Friday, February 13, 2009

Valentine's Day



Valentine's Day or Saint Valentine's Day is a holiday celebrated on February 14 by many people throughout the world. In the West, it is the traditional day on which lovers express their love for each other by sending Valentine's cards, presenting flowers, or offering confectionery. The day was originally a pagan festival that was renamed after two Early Christian martyrs named Valentine. The day became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

The day is most closely associated with the mutual exchange of love notes in the form of "valentines." Modern Valentine symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten notes have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards. The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th-century America was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States.

The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend in average twice as much money as women.

Nicollette Sheridan leaving Desperate Housewives this year


Edie Britt will no longer be with us next season as Nicollette Sheridan is leaving Desperate Housewives this year. After the announcement that Katherine Heigl and TR Knight will leave Grey's Anatomy comes this piece of similar news. ABC made the announcement recently.

Sheridan, who has been with Desperate Housewives since the series debuted five seasons ago plays sexy vamp Edie Britt in the show, often a source of trouble and scandal. But sadly, it looks like the creators of the dramedy are set to inject something new for next season and this is the reason why Edie Britt

will be leaving. They did the same thing with the five-year jump in the show's story last season. However, it is not clear how Edie Britt will go. Nothing in the statement made by creator Marc Cherry in an interview earlier this year mentioned the reason why, although he had already made hints as early as then that Nicollette Sheridan will be leaving, saying that her actions "will have devastating consequences for her and lead to a shocking conclusion to her time on Wisteria Lane."

There are reports of an accident Edie will face towards the end of the season. It is rumored that Edie will find out that her husband has plans to kill her. As she hurriedly makes her escape, she hits an electric pole and dies. What a way to go for Edie if this "leak" is true. This will reportedly happen towards the end of the season. For now, let's just wait and see what happens, and watch the preview of their next episode, Desperate Housewives season 5 episode 15: 'In a World Where the Kings Are Employers'.

Desperate Housewives 5.15: In a World Where the Kings Are Employers


Chris Brown speaks: Chris Brown's new Facebook message


Chris Brown has finally "spoken" through a message on his Facebook page. Yes, he has a Facebook account, using his complete name Christopher Maurice Brown as opposed to the "Chris Brown" pages his fans have set up. After almost a week of silence from both camps, with no confirmation nor denial about the assault issue, at least one side is now talking.

Chris Brown has been taking a beating in the press - online, in print and broadcast media - regarding the alleged beating Rihanna suffered in his hands. But now, some of the details (at least according to him) are starting to come out. In his private Facebook

page, he posted this brief (very brief!) message: "You'll begin to see her true colors. Believe it!" Not only that. He has also confirmed his split with Rihanna by changing his status to "Single".

According to reports, one more noticeable feature of his private Facebook page is the new profile photo it is now sporting. Chris Brown can be seen smiling and hugging a brunette. Who is this brunette? Is this the girl Rihanna was jealous about? Is she the cause of the fight which led to the alleged beating? No one knows. But one of these days we'll surely find out.

According rumors, Rihanna has been suspecting that Chris Brown was cheating on her. One article I read even reported that the "Umbrella" hitmaker hired a PI to follow Chris whenever she could be with him on concert tours. Rumors also point to this jealousy as the trigger of the fight that led to the alleged assault. Chris Brown allegedly received a text message from a woman that night he and Rihanna were together and that sparked the fight.

Will Rihanna make a reply via her Facebook or MySpace page? Let's wait and see.

Dollhouse premiere: Ghost, Dollhouse episode 1 w/ Eliza Dushku


After a long wait, Joss Whedon's Dollhouse premieres this week with episode 1 of what promises to be another great series from the brains behind "Buffy The Vampire Slayer" and "Angel". Eliza Dushku, who also worked with Whedon in the two aforementioned series, stars as Echo, one of a group of individuals known as "Actives" or "Dolls". In this American science fiction television program, these Actives are programmable persons whose memories can wiped out clean and reprogrammed according to the task that is assigned to them. They are hired for every particular job imaginable - good deeds, crimes and even fantasies. These Dolls are then monitored carefully until an

assigned job is done after which they are again cleaned out ready for another undertaking. In between jobs, they are kept in a futuristic "dormitory" called a Dollhouse.

Echo (Eliza Dushku) is one of these Dolls. The story will also follow the lives of several other Dolls as well as their handlers. Dollhouse premieres this Friday. Posted below is a description of the show courtesy of Wikipedia, followed by a short summary of the premiere episode entitled "Ghost". Several sneak peek videos are also posted for a glimpse of the the new Joss Whedon masterpiece, Dollhouse.

In Dollhouse, Eliza Dushku plays a young woman called Echo, a member of a group of people known as "Actives" or "Dolls." The Dolls have had their personalities wiped clean so they can be imprinted with any number of new personas, including memory, muscle memory, skills, and language, for different assignments. They're then hired out for particular jobs, crimes, fantasies, and occasional good deeds. On missions, Actives are monitored internally (and remotely) by Handlers. In between tasks, they are mind-wiped into a child-like state and live in a futuristic dormitory/laboratory, a hidden facility nicknamed "The Dollhouse". The story follows Echo, who begins, in her mind-wiped state, to become self-aware.

Beyond Dushku's character, the show will also revolve around the people who run the mysterious "Dollhouse" and two other "Dolls", Victor and Sierra, who are friendly with Echo (the names are simply letters in the phonetic alphabet). Although the Actives are ostensibly volunteers, the operation is highly illegal and under constant threat on one end from Paul Ballard, a determined federal agent who has heard a rumor about the Dolls, and an insane rogue Active on the other.


Ghost, Dollhouse premiere / Dollhouse episode 1 synopsis

Echo is one of the "Actives" in the elite and illegal Dollhouse. Through different personality downloads, she plays the role of a lovestruck girl on a romantic weekend, and then a ruthlessly efficient kidnapping negotiator. Meanwhile, FBI Agent Paul Ballard is struggling with his assignment to uncover information on the Dollhouse. The chase has destroyed his marriage and is wrecking his career, and it doesn't seem that he'll stop until he uncovers the truth.

Preview: Dollhouse premiere / Dollhouse pilot episode



Video Clip: Dollhouse season 1 episode 1 / Dollhouse Ghost



Preview video: Dollhouse 1.01 / Dollhouse s01e01



Promo: Dollhouse episode 1: Ghost


Ghost Whisperer season 4 episode 15: Ghost Whisperer 4.15


"Greek Tragedy" is the title of this week's ghost Whisperer season 4 episode 15 / Ghost Whisperer s0415 installment but it's not about Greece nor does it happen anywhere near that country. It centers around a sorority hazing, that's why. After a secret initiation ceremony, one of the girls goes missing and Melinda helps in the investigation. However, she encounters another wandering spirit in the process - that of a another girl who suffered a similar fate more than 40 years ago. Melinda must then see how she can help this ghost and bring closure to her existence, and solve the missing girl case at the same time. Ghost Whisperer 4.15 / Ghost Whisperer "Greek Tragedy" promises to

be another dramatic yet creepy installment of the series. It airs this Friday so don't miss it.

A preview clip of this week's Ghost Whisperer episode can be found at the bottom of this post preceded by a short summary of this week's story. More videos of "Greek Tragedy" may come out online in the coming days. Rest assured that they will be posted here for your viewing pleasure. For now, here is a peek into Ghost Whisperer season 4 episode 15.

A sorority girl goes missing in the woods during a secret initiation ceremony, and Melinda is confronted with the uneasy spirit of a sad ghost who encountered tragedy during that same ritual 40 years ago...

Promo: Greek Tragedy, Ghost whisperer season 4 episode 15
Ghost Whisperer 4.15 video clip


NAACP Image Awards: 2009 NAACP Image Awards winners


The 2009 NAACP Image Awards were handed out recently honoring the contribution of people of color in the arts. Big winners this year at "The Secret Life of Bees" in the motion picture category and "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" in the television category. Also pocketing a number of recognitions in this year's NAACP Image Awards were Grey's Anatomy, The Young and The Restless and American Idol for television while Will Smith's "Seven Pounds" came in a close second in the motion picture category.

Notable individual winners this year are Will Smith and Rosario Dawson for "Seven Pounds",

Chandra Wilson for "Grey's Anatomy", LeVan Davis for "Tyler Perry's House of Payne" and Tracee Ellis Ross for "Girlfriends". Slumdog Millionaire, the heavy favorite in this year's Academy Awards coming up next next, was also honored as the most outstanding independent motion picture.

The NAACP Image Awards is an award presented annually by the American National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to honor outstanding people of color in film, television, music, and literature.

Similar to other awards, like the Oscars and the Grammys, the 35 categories of Image Awards are voted on by members of the NAACP. There are also honorary awards, including the President's Award, the Chairman's Award, Entertainer of the Year and The Image Award Hall of Fame.

The awards were first presented in 1969. The awards series, normally broadcast with tape delay and aired by Fox Network, was broadcast live for the first time in 2007 for the 38th edition of the awards show. It was first nationally televised in 1974.


Listed below are the honorees in the 2009 NAACP Image awards presented in Los Angeles recently. With the awards season coming to a close, there's one more to go - the biggest of them all, the Oscars.

2009 NAACP Image Awards Winners for Motion Picture


Outstanding Motion Picture: "The Secret Life of Bees"
Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Will Smith, "Seven Pounds"
Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Rosario Dawson, "Seven Pounds"
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Columbus Short, "Cadillac Records"
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Taraji P. Henson, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button"
Outstanding Independent Motion Picture: "Slumdog Millionaire"
Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture: "The Class"
Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Jenny Lumet, "Rachel Getting Married"
Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Gina Prince-Bythewood, "The Secret Life of Bees"


2009 NAACP Image Awards Winners for Television


Comedy Series: "Tyler Perry's House of Payne"
Actor in a Comedy Series: LaVan Davis - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne"
Actress in a Comedy Series: Tracee Ellis Ross - "Girlfriends"
Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Lance Gross - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne"
Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Keshia Knight Pulliam - "Tyler Perry's House of Payne"
Drama Series: "Grey's Anatomy"
Actor in a Drama Series: Hill Harper - "CSI: NY"
Actress in a Drama Series: Chandra Wilson - "Grey's Anatomy"
Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Taye Diggs - "Private Practice"
Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: Angela Bassett - "ER"
Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: "A Raisin in The Sun"
Actor in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: P. Diddy - "A Raisin in The Sun"
Actress in a Television Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Phylicia Rashad - "A Raisin in The Sun"
Actor in a Daytime Drama Series: Bryton McClure - "The Young And The Restless"
Actress in a Daytime Drama Series: Debbi Morgan - "All My Children"
News/ Information: "In Conversation: Michelle Obama Interview"
Talk: "The View"
Reality: "American Idol" Season 7
Variety: "UNCF An Evening of Stars: Tribute to Smokey Robinson"
Children's Program: "Dora The Explorer"
Performance in a Youth/Children's Program: Keke Palmer - "True Jackson"
Documentary: "The Black List"

Miley Cyrus lawsuit: Miley Cyrus sued over slant-eye picture


Don't look now but Miley Cyrus is being sued. Yup, a lawsuit has been filed against teen sensation Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) over the "racist" slant-eye picture that was released on the web several days ago. But that's not the end of it. If you think the lawsuit is insane, wait till you hear how much is being claimed - about $4 billion in damages, at least! Did you fall off your chair with that one? He he.

A woman from Los Angeles has filed a class action lawsuit against Miley Cyrus over the "discriminatory" slant-eye pictures that the Hannah Montana star was in. Lucie J. Kim (the surname sounds

Korean) claims Miley Cyrus' photo was racist and victimized more than a million people of Asian Pacific Islander descent in the Los Angeles area. As such, each individual is entitled to damages amounting to $4,000, and that's $4 billion in total! Here's an excerpt from TMZ who first reported the issue:

Lucie J. Kim claims to represent more than 1 million Asian Pacific Islanders who live in L.A. County. Kim claims when Cyrus posed for the photo, she "knew or should have known that her image would be publicly disseminated via the media, which Cyrus knew focused on her private life, specifically TMZ."

Kim says in the suit, filed Wednesday in L.A. County Superior Court, that each Asian Pacific Islander is entitled to the minimum damages for a civil rights violation -- $4,000. Add it up -- $4 billion!

This issue has been covered with an entry in this blog earlier and, as I wrote in that post, my personal opinion is that the picture wasn't racist. And that's coming from an Asian. However, other people may have felt otherwise. Still, there is no reason to blelieve that Miley Cyrus and her friends "willfully" slurred Asians by posing as such in the photo. From the looks of it, they were just kids having fun.

This lawsuit is insane! And the amount involved is even more outrageous. I don't think this case will even prosper because of the amount being asked for. Though Miley Cyrus has made a second apology regarding the pictures, certain individuals are still trying to milk this issue for what it's worth.

CSI season 9 episode 13: CSI 9.13 Deep Fried and Minty Fresh


Another investigative drama comes to us this week in "Deep Fried and Minty Fresh", CSI season 9 episode 13 / CSI episode 9.13. What will the elite Crime Scene Investigation team work on this week? They tackle another murder but this time in a fast food restaurant. However, to their dismay, they find that much of the evidence is coated in cooking oil! Is this a ploy of the murder to avoid detection? Or is this a clue to the crime? How will the CSI team overcome this challenge? These will all be answered when CSI "Deep Fried and Minty Fresh" airs this week on its regular Thursday time slot. Most of the other television shows have taken a break (some for even a month) but it's good to

know CSI will keep us company this week. Don't miss it.

A short summary of this week's CSI episode as released by the network is posted below. It is followed by two videos, one promo and the other a preview. For more videos of this episode, please check back later. For now, here are the latest from CSI 9.13 / CSI s09e13.

Langston and Nick are called to investigate a murder at a fast food restaurant and have quite a task ahead of them when they discover that much of the evidence is coated in cooking oil.

Promo: CSI season 9 episode 13 / CSI 9.13
"Deep Fried and Minty Fresh"



Preview Video: CSI episode 9.13 / CSI s09e13
"Deep Fried and Minty Fresh"


Ugly Betty season 3 episode 14: Ugly Betty 3.14/Ugly Betty s03e14


A videotape causes all the trouble in this week's "The Courtship of Betty's Father", Ugly Betty season 3 episode 14 / ugly Betty s03e14 which airs on February 12, 2009. For Claire Meade's sixtieth birthday, Betty thought of making a video tribute for her. It was a noble idea. However, she accidentally caught on tape something that shouldn't have been seen. What is it? Also in this episode, Betty leaves her video camera at home and becomes the source of revelation of another angle - footage of his father, Ignacio, and his nurse! After surviving a heart attack, Ignacio found solace in his nurse and things got quite steamy along the way. Find out how all these situations unfold when Ugly

Betty 3.14 / Ugly Betty "The Courtship of Betty's Father" airs this week.

Posted below is a short summary of this week's Ugly Betty episode followed by its preview video. For more videos of this episode, please check back later.

It's Claire's 60th birthday and Betty makes her a video which reveals some unintentional footage of Mrs Meade. Also, Daniel and Wilhelmina are finding it hard having someone new in their lives.

Preview: Ugly Betty season 3 episode 14 / Ugly Betty 3.14
"The Courtship of Betty's Father"