RhymePhile's Rat Race

Flistie crystalsc reminded me that the Creative Arts Emmys were held on Saturday, which is the show no one bothers to watch or even cares about. It's mostly filled with technical Emmys. They are going to broadcast highlights on E! on September 18 if you're interested.

But I wanted to note that Ellen Burstyn won Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series for her appearance as Elliot's mother on Law & Order: SVU this past season (the episode "Swing"), an award I think she richly deserved. It was the only episode from last season I actually watched all the way through, as opposed to the rest of the season, which I either didn't bother watching or turned off in disgust. She was excellent.

From Emmys.com:

In her guest role on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Ellen Burstyn played a troubled woman with bipolar disorder who is the mother of Det. Elliot Stabler, played by series star Christopher Meloni. Burstyn beamed when handed her statuette and said, "I’ve always wanted one of these." Later, speaking to reporters in the pressroom, Burstyn, who had received four previous Emmy nominations over the course of her career, explained, "I have an Oscar, a Tony and a New York Film Critics Award, but I’d never won an Emmy…and I wanted to balance them out."

Guest Actor Emmy went to Michael J. Fox for his stint on Rescue Me.

The Outstanding Reality Program Emmy went to Intervention, which is having a special tonight about addiction and returning vets I plan to check out. I wonder if the Intervention guys submitted the totally fuckin' awesome ball of computer duster-huffing Walking On Sunshine crazy that was Allison for their Emmy consideration reel? Oh God, that girl was epic. EPIC.

And although those bastards canceled it, my fave Pushing Daisies won for Outstanding Art Direction, Outstanding Makeup, and for Outstanding Costumes. Oh man, the costumes on that show are unbelievable. Well earned. *sniff* I miss my show!

Mad Men won for Outstanding Hairstyling. Now only if they can fix Peggy's hair!

And although they were cruelly shut out of the regular Emmy noms, Battlestar Galactica won for Outstanding Sound Editing, but lost to Heroes (HEROES??!! WTF!) for Special Effects.

Here are some new high-res images for Season 4.5 (including the above title treatment in 1375 x 475 resolution, suitable for large banners, headers, etc.); the DVD cover image (in a crisp 1366 x 2055 resolution); and the trade communication (basically a 4-color flyer at 1575 x 2100, extremely suitable for iconing and other high-res projects, although you may need to do a bit of color correction, since it looks rather magenta-hued).

I saw one of my TV boyfriends, Felix Gaeta (Alessandro Juliani) last night on Smallville while waiting for Supernatural to start. He was playing a doctor or something maybe, I don't know, because I had it muted since that show is awful. I also saw another BSG alum, Crashdown (Sam Witwer), whose character turned green and had horns or some shit. LOL. Anyone ever play the The Force Unleashed video game? Witwer provides the voice for The Apprentice, and damn if it doesn't look exactly like him, too.

I think I'm going to have to run like 50 feet of freaking coax cable into the bedroom because waiting for the super to drill the hole I need through the wall is killing me because NO INTERNET, *criez*. In related news, the dishwasher is still broken! In other other news: two dudes are coming early tomorrow morning to take the dead air conditioner out of the window. I LIKE SLEEPING LATE, BITCHES, FRAK.

I finished all my work for today, huzzah.

SO: PROMPT ME, YO.

I can't guarantee I'll get to everybody's, but fandoms I can write in (slash, het, etc, I'll go for it, I'm bored):

Supernatural
Battlestar Galactica
X-Files
Jossverse -- Angel, Buffy, Firefly, Doc Horrible
The Wire
Torchwood
Nip/Tuck
Law & Order:SVU
OZ


NOTE: This is the only time I will write Wincest, so if you have a prompt that strikes my fancy, I will attempt it.

PROMPT ME!

Y'all, I got this even before TVonDVD.com! WHOO. They always get shit earlier than I do (they got some mad connections, and I'm in the biz. WTH?). Dammit. Well, at least I have them high-res from the source. Take that!

Here are two high-res images (1224 x 1176) of the Battlestar Galactica Complete Series box set, scheduled to street July 28th. The Blu-ray version of the box is the same according to what I've heard.

Feel free to visit the TVonDVD post about special features and such so I don't have to format them here from the Universal e-mail press release, because it's a pain.

So, on to the images!!! (Click the thumbnail for full size)





Feel free to link friends here.

So I just walked from my office at 16th and 9th down to 20th and 7th to the bank, in the rain, only to discover as I was filling out the deposit slip that I forgot the cash I was going to deposit in an envelope ON MY DESK. GAH.

Despite working in Chelsea where there are hundreds of restaurants, I still always go to the Chinese food place across from the projects on 9th because they're cheap and I've never gotten sick (knock wood). Are you one of those people like me that only eat the tops off the broccoli spears despite the rest of it being fine?

Supernatural tonight. Bring the pain, yo. Tomorrow is the Battlestar Galactica series finale, and I am prepared to be wallowing in sorrow today and tomorrow!

So I'm waiting for the guy I sold the Angel puppet to to send me the remainder of my money. Jebus, I hope everything is on the up and up and I don't get scammed. I kinda need that money. I'm gonna be really pissed if I don't get my money.

The guy who lost his bus tickets that I mentioned about here finally contacted me. Well, I suppose threatened is a better word. I found his tickets Tuesday night when I bought my own. On Wednesday morning I specifically was late to work so I could hang a sign asking the guy to contact me at my Gmail address.

I used Gmail because I didn't want whackos writing me. So Wednesday evening goes by and I don't hear from him. Thursday I went to talk to the super at my new place, and by the time I got back to my girlfriend's apartment (where I was cat sitting) it was almost 9 and time for SPN and I didn't check e-mail. I can't check web mail in work because of a firewall.

Then Friday night I decided to check before I went to bed, and I had 3 e-mails from the guy. The first one gave his number. Then the second was like, "You now have my name and phone number. You need to contact me." Then the third one was all, "If you don't contact me I will go to the police because you are trying to scam me." I was like, The Fuck?? I was so pissed off that I didn't sleep well at all. Here I'm trying to do something nice and return the $45 worth of tickets to this guy, and he's threatening me!

I wrote him back and basically told him to chill the fuck out and that I was sincere in wanting to return his tickets, and that just because I didn't write back to him *in one day* does not mean I'm scamming him for Chrissakes. Gah. I even said that his reaction gave me second thoughts about my Good Samaritanism.

He then wrote back and apologized, saying that he may have overreacted. You think? Anyway, he doesn't work too far from my office and I need to get another set of keys made for my new place, so I'll return the tickets while I'm out at True Value Hardware. Still. The whole thing irks me.

I spent $250 on paint and supplies for the new place. I can't live with a kitchen with purple walls and ceiling. I did have a 10% off coupon that Lowe's sent me when I changed my address with the Post Office online. Cool for that.

My apartment still doesn't look like I'm ready to move in a week. I feel exhausted and mentally drained from doing all this.

This week's Battlestar Galactica didn't help, either. Both Supernatural and Battlestar Galactica are incredible downers!! Next week is the end for BSG. Stop making me cry, Mary McDonnell!!!

If you haven't seen it, please skip this post. I think like 3 people from my Flist watch, so I don't feel like using a cut.

Jane Espenson, that was some piss-poor plotting and writing. The whole Cylon abandonment of the fleet was going to be determined by Saul's love for Caprica-Six? The love that we never actually saw, aside from the bizarre interrogations and the accusation that he had actually raped her to get her pregnant? Oh, and the convenient plot device of the "pure" Cylon baby not making it? NO.

I love Baltar, I really do, but he hasn't had anything to do so far in Season 4.5 other than stand around and tear up over everything that's said. And who the hell thought it was a good idea to give Baltar and his Harem weapons? Surely not Roslin. Are weapons the answer to the problems the rest of humanity is having with joining the Cylons? Because that hasn't been discussed. There are people in the fleet starving? I think priorities are screwed up, here.

Okay, you can stop beating us over the head with Adama's pain-killing cocktail of booze and pills. WTF is that about?

Also, damn, Gaeta, you should see what the frak is happening now you're gone. Seriously? You had the right idea but you went about it the wrong way.

I dunno, last night's ep was a mishmash of half-plots and out of character scenes. I liked the one scene between Bill and Saul, but even that felt tacked on.

In a word, BOO.

I actually prompted and participated in the xf_pornbattle this time around, and I'm very pleased to say we had a *lot* of people dabble in Mulder/Krycek. Yay for the Dark Side!

I figured I'd stick all my short fiction pieces in one post.

Obviously the NC-17 one got the most comments, because, hello, porn. This was the first time I wrote Mulder/Krycek in NC-17 mode. I can never seem to do it otherwise -- I wind up writing pages of dialogue to make it realistic enough that the two of them would even want to talk to each other, much less kiss. So having only 4,300 characters made it easier to get to the dirty stuff.

( Sucks to Know the Truth - Mulder/Krycek - NC-17 )

( The Prophet - X-Files/Battlestar Galactica - Krycek/Baltar - R )

( It's a Simpsons Reference! - Mulder/Scully - (humor) - R )

( Tick Tock - Mulder/Krycek - R )

( Viper Jockey - X-Files/Battlestar Galactica - Krycek/Apollo - R )

Re: Tonight's Battlestar Galactica:

Huh? LOL.

I'm going to have to watch that exactly 10 more times and then create a flow chart to make sense of all the exposition going on in tonight's scenes. Holy frak.

The xf_pornbattle is off and running again, and the prompts are up.

I usually never prompt in these things, but this time around I did.

Someone go write me my Skinner/John Winchester crossover! It's so...titillating to think about, and I normally don't even read Skinnerfic. I also can't believe I was the only one who prompted Krycek/Dean. Also, Mulder/Lee Adama! Someone do that one too! I think I'll wind up doing it just to see what happens

I have a feeling I'm going to be writing my own prompts.

Story posting isn't until this weekend, so you have lots of time.

Yes, I know. It had to end that way. But still.

He was my favorite.

*sigh*

It's Friday. The boss isn't in. I'm gonna go eat lunch and continue my series re-watch of Arrested Development on Hulu.

But first! Art! Both of these are made at Obamicon.Me.

Dean is from marishna's screencaps, and the Cylon is from Frak That, care of _snitchbitch

Go! Make! This could be a meme thingy.

I don't feel like cutting this, so skip it if you haven't seen "Criss Angel is a Douche Bag" episode of SPN. No real spoilers, though. As much as I agree with the title, I sort of hate it.

I'll have to watch it again and see how many times they used "douche bag." Or is it "douchebag?" Hmm, Firefox spell check likes it as two words. Okay, then.

I kinda hate when they anvil in mythology stuff into MoTWs, like Ruby's snake head analogy. It always comes out of nowhere and interrupts the flow of the episode.

As much as I laughed during the "Chief" scene, I could have done without Dean's gonna-puke face.

Does everyone drive a freaking classic car on this show? Why can't Ruby drive, like, a Honda Accord or something?

Overall this episode felt very, very X-Filish to me. Stick Mulder and Scully in there and things would be exactly the same. Except maybe for the toilet seat being up in all the motel scenes.

But. Barry Bostwick! I had such a thing for Barry Bostwick when he starred as George Washington in that miniseries that was on TV in the late 80s!

Also, Charlie was Linwood from Angel, y'know, Lilah and Lindsey's (mmm, Lindsey) boss. Wow, that's a lot of Ls. I was wondering why that scar above his eye was so pronounced in the episode, since the actor John Rubinstein doesn't have one. I also really loved Linwood. I miss Wolfram & Hart. I miss Wesley too, while I'm at it.

That's it. More uplifting and happy Battlestar Galactica tonight! (I was being facetious just then). I am wearing my FRAK OFF T-shirt today.

So, the prompts for Porn Battle VII are crazy liek whoa. A lot of them I have "WTF??" thoughts, but many of them I have "Ooooooh!" thoughts. Like Dean from Supernatural and Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer? Delicious!

I'm sure I'll be able to find something to write, because it will help take my mind off the apartment hunt. I'm depressed and tired and I have a feeling that I'm going to find something and I'm gonna lose my $1500 security if I don't give them enough notice I'm leaving. I have anxiety on the brain.

In TV news, I hope Supernatural is good tonight.

I also have a question about Battlestar Galactica and the implications of Earth. ( I'm putting the specific question behind the cut )

So...I paid the $500 today to go month to month. The problem? I have to give at least 30 days notice before I leave. Technically I'm supposed to give 60 days, but the women said that I need to give at least 30. If I don't give them 30 days, I lose my security deposit of $1500.

This means if I find something nice right away, I'm fucked.

Hopefully, if I do find something, I can put a deposit down to hold it. Of course, that's never a sure thing. I don't even know if they'd do that anywhere.

I have been going back and forth, doubting myself, wondering if I'm doing the right thing. Should I have only paid the $200 and stayed one more month? If I find something sooner rather than later, what do I do?

I also admit that I've been crying off and on over this. I am the type of person that needs to be in control. I need to have a plan; I need to have a strategy. I get anxiety when I'm forced to leave everything to chance, luck, or Fate. (My girlfriend says: "You have anxiety. Period. End of sentence.")

I just want this to be over with and get a place that doesn't have the showerhead in the middle of the shower stall wall, or stairs that I have to put my hands on to walk up, or a huge steam pipe bisecting the kitchen cabinet, all of which I've seen.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Someone tell me this will all work out okay!!!!

In other news, my ankle is feeling a bit better since I laid around all day Friday with the cat and an ice pack.

And last night's Battlestar Galactica did nothing to improve my mood. I mean, JEEZ.

So I saw three places last night.

The first one was a Victorian mansion advertised as "Nature Lover's Dream!" Most of Westchester County in NY is hilly. Getting off the train I had to walk up EIGHT FULL FLIGHTS of stone stairs to get up to the road. Then I got to the place and there were three flights to get up the house, then two flights to get to the apartment. Oh, and there was this narrow, spiral, precipitous staircase that went to the basement for the laundry. Granted, it was okay, even with a fireplace, but it was much too expensive for what it was. I took photos and I'll post them later. I'm not complaining about the stairs...but it's logistical problems such as these that affect stuff. How the hell am I supposed to get my furniture and boxes in? How am I supposed to carry a basket of laundry? Oh, and the "off-street parking" advertised in the Craigslist ad? An extra $75 a month (that the owner conveniently neglected to mention) on top of the exorbitant rent of $1400.

The second place I went to was with my broker. At first I got all excited because the entryway and elevator were new and beautiful and...we were in the wrong building. *sigh* In the correct building the elevator was barely big enough to fit the three of us. And the bathroom? Picture your average rectangular shower, okay, where the showerhead is on the small part of the rectangle, right? Well here, it was on the center of the wall. The shower curtain was the only thing preventing you from soaking the entire bathroom. WTF???

Then we saw the third one -- in the basement -- where THERE WAS A STEAM PIPE RUNNING RIGHT THROUGH THE WALLS AND CEILING OF THE PLACE. I'm not even kidding. It went right through the kitchen cabinets!!! And there were bugs, with one of them happily waving goodbye to us with his little roachy antennae as we left. *sigh again* I took pictures. I'll upload them later for some lulz.

Then it snowed this morning. On the way to work I fell into a spot of sidewalk that had been cut for a tree (and hidden by snow) and twisted my ankle to the point that I heard it crackle. Wonderful! After I leaned up against the tree and took several deep breaths to prevent myself from passing out, I hobbled on to work.

Oh, and did I mention that $500 plan I had to extend my lease from month to month? Well, guess what? I called this morning -- fearing the apartment would go back up to market rate when I signed the new month to month lease -- and the lady says, "Oh, you already signed stating you were leaving." Um, yeah, what does that mean? She tells me I was supposed to sign the month to month lease before saying I was vacating. She says the lease has been signed.

And I'm like...WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU TELLING ME HERE??? That I absolutely must vacate by January 31? How was I supposed to know I had the option of going month to month if things didn't work out when I signed the lease saying I would be leaving? She told me she'll make some calls and tell the management company that I was relocating for my job and that my job "has put my relocation on hold."

I told her to tell them whatever she wants. She's supposed to call me back and tell me if my world is going to collapse around me in 16 days or not. Okay then! Emergency situation: I put my shit into storage, pack up some clothes and Butternut, and stay with my girlfriend until I find a place. Not ideal, and going to be difficult, but a backup plan if necessary.

So...

First sharonmarais passes away earlier this week; my apartment hunt is stalled; I might not have a place to live in 16 days; I fell and sprained my ankle; we had over 100 people laid off at work yesterday; and right now it's snowing to the point that my trip home is going to take forever.

All that and the week isn't even over yet. But at least I still have a job. I'll hold onto that. Oh, and Supernatural returns tonight, and Battlestar Galactica returns tomorrow.

This has been one of the worst weeks of my life. Worse than that was the week in 2001 when I was in the last few days of my 2-week notice for an old job. I was supposed to be starting a new one when my mother went into cardiac arrest while we were sitting together in the hospital waiting room, waiting for an x-ray on what we thought was pneumonia. Defibrillation, a stent, and then an emergency double bypass occurred all within a few days. She survived, but that was definitely my worst week EVER.

Thank God for TV at this point.

I'd like to take a moment an interrupt my daily whining about finding an apartment to bring you this special bulletin.

If you haven't already, please go watch The Face of the Enemy Battlestar Galactica webisodes NOW on Hulu. That link will bring you directly to webisode 1.

All I have to say is this: slashers, please go to 1:30 and squee with delight. SQUEE, I say. Ohhhhhhhhhhhh, this has improved my mood dramatically.

That is all.

Also: FINALLY!

Also also, now that I watched all 10 webisodes: ANGST! Still he's my favorite character next to Gaius.

There are going to be 10 Battlestar Galactica webisodes premiering on SciFi.com on December 12, set between Season 4.0 and the upcoming 4.5 (January 16, squee!).

SciFi Wire has a screen capture of spoilery implications, involving Gaeta...doing something. With someone. Which is interesting. And something I've kinda been waiting for.

Damn, I want to say more, but the BSG -- it is preciousssssss -- and I don't want to spoil anything.

Go look.

Ahh, Mondays. I just did a skip=320. Cuz that's how I roll, y'all.

Some minor things of note:

1. Battlestar Galactica on Friday. I love Aaron Douglas as Chief Galen Tyrol. However, seeing him face off against Edward James Olmos -- a notoriously Bring Your A Game Actor -- was icing on my luv cake. Did I mention I bought a Tyrol action figure autographed by him at Comic Con?

2. Children of Men was effin' depressing. I was looking for something sci-fi-ish to watch this weekend that didn't include whiny hipsters and shaky camera work (Cloverfield), or anything (I Am Legend) starring The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (because Big Willy, you will always be the Fresh Prince to me, I don't care what you say). I rented CoM for the sci-fi factor, but also for the Clive Owen factor (and I enjoy his work so much I even watched Bent). I get the whole end of the world, dystopian no-babies future, but GAH, depressing!

3. I cleaned out the large fish tank this weekend which previously held Big Guy, my huge freshwater shark that I had for almost 8 years. When I got him he was the size of my little finger, and eventually he outgrew two tanks and was over a foot long. He died Thursday. I didn't feel like posting about it then because yes, I cried over a fish, okay? I might have cried a lot, in fact. He barely fit in the Amazon box I used for his fishy coffin. *sigh* I'm still sniffly over it.

4. I'm taking my mother to go see Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Mom can fangirl with the best of them.

5. I'd like some of that Doctor Who Adipose stuff so I can lose like 30 pounds before May 31st. I wouldn't even mind those cute Tribble-like blobs of fat!

Just a reminder...