The greatest commercials you will ever see

LOL WAT?

KEN AND KENNETH. NOT EVEN GONNA LIE, THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE PICTURE :D

Kris Allen's New Single "Live Like We're Dying"

What? You didn't think I was going to post about this? Do you even know me?



*FLAIL* I think you might be able to guess how I feel about it.
What do you think?

OH. MY. GOD.

KRIS WON AMERICAN IDOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe it! I'm so so happy and so proud of this guy! And Adam too! Adam is awesome and fantastic and is going to have a fantastic career and I love him almost as much as Kris. But holy crap KRIS WON! No one ever thought this would happen, but it did. Is it the biggest upset in Idol history? I don't know and I don't care, I'm just so unbelievably proud to call myself a Kris fan! What a season! Amazing! Thank you for all of those people who voted for him! The Derelict, Zozizzle, Good Grief, Mom! You guys helped too! I cannot wait to buy my first Kris Allen CD! And Adam CD! And Allison CD! And....god, I don't know, this is just so fantastic! *group hugs all around*

*WTF my font size got all messed up but I don't care!!!!! as;lkdfj;saldkfjals;dfjs;aldkjf;asldkjf;asdlkfjas;dlfalfjk

Veronica Mars Season 2: Why I hate taking the bus

This post won't be as long and complex as my season 1 post, only because I don't feel like I need to go on again about how amazing this show is. Season 2 still had some of the best acting, writing, music, character development, production values, etc. than any show on television. Instead, I just want to mention some of the differences between the two seasons and what I liked and disliked throughout season 2.

Still got those spoilers.

Season 2 was really good. Let me just state that straight off. I enjoyed season 2 an inordinate amount, and was sad when I watched the finale and knew it was all over. That being said, season 2 could not live up to season 1. I'll admit that with a season as amazing as the first, it would be really hard to match it let alone top it, but there were still some disappointments while watching season 2.

Namely, the main mystery. While the bus crash story line was a solid mystery with potential to be as interesting as the first season mystery, I felt that the season faltered a little in the execution of it. And that's not to say that the mystery didn't make sense, I just think the pacing of it was a little off. The reason why the season 1 mystery was so good was because Veronica really had a vested interest in it and was actively pursuing the truth in every episode. Veronica herself was the one who was constantly pushing the story forward. In season 2, I didn't feel like this happened as much. The reason why the last 5 or so episodes of season 2 were so good was because it felt like Veronica finally got interested in the bus story line. Throughout the season, Veronica either didn't care about the crash, or she was sidetracked by other things. I think this is fine for the show to want Veronica to care about other things, but I think it was bad for the viewers because we ended up not having as vested an interest in the story, because our protagonist didn't have a vested interest. In fact, because Veronica was never really driving a story line forward in the season, it was the other characters who had to do it for her. Often times, Keith was the one trying to figure out what was going on by breaking into the bus, investigating the mayor, helping out Terrence Cook, etc. Logan had a complex story line he was pursuing strongly every episode and Weevil had his own as well. I'm not saying that Veronica didn't care eventually, because she did. The last few episodes really clicked because of the fact that Veronica was investigating every possible lead. But because everything was saved until the end, there was so much to reveal and not enough time to reveal it, causing every episode (especially the last two) to feel overstuffed, and like there was not enough time to explore everything the amount they should have been explored. I think this hurt the cohesion of the season as a whole, and made it harder for the viewer to care about the mystery compared to the investment brought on through season 1.

The other problem I had with the season was the resolution to the mystery. The season 1 reveal of the killer was surprising, but in a way that made sense and was satisfying. The reveal that Beaver was responsible for the bus crash was surprising in a way that made sense on a plot level, but not on a character level and therefore wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be. It' s been a few days after I watched the finale and I'm still trying to come to grips with the fact that Beaver was a psychotic serial killer, especially because he's been one of my favorite characters all season. But like I said before, it's not that it didn't make sense with the clues that the show had given us. I was absolutely astounded as to how every little thing came together in the end, and how seemingly minor plot points came back to be really important. The amount of planning and plotting out that had to take on the writer's behalf is extremely impressive and another reason why this show is so amazing. So that didn't bother me. What bothered me was just...it was Beaver! Ok, I know that the sweet, innocent Beaver we'd been seeing all season was supposed to be just an act, but what he actually did and how he did it is the sign of a freaking evil mastermind! Like, you don't act the way Beaver did just because you want to keep your secret! And I know, he was damaged from what happened with the mayor and constantly looked down upon by his family and others, but I guess I wanted to see more of the effects from that. Like, I wanted to see that he was turned to do what he did because of his deep emotional trauma. But in the scene where he confronts Veronica on the roof, all I saw was someone who evilly enjoyed being a serial killer. Maybe I wanted to see more remorse or emotion or I don't know. I only got that a little bit right before he jumps, when he loses the gun and starts yelling that his name is Cassidy. It seemed like maybe in that moment, what he did and the ramifications of what he did kind of fully hit him or something. He just looked like a scared, messed up kid. I guess I kind of wanted more of that, instead of thinking of Beaver as this cold hearted killer, because that just didn't seem real to me. Unfortunately, because the finale had to cram so much stuff into it, there wasn't enough time to focus on Beaver's motivations and the ramifications of what he did as much as I may have wanted them to. I'm also still unsure on how I feel about Beaver being the one who raped Veronica. It seems to invalidate all of the emotions felt in "A Trip to the Dentist", plus it felt a little cheap. Still, I've been trying to keep an open mind about the Beaver thing and hope that it will become more acceptable the more I think about it. We'll see.

Ok, but enough about all that negative stuff! I really did love this season a whole lot. Let me tell you why:

Logan/Veronica. Oh yes, I'm starting off with these two. And let me just say that when I say Logan/Veronica, I also mean Logan and Veronica. Seperately. Because I think I enjoyed their antagonistic (yet sexual tension-filled) bickering just as much as their romantic moments. I sometimes felt that when the plot lines multiplied and things got confusing on the mystery front, it was Logan and Veronica who, for me, were often times keeping me invested in the show. I love those two characters and those two actors SO much that Veronica Mars would never ever be as good without them. I think the show did an interesting thing by not having those two be together at the beginning of the season. I admit to LOVING the flashbacks of them over the summer during "Normal is the Watchword", but I actually liked that Veronica was with Duncan for half the season. Not because I like Duncan or anything. I don't really like him. He's passive and weird and boring and NOT a good match for Veronica at all. But more for the fact that having Duncan and Veronica together meant that Logan and Veronica couldn't be together. Strange words from a LoVe supporter, I know. But for me, during the season it never really felt right that those two should have rushed into a relationship. They both were preoccupied with other things. Logan, with trying to prove his innocence in the Felix murder and Veronica with...Duncan, but later with the bus crash mystery. They both weren't really at good places to start a relationship (especially Logan), and I like that they used the whole second season to build that relationship up again. Which led to some awesome scenes of them snarking at each other, yet because the actors are so good you could always sense the lingering feelings between them. Of course, I LOVED the romantic scenes they had between them as well. The "epicness" label for this post was put there all because of them. Because Logan, at the Alterna-Prom, talking about how their relationship was epic, "spanning years and continents. Lives ruined, blood shed, epic," was the absolute perfect description for what their relationship had become. There was never any doubt in my mind, since all the way back at the end of season 1, that these two were meant to be together, even with all the hardships. I knew that Veronica and boring old Duncan weren't going to last. Or Logan and stupid, naive Hannah. These were all just distractions from the main event. And when Logan embraced Veronica on the roof of the Neptune Grand in "Not Pictured", I breathed a sigh of relief. Because while everything else in the show may have been in turmoil, it finally felt like everything was as it should be.

One more thing that I really liked and I feel like I have to mention, was the emergence of some of the secondary characters. I liked that Mac got more screen time and development. I loved that Beaver got more development until, well, you know. But most of all, Dick. I'm in love with that guy, heh. And I know I'm not really supposed to since he's basically the jerky, spoiled, unsympathetic bully of the show. But I can't help it, every thing he says cracks me up. I love it when he's on screen!

Holy crap this turned into another term paper! This was supposed to be shorter than my season 1 post! Oops. Well, for those of you who have made it this far, thanks for reading. Based on how fast I got through the first 2 seasons, I'll probably be done with season 3 pretty soon. Look forward to another million word essay on that season in the near future!

EPIC!!!!

OMG!

OMG! OMG! OMG! That was so amazing and I can't believe that just happened. I can't even digest it! OMG!!!!

~Whilst sitting in MindGrapes apartment from both of us (Good Grief, typist)!

Epic Olympics Post Is Epic

(I've come to the realization that the fact that I'm actually going through with posting this post is extremely self-indulgent.  But I've been working on it for so long that I couldn't not post it!  So, enjoy reading it, even if you can't remember half the stuff I'm talking about, heh).

So, the Olympics have been over for like, a month.   But I didn't have a blog a month ago!  I need to share my Olympic experiences with all of you!  Why?  Because I love the Olympics.  Not just normal love, obsessive love.  No other time do all of the people within a country get to come together to root for a common cause.  I get to watch sports I don't normally get to watch, I get to fall in love with the athletes, and I get to spend hours and hours on my couch trying to watch every single event because I don't want to miss anything.  What's not to love?  I wish the Olympics were on every year!   

PART ONE:

The first part of my Epic Olympics Post is going to be about my top 10 favorite Olympic moments.  There were a ton of moments I loved during this Olympics.  In fact, for me, this Olympics was probably one of the most memorable I've ever experienced.  This is why this top 10 list has no real order of favoritism.  It's just a list of awesomeness that was present at these Beijing games.

1.  The Men’s 4x100 Free Relay.  In the last turn of this race, the announcers actually said that the US would have to try and hold on for the silver because they were behind, and it seemed impossible for them to catch up.  But then, out of nowhere, Jason Lezak actually catches the french swimmer by swimming the fastest relay split ever, and won the gold.  This was quite possibly one of the greatest races I’ve ever seen before in my entire life. The sheer determination of Lezak and the other members of that relay team was...inspiring to say the least.  Because of this and the 4x100 Medley, Phelps totally owes Lezak for helping him get 8 medals, heh.

2.  The Men’s 200 Fly.  The other greatest race I’ve ever seen before in my entire life.  Phelps won by 1/100th of a second, the closest anyone can win a swimming race. I really thought he had lost, but by some crazy act of God or something, he out touched the other swimmer by doing one final half-stroke.  I’ve looked at the replays and seen the pictures, and I’m still not sure I can believe it.

3.  Nastia Liukin Winning the Gymnastics All Around.  Nastia has been my favorite ever since the team finals started, and she just absolutely rocked the all around.  She’s an amazing amazing gymnast who I just love to watch, and I think she also has a really great story.  You go, Nasty!  Not only that though, the all around competition as a whole was pretty darn amazing as well.  It was very close all throughout, and there were some pretty iffy judging calls. But to add to the total drama of the competition, the medal positions came down to the floor routine with the three girls in the running for medals, Yang Yilin, Nastia, and Shawn Johnson, all going last one after each other, each having to hit their routines to secure their medals. That? Was epic.

4. US Men’s Gymnastics Team Winning the Team Bronze.  Unlike the women’s team, who when they got the silver, it felt more like they lost the gold, the men’s team truly won that bronze.  No one thought they could do it with all the setbacks they had faced getting there, but  they ended up turning out just an amazing performance.  I’ll never forget seeing Justin Spring and Jonathan Horton sticking their bar routine landings perfectly, or Sasha Artemev, with the bronze medal resting on his shoulders, performing the greatest pommel horse routine I’ve ever seen in my life to clinch it.  These guys really had an awesome story that I won’t forget. 

5.  USA Men’s Volleyball Team Winning Gold.  I was rooting for this team so hard--more than the basketball team or the softball team or any other US team-- because of the tragedy that had befallen it at the beginning of the games when the coach’s father in law was murdered in Beijing.  These guys came together, faced adversity, and won it for their coach, and I will never forget seeing the tears stream down his face when they won.

6. Ryan Lochte Winning His First Individual Gold Medal in the 200 Back.  But really, just discovering Ryan Lochte in general.  I had so much fun this Olympics watching him compete, and learning about him and what a kind of weird, but totally cool guy he is.  He is by far my favorite swimmer now, and it sure doesn’t hurt that he’s really nice to look at. 

visual evidence

7. The Women's 4x400 Track and Field Relay.  You could just tell that these women really really wanted to redeem themselves on the track.  They had all had disappointments in their previous races, and so watching Sonya Richards pass the Russian runner in the last leg, you could just see the determination on her face.  Probably the most exciting track race of the competition.

8.  Matthew Mitcham Winning Gold in Men’s Platform Diving.  I fell in love with Matthew during the semifinals because he was just so cute and adorable, and I was rooting for him throughout the competition.  But seeing him win the gold medal was just amazing because it was such a huge upset!  He defeated a Chinese diver, which they said wasn’t possible, and he did it all by being adorable and gay (and getting the highest score for a dive EVER).  I can’t even tell you how happy I am for this guy. ♥

9.  Jonathan Horton Winning Silver on the High Bar.  I’m just going to say it, I love Jonathan Horton.  He’s just a cute, excitable hobbit who happens to be an amazing gymnast.  Throughout these games, I’ve really wanted the best for him, and he went out there during the event finals and absolutely killed it!  His bar routine was so amazing the audience even booed when he only got second place.  He really showed the world what he could do, and I really hope he goes to London so I can root for him some more!

10.  Usain Bolt.  Just in general.  This guy is amazing!  And the truth is, I just love to watch him.  I love his showboating and his excitement.  I find it really really endearing actually.  I’ll always remember this guy, and what he did this Olympics and hopefully many more to come.

PART TWO:

Part two of my Epic Olympics Post was going to be a detailed description of me and my cousin's epic story about Nastia Liukin, Secret Agent, and all of her exploits with her partner, Shawn Johnson, fighting off the underage Chinese gymnast-ninjas (led by Yang Wei) from ruling the world.  At one point, CIA director Bela Karolyi needs Nastia to go to Russia for an Op.  It is here she meets Russian spy and pommel horse expert, Alexander 'Sasha' Artemev, whom she falls in love with.  This gets a little awkward later on, when Nastia and her crime fighting-gymnast friends team up with the Swimming Special Forces led by Michael Phelps, who has some history with Nastia, causing Sasha to become jealous, and of course, hilarious love-triangle hijinks ensue.  And then in the end, it turns out that Shawn Johnson really was working for the Chinese all along, and she betrayed Nastia, and they have an epic gymnastics battle to determine who will survive.  But...I figure no one wants to hear about that so we're just going to skip over to Part 3.

PART THREE:

Epic Olympics-themed videos!

Epic Olympics montage that makes me cry every time I watch it.  Inspiration!

Epic "The World According to Lochte" video.  Including Ryan's Epic drawings of Epicness!

Epic Morgan Freeman-narrated Olympic commercial.  I could have picked any of the Morgan Freeman commercials to post here, but I picked this one because it makes me SOB!

Epic gymnastics montage set to "Be a Man" from Mulan:

BONUS!

My two favorite Olympians looking hot together:

END

until 2010 in Vancouver!