What’s On My Idiot Box ATM: Giving Into Gossip Girl

So, I have no idea what has come over me. I am one of those people who ignore they hype over something huge (unless I am one of the first to jump aboard). I stay away from trends unless my interest is hugely peaked and it takes a lot for that to happen.

Gossip Girl is one I would like to say peaked my interest a couple years ago, in book form. I was on holiday with MOH and had just finished Lauren Weisberger’s most boring effort to date, Chasing Harry Winston. I needed to read something new, something a bit more than the same 3 or 4 women running around trying to keep their men, jobs and lives running smoothly all the while wearing the very latest Christian Louboutin Alta Perla slingbacks.

I found the Gossip Girl paperback novel series. Intrigued, I purchased one, read it in about an hour but was subtly hooked. I read only the prequel but could not find the actual series around where we stayed. So I chose a spin off book, which was very similar. But then I got unhooked. I was almost falling off my chair, thinking how much do these children drink? How much sex is in this book? They’re making this into a series?

Now, I realise how much of a prude I have become as I get older. Interesting turn of events. I forgot. It’s just a book. Can’t say for sure whether that kind of thing really happens anywhere. And I’m not having children anyway so I never have to worry about those bad habits rearing their ugly head in my household, hehe.

So, women and girls in OZ have been going nuts over Gossip Girl, the TV series. It’s the new OC or a better version of Beverly Hills 90210 (even though based in NY not LA). Since Gilmore Girls has finished up, most of that fanbase stayed with the ongoing bores in One Tree Hill. Now they have a sexier and classier alternative to stave off the drama hunger.

I stopped myself from purchasing the series a few times over. I even hinted to MOH I would like to receive the series for my birthday. It took for me to not have something to watch over a weekend that I dove right in and got it. I was finished by the Sunday night.

Gossip Girl was definitely one of those shows you could watch in your bedroom while you are rearranging your wardrobe/sorting out your jewellery boxes/tidying your fragrance and cosmetics cupboards and still be into the story line.

I am surprised the fashion really gave me a kick as I don’t normally care for superficial shite served to us by television. I can’t say I really like anything Serena wears but Blair’s looks really work for me. I don’t take to the just woke up supermodel look or the over the top teeny dress with huge jacket look.

Now headbands, OMG, that is so me. I mess with the corporate and prissy looks and always feel like “who dresses like this?” I’m glad there is a current fashionista who thought to put this look on Blair Waldorf’s character. And now there are a million more chicks wearing similar garb to moi. Nice

Blair is my style icon for this show and it is so funny because hers is Audrey Hepburn, who (no disrespect to those AH fans out there) I have absolutely no interest in at all.

I also love Vanessa’s style too. The clothing is so different to what the other girls wear but just right for her.

There rarely seems to be a time where Vanessa’s clothing choices are outshone- she knows when to dress it up and when to dress for comfort.

Her jewellery is on par with the type I like but never really wear. (Although… MOH recently purchased a selection of pieces for me in bulk and there were some pretty out-there pieces in it that I have tried and enjoyed wearing… )

I wasn’t really interested in the dudes from the books because they all seemed sleazy and disgusting in one way or another but in the show, Chuck Bass is certainly the best thought through character not to mention- best dressed and best looking. Nate Archibald is boring to a tee. Just a pretty face in my opinion. Dan Humphrey- naive and boring but I guess that’s what gets the bad girls crawling to him. Plus he’s not that great a dresser but so much a better character in the show than in the book.

Anyway, Josh Schwartz has done a great job recreating The O.C. on New York’s Upper East Side. It’s funny how similar all the characters that Cecily Von Ziegesar thought up are so similar in personality and looks to those in The O.C. Check out this feature on Metromix that compares the specific characters between the two series. It’s pretty spot on.

I look forward to watching more of Season 3, which I think I am loving the fashion more from. I hope despite the slow rise to good ratings in the states that the show will move into a 4th season like The O.C.

Just not finish the way that series did. ‘Cos that did nobody a world of good, did it Coop?

So, I’m finally down with GG. You know you love her too. XOXO.

What’s On My Idiot Box ATM: NCIS, NCIS and did I mention, NCIS?

Holy moly, people! I am excited!!!

My fave show, possibly of all time is back, with a vengeance and I am hella-lovin’ it!

Firstly, i would like to thank CBS and the whole cast and crew for keeping their silence during the hard times after Season 6 finished and I had no hope left. Y’all sure know how to keep a lid on things over there to make and keep it interesting. I’d also like to thank all the false promo and predictions that Cote De Pablo was not signing on again for the 7th season. And finally, myself for not going nuts and looking up every bit of information I could find so I would spoil it for myself.

But I think I do deserve one of these…

… for doubting that a) it wouldn’t return and

b) (the most preposterous of all) thinking that NCIS: Los Angeles was going to help me through a tough time…

In order to get myself back up to speed, I re-watched Aliyah the hour before the new season started. I stopped watching re-runs for quite a while ‘cos I seriously had lost all hope. Whilst watching the episode again, I realised that I really have no tolerance (or a very low one at that) for the NCIS directors!?

Alan Dale, as the first and second season’s director was fine because he didn’t poke his nose into Gibbs’ business much at all. He was never a field agent and therefore found himself happy to play boss, more of a silent partner in the NCIS business unless pressed by Gibbs to prove his reach a little further.

Lauren Holly is where is all started. Don’t get me wrong, I think she is a great actress and pretty, to boot but it was the actual character whom I didn’t like. I guess this may be because Gibbs didn’t really like her as a Director. Plus she acted like a Field Agent sometimes which irked Gibbs. I’m all for a boss who wants to get their hands dirty but if you chose the higher position to remove yourself from that place, then you need to fall back and respect your decision and those below you to guide them, not work alongside them like you are one of them. And the fact that Director Shepard used her position and Gibb’s senior agent, Dinozzo, to play an immature revenge game was the straw that broke the camel’s back, for me, anyway. She earned that insult Gibbs gave her in season 3: Junior Director….

And how can I forget Vance, good old Director Vance?

Director Vance

Never mind the fact that he seemed shady and untrustworthy from the word “GO” but he made Gibbs seem unbalanced. Like Gibbs could not coast through and do his job without Vance breathing down his neck because Vance was a) worried about what another agency had reported about his past and b) he thought Gibbs was after a job that he’d never undertake in his whole lifetime.

Director Vance was more uncontrollable than Director Shepard, in that she worked via her emotions and her experience as a field agent and could be told off. Vance seems to have some hardcore issues with trust and is so easily able to transfer that emotion to not only people with their guards down but to Gibbs as well and make everyone’s lives around him hell as well. And when he gets told off, he doesn’t take it lightly. (And what the heck is with Vance showing up in half of the aired episodes of NCIS: Los Angeles? Is Rocky Carroll pissed that there are no other black characters in NCIS and wanted to be written into the spinoff to go hang with LL Effwit and the lil peanut head dude who has all the brains in the world but no confidence to use ‘em?)

So getting back to the opening episode, I wasn’t so sure about it. I really dislike flashback episodes for intelligent and witty shows like NCIS because it feels like a dumbing down of the audience and of the story. We’ve been watching for six years, mate, I’m sure we can handle it!

Anyway, who cried when Ziva was brought in before Dinozzo and McGee? I didn;t exactly cry but the tears welled up and we all felt relief. I think it was a good thing to see Ziva feel what she did when she saw Dinozzo considering her last words and thoughts to him were of hatred and disdain for the death of Michael Rifkin. Any other way had she acted and the audience would have cried foul, or at least I would have.

Who yelled “F*%k yeah” at the top of their lungs when the stupid British educated terrorist got his top blown off by Gibbs? I did this, I was so ecstatic I’m surprised MOH didn’t tell me to calm down. It was a completely unrealistic shot and then Gibbs showing up as they bust out was an truly unreal timeframe for him to be there but it got the story told (see what I mean about flashback episodes, it upset the reality a little.)

I, for one, am super excited to have my fave show back on TV and I look forward to some great plots and character development. You know what I’m aimin’ for- McGee and Abby back on

What’s On My Dopi ATM: Clashin’ Eclectically

So right now my dopi is full of weird stuff, songs that clash just like the different aspects of my personality…

Here comes the fun times:

1. STRIPPER- Sohodolls: heard this on the episode “Victor Victrola” on Gossip Girl. Really like hearing a female voice on the male perspective and the sound of the track is just off the chain!
2. TIK TOK- KeSha: heard for the first time on Video Hits back in early October and then it was played a few times during an awards night. Randomly, a great wakeup song Yeah, she’s an odd bird… I predict this is the new year’s “Just Dance”…
3. BEFORE THE WORST- The Script: this group put together fantastic lyricism with great music. They know how to play their instruments and write with meaning. Heard first on The Hills Season 3 or 4, Audrina was reppin’ Epic and working their launch party in LA.
4. SHE WOLF- Shakira: heard first on Perez (yes, I still read that wanker’s site even though I don’t condone his rotten mouth and behaviour). Hated firstly because the lyrics were too quiet and I just could not understand what Shakira was saying… Now I love the song. It’s like slightly rapping the lyrics and simple and cheeky at the same time.
5. I CAN TRANSFORM YA- Chris Brown: yeah, I know. I shouldn’t but I do. But it’s a an effload better than that tripe Rihanna released as her first TWO SINGLES! Swizz and Lil Wayne make it an even better effort
6. GOOD GIRLS GO BAD- Cobra Starship feat Leighton Meester: heard on VH… the beginning of the vid seems to be a clear rip off of Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop The Music” video clip and the song title lends itself from or perhaps is just coincidentally similar to her last album” Good Girl Gone Bad”… Funny how they worked the song into Gossip Girl… BONKERS- Dizzee Rascal: I really like the song once it’s really on but I can’t stand how long it takes to get INTO the song…
7. BUST YOUR WINDOWS- Glee Cast: remember when I told you Jazmine Sullivan was one of the folk to know, I wasn’t wrong! Now her best song from her self titled release is on the most anticipated TV series soundtrack!
8. SHE’S A GENIUS-Jet: Great comeback song for Jet from the album, Shaka Rock. Empowering much?
9. THUNDERCLAP- Eskimo Joe: oh heck yeah- we got an Aussie act on the New Moon soundtrack!! Woohoo!!!
10. THE GOOFY GOOBER SONG- Spongebob Squarepants: he’s my favourite sponge in square pants and this song is hilarious. Taken from the movie, the scene is set when Spongebob and Patrick get wasted on Triple Goober Berry Sunrises and sing the song with “this big Peanut guy”…
11. SHOTS- LMFAO feat Lil Jon: I miss the old crunk rap from Lil Jon so it’s nice to hear him again after a few years of taking the back seat to Pitbull’s burgeoning dance-rap career. Don’t mind the self deprecating attitude of LMFAO either.

Well, that’s it for now. These songs are making a killing on my dopi. Very eclectic types on there too, hehe. If you haven’t heard any of them, make sure you do get a chance to have a listen sometime

Is It Just Me Or…?

I feel like I have a trillion things to say but I just cannot be bothered, in my old age. I remember when I used to get fired up over trivial things when I was younger. I had that young energy back then.

I could work two jobs on the same calendar day- one day and one night, and still go clubbing til 6 in the morning, I could spend all night listening to music and never get tired. I could write in my lyrics book for days at a time and feel a release. When I was younger.

I guess it all changes when you make differences to your life. I don’t look any older, just feel older. Maybe a lot wiser than before.

Anyway, without further ado- Is It Just Me Or…?

• Is the world becoming heaps more politically correct when it comes to words but more lax towards actions? I mean, you can’t joke anymore, even a little bit, just in case you offend someone but if a cop catches you doing two things wrong, they can give you the choice of what you would rather be charged for and they will look the other way for the other!
• Why don’t young people in retail care about customer service? Don’t they realise customers are the reason they have stock to out out, it’s not a bloody school social! If you are not a customer driven salesperson in a customer driven business, then you shouldn’t be in retail or claim customer service and people skills as a skill you possess.
• Why don’t you get a jelly cup or a baby ice cream as your dessert on a flight (economy class, of course. I’m no high flyer, hehe)? The lil chocolate is good but a nice dessert goes a long way, you know..
• Is Glee going to be the next Mamma Mia when it comes to top selling soundtrack for the 2009-2010 year?
• Were the first two singles from Rihanna’s new CD super-lack lustre? I can hardly believe Universal let her release them, let alone record crap like that. And then to do a video for the second single first? The only thing that sounds mildly pleasing is “Hard” feat Young Jeezy but there’s gotta be some more work put into that wack ass chorus…
• You tell me? Chris Brown and Rihanna’s team must be working together to work up all this promo on these two albums coming. Only difference is while Rihanna looks good, Chris’ latest track is good straight off the bat.
• Are those bloody ads with Julie from Masterchef super friggin’ annoying? Julie never wore that much caked up makeup on the show and I’m sure if she even wore half, it would have melted off in that hot kitchen right into her “Passionfruit Mess”…
• Does the world feel less violated and disrespected without Kanye West all up in our blog faces? I feel blessed to click on a blog and not see Kanye doing his BIG LETTER THANG or getting his makeout on with his A.Rose…
• have boy bands become real bands in modern times? You rarely see/hear just a singing pop boy band anymore and many more groups like The Script, Arctic Monkeys, Powderfinger, The Fray, The Killers and Franz Ferdinand are starting to fill the gap. Which is awesome ‘cos if I ever see that Bye Bye Bye video from N*Synce ever again, I will commit a felony…
• have you heard an angel singing when Susan Boyle opens her gob? OMG, I thought the CD had been incorrectly recorded when I heard the first single… Surprising packages, hey?
• Is MUSE the best band in the world? Heck yeah!!! Good on them for embracing the Twilight houseband moniker!

Anyway, must be off so I can get writing more regularly…

Something Silly: More Random Cuteness

So, MOH and I love cats, mostly any kind but especially the cutie variations.

I know how much peops on the internets love their cats so I thought I would fill another post with some pics of some kitties you may have no idea actually exist!

Manul Kittens

These cats are wild, not suitable for domestication but just gorgeous.  They have eyes different to most cats as their eyes dilate similar to humans. Don’t they remind you of a kitty racoon?

A granddaddy Manul, hehe...

He could be the Fat Controller’s cat, hehe…

Reminds me of Bert & Ernie's Egyptian vacation...

A Eurasian Lynx. He seems very majestic and royal. A very proud kitty

Baby Fishing Cats! Yes, this is a real species!!

We wonder why our regular domestic kitties dislike water and wish they would be playful enough to go for it… well, these kitties do1 They don’t mind the water one tiny bit and when you watch them catching the fish, it is hilarious ‘cos it is cute but great in that there is a species of cat that are self sufficient (as long as they are near water and fish, of course).

An Adult Male Fishing Cat

He’s cute too, yes?

Internet Sensation, Maru as a kitten

And now, as very active and energetic adult:

He's A Growing Boy & We Love Him More Everyday

Anyway, til next time… It’s a bit of a cute overload, isn’t it?

Images via: Google, Maru’s website and The Cat House

Bein’ Serious: And The Inner Racists Run To Judge Me

I am a successful woman, from a very multicultural family. I have seen and heard racism aimed at myself, my family and others around me.

Because of this whole “Hey Hey, It’s Saturday” incident, I feel angry. I’m not angry at the people who performed the skit.

If I was, wouldn’t I have to be angry at the Wayans brothers for “White Chicks” or Robert Downey Jr for “Tropic Thunder”?

People think it’s silly to bring things like those up because they, apparently, don’t make fun of white people. How do they not? I fail to see how that kind of media does not promote making fun of white people.

But all of that is not the reason I am angry. The reaction, worldwide, is amazingly small-minded.

People are out here trying to justify their own racism by pointing out that a whole country is racist just because of a highly publicised show.

I will never say that I have not been racist. I will never say that my country is not racist. I know the truth of it and of my opinions held in the past.

But I believe everyone has their own opinions when it comes to racism. Some of those opinions come off as being racist, whether the person who holds knows it or not. Cutting off the nose to spite the face, if you will..

What’s On My Dopi ATM: What A Difference A Year or Two Makes

I’m back and I’m gonna try and blog every day if possible as I am on annual leave for the week, yay!!!

Here’s the best thing that has happened to my dopi since the Twilight score…

So, Paramore’s 3rd effort, Brand New Eyes is a solid one at that, two years after the excellence that was RIOT! Paramore have just had to delay last week a few shows in their North American tour as Hayley, the lead singer, had vocal dramas. The group will be making their way to Australia four Soundwave, which should be pretty friggin’ awesome! If I thought my legs, my arms and my ears could deal with a few hour long festival, I’d certainly make the trip but I am gettin’ too old for that kinda thang, hehe…

Bein’ Serious: Since I’ve Been Gone

Soz for the lull in posts, I have been busy as heck these days.

The future is looming. It doesn’t look bleak to me but to outsiders, it may.

I am looking past the past, past the rubbish and telling myself “it can be done”.

Bein’ Serious: Happy Father’s Day Wherever You Both Are

So today is Father’s Day in Australia and I am at home on an RDO whilst MOH is at work.

I am not with my family on Father’s Day as both my biological father and my stepdad are no longer with us. At this time of the year, I get a bit yucko emotionally because I remember not treating my stepdad right when I was a teen and I  have never met my biological father.

The unknowntheartist history lesson:

My mother and stepdad lived together in the same apartment building as the man who is my biological father. As you may have read in earlier posts, I have absolutely no respect for my mother anymore and am quite estranged from her and the rest of the family. Obviously, she cheated on my stepdad and I was born.

My stepdad was an Irishman, immigrant to and adopted in Australia. My mother is from the West Indies. My biological father was a Tongan national.

So now you can understand the big deal behind why my stepdad had no idea I wasn’t his daughter because as a child, I looked this light:

unknowntheartist as toddler-gyal

Cinematics Times & Such: How Much Did You Say?

Okay, so I know MOH and I go to the cinema quite a bit and I, for one, never used to. Back in my childhood, I can count on one hand how many movies I saw at the cinema. It was pretty pricey back then and I can understand why my parents didn’t take my sister and I that often.

The one time, as a child, that really stays with me is when my mother took me to see the film “Young Einstein” at the Village Twin in New Farm. That was the day I found out my dad wasn’t my dad. More about that in a later post.