there was more to say--Sam Witwer clearly is into his role as Aidan and the other Sam is very much shooting for the awkward yet kind, conscientious George. It's too early to comment on Sally. 

On the Housel-scale, this a 6/10...so far. It's early. 

And a PS to this post: It's February 6th and I just rewatched the third episode--things are looking up for our own little 21st century version of a supernatural "Three's Company"....keep up the good work, kids! 
 
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I know you've been waiting for it, so let me apologize for the delay. It's just that, I had to think about this one. Had to think about it because, well, I really didn't know what to say.

Let's start with Lafayette--one of the best characters who never were (his character dies during an orgy-gone-wrong in the second of Harris's Sookie Stackhouse novels)--was resurrected by actor Nelsan Ellis, a Julliard-trained thesbian who's range makes one look at Ellis as one of "les merveilles du monde"--wonders of the world. The V Jesus pushed him to do pushed poor La-la's supernatural intuition into hyperdrive. Now, Lafayette's seeing things like Renee holding Arlene in a strangle-hold--a seed that won't give up, and poor Arlene feeling like she's in the fiery pits of Hell--another storyline original to the HBO series. Perhaps Arlene's baby is Renee's--perhaps not--but either way, it seems the spirit of Renee is inhabiting Arlene's depthless soul--hey, someone was bound to move in--Arlene's on a permanent vacation....

Sookie is down-right mean to my other favorite actor/character, Denis O'Hare's Russell Edgington. I look at Russell's character as a naturalistic study of the human condition...if a human were to live through 3,000-years as a vampire. Do you blame the lion for hunting its prey? Of course not. Russell is doing what anyone would expect a character of his depth and fortitude and too-long existence TO DO. And Sookie's just being a hater because of it. Sure, he tries to kill her. And yes, he will always be a threat to her person now that he's tasted her ambrosia-like blood, but c'mon! He's an old vampire...someone turned him...does anyone ever consider what that trauma may have done to Russell Edgington? Nah, that's too difficult. It's much easier just to take Russell at face-value. Like Sookie did, as she cackled while pouring the love of Russell's long life down the drain. That was a bitch-move, Sook. As my grandfather used to say, you're off my list.

And Eric--a thousand years of life and all he can do is spit vengance? Eric hasn't acted much like a Viking in the show...he's duplicitous, morally relativistic, and always scheming his way through his own self-absorbed agenda. Russell Edgington is the same, of course--but he's straightforward about it. Eric, on the other hand....

But Eric does love Sookie, and though Bill always seemed the perfect gentleman (avec fangs), he's really been pretty shady from the beginning. Did you all notice the way he bit into our Sookie the first time they had sex? And he's known what she was from day one! Bill's more along the lines of a creepy stalker, but in fairness to his character, he's just an underling vampire--constrained by his "youth" and submission to those with more vampiric political pull. He really was trying to protect Sookie, it was just within the confines of his situation...a very shady situation. Sigh.

Such complexities are used to create gray areas for the audience--"Well, he's really a good guy, he just had to do this one bad thing because...." But no. There's never an excuse for bad behavior. Never. Edgington's behaviors are despictable--though I do love how O'Hare brings that character to life, his despicable acts aren't excusable. It's why Sookie made a (finally!) good decision in rescinding Bill and Eric's welcome from her home. But now, she's in Fairyland with her fairy-kin...maybe we'll all get lucky, and she'll stay there.

If only...but we all know she goes on to get engaged to Alcide. Now that's a dish well-served. How Alan Ball & Co. will serve it...we'll all have to wait another nine months to see. Sookie and Eric also have a rather long and winding relationship yet to come, as well as Sookie and a were-...not wolf, not panther, but tiger! Roar, baby, roar....

Sam shot Tommy...or did he? He's turned out to be quite a jerk (for lack of a better term), so my guess is yes, he shoots Tommy, but doesn't kill him. He's probably clipped him in the leg or arm. This is another original storyline to the HBO series. In the books, Sam is an all-around good guy. You might even call him a lion-heart...hint, hint.

Next season, Alan Ball referred to lots of upheavals in the vampire world...and he's right. I told you about a giant beat-down coming down the pike in the series...and I wasn't kidding. It's HUGE. Season 4 promises good things...wish I could say the same for Jessica and Hoyt.

Could the writers/director of the finale have beaten us over the head any MORE with the foreshadow in that storyline???  Jessica and Hoyt, sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes Hoyt in the baby carriage...or casket. Hoyt's Southern mama cannot be told what to do. You know how she revealed to Hoyt that his father committed suicide in season 2? I bet she killed him...maybe not with a gun, but pushed him to do it in some way. We see the sad, broken doll on the floor of the house that Hoyt built, right after he tells Jessica she'll never have to live without him. Switch scenes to Maxine in a gun shop, picking up a sight-rifle. Yup. Real cliffhanger there...not! She shoots somebody. If it's Jessica, it better be with wooden bullets. She aims for Jessica, but Hoyt gets in the path of the bullet and he's dying. Jessica has to make a choice...hmmm, what will it be? If I were Jessica, AFTER killing Hoyt's mama, I'd turn him. Will it go down that way in season 4???  Probably...or at least some variation thereof.

Tara takes off. She cuts her hair, gets in her inherited Mercedes convertible, and barely looks back. How could she do that to Lafayette? Tara, like Arlene, is just another hollow shell of a character. Yes, she's been through a lot--no question--but so has Lafayette. And he never abandoned her. She's leaving La-la to the wilds of Jaguar-Jesus, the vamps, the witches, the wardrobes...oops! Wrong storyline, but you get the idea. Uncool, Tara, uncool. Especially since we know you'll be back....

Finally, Mr. Jason...he's so adorably genuine as played by Ryan Kwanten. Crystal takes off with her cousin-brother-fiance at gun-point, leaving Jason to protect the in-bred were-panthers of Hot Shot...now that "Uncle-Daddy-Calvin" has been shot, that is. Oy. What a tangle! Jason's now connected to the communuity of Hot Shot...but will he ever become a were-panther, like his character in the Sookie Stackhouse novels? All will be revealed in about nine months...just like having a baby. Boy or girl? In nine months, you'll know for sure!

Season 3 was SO MUCH fun...thank you to Alan Ball & Company, to the cast, the crew, and all the people at HBO, as well as the originator of the storyline, Ms. Charlaine Harris. It really was a fun summer of True Blood. Though I feel a bit like a hostage being held at gunpoint (or fang-point) from episode to episode--it's worth the torturous ride...kind of like life. You can get off anytime, but why would you do that??? It's all about the journey, not the destination.

Hey, TB-fans, look for True Blood & Philosophy: We Wanna THINK Bad Things with You online and in your favorite book stores...as well as three very special essays on season 3 from THE True Blood experts. I can't tell you much about the essays, but I can tell you you'll learn more about Arlene, Sookie, Hot Shot, Sam...and maybe, just maybe, Jessica, the world's fav baby-vamp! So where can you find them? More on that to come in future "Publication News."  

Stay tuned! Until next time....


 
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Have you ever had an image permeate your dreams? You don't know where it's from or what it is, it's just there, floating around your subconscious? That's what the Helix Nebula was for me. Before I even knew it was the Helix Nebula, that is.

The Helix Nebula is part of the Aquarius constellation, approximately 700 light years from Earth. It was "discovered" in 1824 by Karl Ludwig Harding (1765-1834). I use quotes around the word discovered because the Helix Nebula has existed for more than 10,000 years.

Planetary nebula are formed at the end of a star's evolution. Gases from the star in surrounding space produce the image we see here on Earth in high-powered telescopes like the Hubble. So what does the Helix Nebula look like?

An eye. A giant eye. God-like, even. And it's haunted my dreams for almost four decades.

Did you know that a recent discovery confirmed that there is a planetary system called Gliese 876 in the Aquarius constellation? Gliese 876 is actually the name of the red dwarf that sits only 15 light years from Earth. The recent discovery is that there are three planets orbiting Gliese 876.

Two of the planets appear to be more like Jupiter but one looks terrestrial...meaning, Earth-like.

Astronomers and astrophysicists have argued about the habitability of a planet orbiting a red dwarf like Gliese 876, and it looks like, even with occasional flares, it's very, very possible.

The Helix Nebula is to the southwest of the Delta Aquarii, the third brightest star in the Aquarius constellation, also thought to be a stream star member of the Ursa Major moving group--which means a set of stars with common velocities in space thought to also have common origins. Ursa Major is, of course, the Big Dipper. It's about 80 light years away from Earth.

Amazing, isn't it? Carl Jung theorized about the human collective unconscious, meaning a shared, universal store of symbols within each and every human brain. His proof included the permeation of like-signs and symbols across cultures, geographies, space, and human time. In other words, every person on the planet, from the first to the last of us, all share deeply imbedded "universal archetypes" like the swirl, used in all cultures from every age, ususally connected with life, infinity, birth, and the feminine. In 2004, Time magazine called this the "God Gene." Humans are pre-programed, so to speak, to believe in something larger than themselves evidenced by these universally-shared symbols that exist in our collective unconscious. And how does this relate to my Helix Nebula?

Well, the Helix Nebula is one of those symbols...well, not the nebula itself, but the helix formation which causes the image of the eye in space.

Shakespeare's Hamlet said to Horatio, "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy...." We humans would be wise to remember the Bard's words. Humans are so Earth-centric, but when you look up at the stars, you feel it, too--the pull. It's there. And whether it was an anthopomorphized version of God or something beyond human perception that gifted us this permanent connection, every human breathing on Earth shares an undeniable common link.

Until next time, dearest readers...keep looking to the stars!
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I started tonight's entry researching the history of ESP or extrasensory perception, aka psychic phenomenon. Why? I can't really say--just struck me as something interesting to learn more about and pass along. However, ESP has a long, rather sordid medical history. And that was something I didn't expect.

Rudolf Tischner first coined the term ESP in 1921. Tischner was a German opthamologist fascinated by the occult, as were many Europeans in the late Victorian era through the early 20th century, evidenced by Britain's Society for Psychical Research founded in 1882. Tischner tried to create a similar society in Germany but was unsuccessful. When I saw the dates Tischner practiced, I began to get that creeping feeling you get when you know something is wrong...some call it a hunch, others, intuition, and yet others, like Tischner, may even call it clairvoyance.

Tischner was a Nazi. I knew it, though you won't find that on Wikipedia. You won't find that anywhere, actually. But if you know where to look, you can find even the dirtiest little secrets this world has chosen to hide. Why? Because Tischner made contributions to science that the world doesn't want to connect with the atrocities of Nazism, though it was through the very rule of the Nazi that such contributions were possible.

Tischner is quoted as saying that, "in the Third Reich organic medicine (homeopathy) has found a respect that it never, not in its wildest dreams, imagined that it would achieve." This is from a Nazi book on racial hygiene published by Harvard. The first copyright was in 1945; second copyright, 1988. One of the reviewers, Frances Groen of McGill University's Medical Library, said that "Proctor (the author) is too good of a historian to indulge in moralistic judgements...." Well, that says it all right there, doesn't it? Moralistic judgements??? There is definitive right. There is definitive wrong. By using the phrase "moralistic judgement," Groen implies that the horrors of Nazi medicine were not definitive. In other words, nobility can be found in Nazi medicine...even if that "medicine" was closer to voodoo and human sacifice. Read on!

The "period" in "German medicine" Proctor documented wasn't research...it was torture. Torture sanctioned not only by the German government of the time, but by the world. I suppose I'm in utter awe that people refuse to see barbarity, even when it stares them blankly in the face. Would you like to know what this "work of stature and significance" (as claimed by Frances Groen) describes?

Though the world acknowledges that 12-million people were killed during Hitler's reign, 6-million of whom were exclusively Jewish per Hitler's "Final Solution," everyone doesn't always recognize HOW those deaths occurred. Yes, people were jammed into barracks that were too small, weren't fed or allowed to bathe and were worked...to death. Yes, part of the torture was feeding people rotten food in the concentration camps and only providing very, very limited toilets or even usage of the toilets available, creating essentially a sess-pool of human sewage that people were FORCED to live in...and subsequently die in. Yes, people were chosen to be burned in massive ovens as a method of extermination. But there were also experiments, really, tortures, visited on thousands upon thousands. Experiments that followed Rudolph Steiner's 1924 method of ridding rabbits from a particular German agricultural estate by spraying the ashes of rabbit spleens and testes across the estate. That's right, high potency ashes of the same parts of young Jews were sprayed all over the Third Reich for the same effect. Did you know that? Could you ever HATE another human being THAT MUCH that you'd WANT that kind of thing to happen?

While the Nazi's frowned on parapsychology (the discipline that studies psychic phenomenon, and one of Tischner's fields), they embraced homeopathic medicine. And yes, the horrible "experiment" described above was considered part of that body of work, included in the "work of stature and significance" that Harvard University published in 1945, and again in 1988.

These disgusting, amoral and horrific "experiments" were justified by the Nuremberg Race Laws that were put into full effect in 1935.

When we look at the situation in Israel today, it amazes me how FEW people truly UNDERSTAND the history of GLOBAL ANTI-SEMITISM and WHY it is IMPORTANT to NOT ALLOW HISTORY TO REPEAT ITSELF.  My God, we don't need to be psychics or have a capacity for claivoyance to see what is happening, do we?

I made a difficult choice seventeen years ago. I chose not to eat meat of any kind, including fish, because I DID NOT WANT TO SUSTAIN MY LIFE THROUGH THE DEATH OF ANOTHER. The choice was difficult because I enjoyed the flavor of meat but intellectually recognized what a selfish act it was when I could readily find other protein and iron sources that did not require another creature's death. Most of the world doesn't see eating another creature's flesh to sustain their own as problematic. But you can see where this is headed, don't you? ALL life is sacred. We don't get to pick and choose. When we begin to cast judgement over life, any life, all other lives become compromised. The results of this kind of dichotomy is EXACTLY what happened in Nazi Germany. The Nazi's succeeded in making the world believe that Jews were less-than other humans. Like cows or chickens or lamb, it was okay to kill Jews, because Jews weren't really people. Funny, the Nazi's didn't seem to mind taking Jewish homes, property, clothing, art, jewelry, furniture, or money...but no one thinks about that, do they? And though it would be a different kind of genocide if Israel is not PROTECTED from the rampant global anti-Semiticism still happening today, the Holocaust may not always be a part of our past but a part of our future, too, if we're not more mindful. I'm not making a "moralistic judgement" here. Please, eat meat. Just know that you may be biting off more than you can chew.

Hannah Arendt discussed how the first step in disembodying people from their rights is to remove citizenship. She was correct. That's how it started in Germany. And in the States and other parts of Europe, like Britain, women only gained political protection when given a political voice through the right to vote. Without it, we'd be nothing more than chattel, or cattle, if you'd prefer.

The irony here is in NO WAY IS IT EVER GOOD TO BREAK THE WEB OF HUMANITY. We are ALL connected. Difference in ideas or countenance or skin color or geography or culture does not indicate any kind of deficiency. PUT A HIGH VALUE ON ALL LIFE. If you don't, you may find yourself a victim of your own hypocrisy. There is not one among us who is better than anyone else on the planet. Why is that so difficult to accept? No, not why. Why not--why not accept every other human on the planet as no better or worse than you are yourself???  You may want to cite theology, ideology, politics..,but ideas are not something to fear. Because, it is not ideas that make you consider ushering judgement on another, it is FEAR itself. 

Believing in ESP is optional. Believing in REASON is not.

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A Perfect Game 05/30/2010
 
History was made this weekend. Did you know? This weekend, Roy "Doc" Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a no-hitter, or a "perfect" game, against the Florida Marlins. Halladay's perfect game is the twentieth in Major League Baseball (MLB) history and came twenty days after the 19th "perfect game," pitched by Dallas Braden of the Oakland A's against Tampa Bay. You may think that because two perfect games happened within the same month, somehow it's not as historic as I'm claiming. But let me call your attention to a beautiful June day in 1880.

It was a hot one at the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds in Massachusetts. A perfect square sided by Highland Street on the north, Sever Street on the east, Williams Street on the south, and Russell on the west, the Fairgrounds were also the perfect setting for the driving park, and later, for Becker College. But today, June 12, 1880, Elm Park glimmered to the east through the hazy sunshine. The heat rising from the stands was made more intense by the baseball game being played by the Worcester Ruby Legs against the Cleveland Blues. John Lee Richmond, the lefty on the mound, was playing the best game of his life. He'd had a gift for throwing the ball learned while playing stick on the streets of Sheffield, Ohio as a child. Now, he was in the big leagues. The broad-shouldered 23-year old was trying to prove something to Cleveland that day. The year before he'd pitched two no-hitters for his team at Brown, securing the championship against Yale. Known for his "curve," Richmond caught the eye of  big leaguers in 1880. He was studying to be a doctor. Baseball wasn't supposed to be a permanent part of Richmond's life though Richmond would become a permanent part of baseball history on that hot Saturday afternoon in June.

Charlie Bennett would catch the final pitch of the first perfect game. The barely twenty-year old right-hander came from the Milwaukee Wolverines. He'd never seen anything like Richmond before or ever would again. It was a great day in baseball history, but even more, a great day in American history.

Five days later, John Montegomery "Monte" Ward would pitch the second perfect game in Major League Baseball history as one of the Providence Grays against the Buffalo Bisons. Interestingly, thirteen years after Richmond made baseball history, he would also play for the Providence Grays. Later, Richmond went to what is now NYU to complete his medical degree. He would practice medicine for the next ten years before becoming a high school teacher, then, a professor.

Roy Halladay just joined men like Richmond and Ward--though 190 years apart, all three men are joined by the bonds that only a true passion for baseball can bring. Baseball transcends time. The game itself has a unique place in American history. Baseball changed the world for boys like Richmond, Bennett and Ward. And it's still doing that today for Colorado-born Halladay.

I had an opportunity to see Halladay play while he was with the Toronto Blue Jays. I remember seeing that right arm throw like a rocket. His name alone told me he would make history...afterall, the last Doc Holliday did.

Until next time, dearest readers...p-l-a-y BALL!!!
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Negative people aren't bad people; they just see the world differently. And negative people don't have to be obvious--it can be someone who, in almost every way, appears to be "normal" and pleasant--but on the inside, that person feels themselves to be a victim. It's all about perspective.

An individual's unique perspective is unique because that person has a unique POSITIONALITY. Positionality is the term used to acknowledge how every individual has multiple factors involved in who they are, like, where they grew up, what religion their family practiced, what economic background they grew up with, their birth order, their gender...even something like the color of a person's hair can affect positionality.

As always, I recommend compassionate wisdom when dealing with both obvious and clandestine negative attitudes. It's not easy to do. I know. We're all only human and a typical reaction to negativity is often repulsion. But try to imagine the negative individual's positionality--all the factors that went into that person's negative mindset. You can't change that kind of environmental influence; all you can do is take the advice of some animated penguins: "Smile and nod."

Truly, to enter into argument with a "victim" is a conundrum unto itself--there is no winning. You may learn the victim's triggers, and that will help you deal with that person's negativity as well--but in general, these negative people--obvious or not--are trying and can wear on you, so protect yourself as best you can. Once again, the penguins' advice comes to mind.

Now, I'm not excusing negative behaviors at all; people have the ability to change IF they choose--and in my opinion, once a person reaches approximately 30-years of age--their excuses have run out. We're all products of our environment to some degree. At a certain point in our adulthood, however, each of us has the ability to evolve our perspective--to look outside of our primary influences and make changes to improve ourselves. Unfortunately, introspection in today's world isn't exactly encouraged.

So it boils down to a lot of acceptance for the thinkers in the group. You really can't do much to help the victims--they've convinced themselves that's who they are--and may even be psychologically dependent on their victimhood. It is always easier to see the self as blameless and find others in contempt of an offense. And it's true that some people truly are victims. Circumstances beyond their control converged to create a horrible result--cancer patients, for example, are victims of such circumstance. People who are discriminated against because of their skin tone or religious beliefs or age or lack of mobility are also victims of circumstance. But if you look at those individuals, they are often more driven and continue to move forward, despite the circumstances that put them in a position to be a legitimate victim.

More often than not, those inviduals who perpetually feel they are victims are only victims of themselves. They haven't evolved beyond their primary influences. They allow those primary influences to control how they think and feel for the rest of their lives. They make those CHOICES because it's EASIER than facing the reality that they simply aren't living up to their potential. Being a victim is often warranted in society, too. Self-made victims tend to be "yes-people." They won't stand up for themselves because they WANT to continue their victimhood.

I just want to live a happy, peaceful life. I don't blame anyone for my disabilities, my cancers, the discrimination I've faced in my life--my daily wish is to continue moving forward, even while there are people trying to hold me back. One of the worst crimes against humanity is suppressing the individual who wants to fly. And though compassionate wisdom must still be applied to the self-made victims of this world, that wisdom does not necessarily include an automatic excuse for negative behavior...even if you must continue to smile and nod.

Think of the people who made positive impacts in your world and asked for nothing in return--then pay that positivity forward. Break out of your victim-cycle if you're in one. I know a doctor of psychology who feels that not everyone is created equal--and whether we are or we aren't--we ALL have EQUAL opportunity to improve ourselves. Why? Because self-improvement begins in our hearts. All humans have it--so there is no excuse. Be brave! Face your reality. And begin making positive waves in this world! I believe in you....

Have a very POSITIVE weekend, dear readers!

PS: Happy birthday wishes to one of my best gal-pals, Chris, who strives to perpetuate positivity in her life and the lives of others each day....

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