Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: The Doctor's Companion

You guys!  This weekend is the 50th Anniversary of the very first episode of Doctor Who.   It is time to celebrate!

I will admit, I first heard of Doctor Who in the 80s.  A friend of my brother was obsessed with the show, and we all thought it was so weird.  Sci-fi was not all that popular at that time, not the way it is now, and rabid fandoms were not nearly as visible as they are now (I blame Twilight for making fandoms so popular).  I never in a million years would have guessed that I would be so Doctor Who obsessed as an adult.

When we got involved with social media a few years ago, it seemed like a lot of people were talking about Doctor Who.  We finally decided to start watching the modern series, it mostly just to understand what people were talking about.  We  quickly fell in love with the show.  We have watched every episode together; this is quite a feat for me, since I have been known to binge watch shows I love without Hubby.  But not this time.  I have waited to watch every episode with him.  We have not yet started watching the classic episodes, but I am sure we will.

What I love so much about Doctor Who is that, despite being labeled as sci-fi, the show is mostly about relationships between people (or beings perhaps is a better term).  My favorite Doctor is Ten.  He will always be "my" Doctor.  My favorite companions are The Ponds, mostly because they remind me of us.  As much as I would love to travel with The Doctor, I would not want to do it without Hubby by my side.

So, in anticipation of the big celebrations this weekend, I give you a playlist of some of the great music from Doctor Who.

Run, you clever boy, and remember...

The Doctor Is In!

Tell us about a favorite character from film, theater, or literature, with whom you’d like to have a heart-to-heart. What would you talk about?

On the one hand, this is an incredibly easy question to answer.  As the dutiful Whovian fangirl that I am, I of course would chose to speak with The Doctor.

Now comes the hard part.  Do I have to chose just one incarnation of The Doctor, and if so, how can I possibly choose?  That is like asking someone to pick their favorite kind of cheesecake.  The correct answer is, obviously, all of them.  But, if I had to pick one single incarnation for The Doctor, I would pick Ten.

Why would I pick Ten?  Scottish accent, fabulous hair, great fashion sense, fabulous hair, that mischievous smile, did I mention the hair?  And when he puts those glasses on, well, he could read me the Scottish phone directory while eating a haggis sandwich and I would ask for an encore.

So, now that I picked the Who (pun totally intended), I must explain the why.  The Doctor has a dark, mysterious past, one about which that I would love to learn a little more.  He is strong, but sentimental, so clearly he is a complex man.  I want to talk to him about the worlds he has seen, all through time and space, and ask him what is the one thing I can do to insure that Earth, in my lifetime, will become a better place.

I love that the Doctor does not condone the use of guns, but let's be clear- he is no pushover.  He is constantly having to decide who must be sacrificed for the greater good.  How does one manage to stay sane with such pressure.  Does he ever wish he could just walk away from it all?

The Doctor is constantly changing the outcome of  points in time that are not fixed, meaning unable to be changed.  If fixed points in time were no issue, what is the one thing he would go back and change, without a second thought to the consequences?

Throughout his existence, The Doctor has had numerous companions, most human, but not all.  Which of his companions has been his favorite, and why?

But the most important question any girl can ask The Doctor, of course it.... can I come with you?

Tiffany's Tuesday Tunes: Burger of the Day

Hubby and I have very similar tastes and sense of humor when it comes to the kinds of things we like.  While there are some things I like (Teen Mom 2, America's Next Top Model) that he hates, and some things he likes (Westerns, monkey movies) that I hate, in general, we enjoy similar movies, books, music, and television shows.  Which means, over the years, we have introduced each other to some amazing things.  And we have also discovered some amazing things together.

Drawing of Bob and Linda by Stephen Harkleroad

For a while now, Hubby has been saying "We should watch Bob's Burgers", because it is similar to other things we like, and is voiced by people we like.  Last week we finally got around to watching it.  And by "watching it" I mean watching the entire first two seasons in one week.  Not only did we realize we loved it, but we realized that we were a lot like the two main adult characters, Bob and Linda.  Bob is the owner and operator of a burger themed restaurant, Linda is his wife.  They have 3 hilarious kids, and the situations are they all get into (like finding a treasure in a taffy factory, or dealing with a bank robbery across the street) are fantastically hilarious.  But one of the best things about each episode is that there is a new "burger of the day", which is usually related to the storyline, and is ALWAYS based on some awful, clever pun.  Favorite examples include the Chorizo Your Own Adventure Burger and the These Collards Don't Run Burger (served with collard greens).  We have become so obsessed with the show, we even talk in Bob and Linda's voices, and parrot back lines from the show.  Yeah, yeah, we really do.  And on more than once occasion, the show has made us intensely crave burgers.

Last night, I asked Hubby what my playlist should be about this week.  Is it any surprise, given all the above information, that he suggest I do a burger themed playlist in honor of Bob's Burgers?  No, not really, not to anyone who knows us.  So, without further ado, I give you the "Burger of the Day" playlist.

I hope you find it delicious.

 

Tiffany Trivia: Closed Captioning Quirk

Everyone has their weird little quirks, things most people probably do not do.  Things that other people probably find weird.  We all have them.  I have many.  But one of my most unusual quirks is that I watch television and movies with the closed captioning or subtitles on.  I *always* watch with the subtitles on.

This quirk started back when I was in high school.  I had a television in my bedroom, and a father who worked rotating shifts.  My bedroom was just down the hall from my parents' room, so when my dad was sleeping, I could not have my television very loud, as it would wake him.  My solution to this was to turn on the closed captioning.  It became such a habit that to not have it on was weird.  It was a habit I carried with me as I grew up, and moved into my own place.  When I met Hubby, I explained my quirk to him, and he quickly adapted.  Now, whenever we watch anything at home, it is automatic that we turn the subtitles or closed captioning on.  It has become second nature.

The ability to watch television and read the captions has become ingrained.  We often catch mistakes in the captions, when what is written does not match what is being spoken.  And this ability to read and watch at the same time has served me well.  In my college French classes, we watched a lot of foreign films, and the subtitles never bothered me a bit.  As a result, I really really love foreign cinema.  Also, going to the opera, and reading the translation while watching the show is a total piece of cake for me.

On the flip side, there are times when my quirk can be problematic.  It is difficult for me to pay attention to movies in the theater, because there are no subtitles.  And last week, I went to a friend's house to watch a movie with her, and I asked her to turn the subtitles on.  I am sure she thought it was a little, well, odd.

Oh well.  We all have our quirks.

It's Always Sunny in Kittanning

Hubby and I are huge fans of the show "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia".  We fully acknowledge that it is a show full of really screwed up humor, but man oh man, is it funny.  Over the holidays, we watched the entire series, every episode up to date.  This is probably the third or fourth time we have done this since we the days where we were just dating.  We often quote the show, and sing the songs from "The Nightman Cometh" episode.  So, yeah, we kind of love the show.  Which makes the fact that the following situation took place not at all surprising.

We are redecorating our living room (more on that to come in future posts), and we are in the painting phase right now.  Yesterday, we taped the room, and I spent a lot of time spackling holes and other flaws.  Today we moved on to the paint itself.  While painting, Hubby says to me "Where is Charlie when you need him?".  I knew immediately, he was referring to Charlie Kelly, a character in "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia" who always get's stuck with the grunt work. After Hubby posed that rhetorical question, the following exchange occurred:

Me: Yeah, this is totally Charlie work.
Hubby: Most definitely Charlie work.
Me: Though, to be fair, would you really want Charlie painting our house?  Who knows what it would end up looking like.
Hubby:  At least there would be no rats.

Now, you really need to be a fan of the show to appreciate the awesomeness of this conversation.  But to those that are fans, doesn't this conversation absolutely make sense?  We could totally be on that show.

Cartoons by Hubby: My Strange Addiction

My Strange Addiction

The Backstory:  There is a weird t.v. show called My Strange Addiction, about people who are addicted to doing strange things, and often more specifically, eating weird things.  Like chalk, cleaning fluid, or couch cushions.  In the one season, a woman is eating her husband's cremains.  Sort of makes the idea of eating yellow pellets, bouncing cherries, and neon blue ghosts seem normal, right?

Do you remember ... life without cable tv?

Photo Source

When I was growing up, we lived in a semi rural area,  on a county road.  Houses were spaced pretty far apart, and you rarely saw much of your neighbors.  This was the 80's, and cable was not available where we lived (we did not get it until I was in high school).  We would get 3 channels most days, on really good days we would pick up PBS and FOX out of Pittsburgh, but usually it was CBS, NBC, and a very fuzzy ABC, which was also out of Pittsburgh.

Because of our limited channel selection, and the sparse offerings of kid friendly programming in those days, I grew up watching a lot of PBS, which is where I first really learned anything about Pittsburgh.  To me, as a kid, Pittsburgh was a gritty and exotic town.  I can remember a few of the commercials we would see on WTAE, the Pittsburgh affiliate of ABC.  The one that sticks the most in my mind was for Century III Chevrolet.  Anyone who grew up near Pittsburgh and ever watched a Pittsburgh based channel knows the ridiculously catchy jingle:

I remember the first time I actually drove past this dealership as an adult.  I was so disappointed, it was not nearly as exotic as I pictured it in childhood.

I remember other Pittsburgh commercials, or even the Pittsburgh news.  This was the closest "big city" for us growing up.  School field trips included the Pittsburgh Zoo and Kennywood Park.  But the best impression I got of this city I would later call home was from tv.  I am glad we did not have cable when I was a kid, and I instead got bitten by the Burgh Bug courtesy of WTAE.  I think it was this early exposure to the Steel City that steered me toward moving to Pennsylvania.  And although I no longer live in the actual city of Pittsburgh, I will forever be a Pittsburgher at heart.

Did you have cable as a kid?  What do you remember from tv during your childhood, and what impact do you think it had on you?

Tiffany's Soapbox: The Glee Project

So, remember when I said I was kind of over Glee.  Turns out I was wrong.  And you know how I say I don't like reality tv?  Well, wrong there too.  So put those two things together, and you get something I surprisingly care about more than most tv shows: The Glee Project.

This is a reality tv competition where contenders battle it out for a spot on the next season of Glee.  I am not going to recap the whole season or all the ins and outs, if you want that, you will have to look elsewhere.  What I am going to do is say that I really hope Lindsay Pearce is not the winner.  Now before I get all kinds of hate mail from the Pearcling fans, let me explain.  It is not because I dislike her (though I am rooting for Damian), and it is not because she comes across poorly in the show (there is an unlikely possibility that is due to editing).  I am basing this completely on what I see her tweeting.

Sure, she is all rainbows and smiles to her fans and those who worship at the throne of her musical theater greatness (the girl is talented, no question, and does have an amazing life story).  But to her detractors, those who favor the other contenders, she is rude, argumentative, and behaves more like a 12 or 13 year old than a 19 or 20 year old.

 Despite the fact that these tween and teen tweeps dislike her, they often love Glee, so she is serving to alienate a chunk of a very fickle demographic.  I get that she wants to defend herself, but signing the tweets "later hater" is not something you are apt to see any other Glee cast member do.  I would imagine they are groomed in the ways of PR, and taught to take the high road.

So, my point is, I really hope that Linsday did not win, both for her sake and the sake of Glee's ratings.  Because if she DID win, and no one is helping to groom this young starlet in the ways to wisely use social media to build and support a fan base as oppose to alienate it, if they are allowing a Glee cast member to act this way, well, I predict she will act out in other ways as well, and it will affect the quality of the show.

Perhaps I am reading too much into what I see here, but I honestly feel bad that no one is helping her, teaching her to pick her battles, and not battle in a way that can last forever in the form of a screen shot.

I do not dislike her, as I do not know her personally.  I simply dislike where I think this could lead.  She is, in essence, a kid, and I think she needs direction if she wants a long lasting professional career.  I think it is sad when virtual fighting becomes the norm.  But let's face it, show biz is tough, so she better get a thick skin and learn to ignore this stuff.  Otherwise, she will become the Rashard Mendenhall of Glee.

Later haters.

Cartoons By Hubby: I Been Sleep

Dammit Chloe, I been sleep!

The Backstory: One of my secrets is that I love trashy television shows, despite how damaging I think they can be on our culture and particularly young girls' views of themselves.  Things like Bridezillas, Bad Girls Club, and America's Next Top Model, where you have a mix of prim and proper English and colloquialisms and slang being spoken by girls from different walks of life.  Usually, as the shows get trashier, the grammar gets worse and the slang increases.  The other night, I was watching a Bad Girls Club marathon, in preparation for the new season starting.  During one particular episode, Hubby sat on the couch next to me to cuddle, and witnessed a scene which left him confused.  In the scene, 6 of the girls in the house were drinking and laughing, being a bit loud and generally causing a boozy ruckus.  The 7th girl, who had been in bed, got up and flipped out on the others, throwing punches and screaming things like "I been sleep.  When I be sleep, you need to respect that I be sleep.  You so rude, I BEEN SLEEP".  Notice she never said we is, was, or had been asleep, the proper adverb form, but instead says she simply is or was or had been sleep, which is a noun.

Hubby kept asking me "how can she be sleep?".  I went on to explain that this is a common slang way of saying that one had been asleep.  He said he had never heard this before, and I replied that clearly, he was not watching enough trashy television, as I was quite familiar with the saying, no matter how much it made my ears bleed to hear it.

Today, he sent me a text message that said "Hey.... I be sleep".  Then, I commissioned a cartoon depicting this.  He surpassed even my greatest expectations.  

(for those not in the know, Chloe is our youngest dachshund puppy, who likes to squeak all hours of the night and wake him up.  I miraculously sleep through it 99% of the time)

Tiffany's Soapbox: Summer's Eve

When I was a child, we had an elderly neighbor named Edna Bigly.  It seemed to me she was ancient, but in reality, she was probably about 80.  We would visit her often, and I remember a story about her once telling my mom how disgusting television commercials were.  She specifically disliked the commercials for Summer's Eve, and said that those women did not need to be talking about washing their vaginas on television.  Back then, I found this hilarious and prudish.  But today, I join the ranks of Edna Bigly.

I think the new Summer's Eve ad campaign is disgusting, and completely objectifying of women.  The commercial is slick, and of high production quality.  It features women from different historical time periods, and talking about this thing being the cradle of life, the center of civilization, a thing fought and died for by many men and perhaps the most powerful thing on earth.  Then it cuts to a woman buying douche and says, so show it some love ladies.  The catch phrase at the end is  "Hail to the V". Um, what?  So, the thing that rules the world is vagina?  All women really are is a vagina, in other words.

What marketing director okays a message like that, when your entire customer base is female?  Apparently the same one that uses racial stereotypes, and suggest a campaign that indicates a fresh douching will give you the confidence to ask your boss for a raise.

I find the whole premise of this ad campaign disgusting.  I get that your products are geared towards the lady zone, but come ON.  You pretty much just set the woman's movement back an entire millenia.  I am sure some feminists love this campaign, and see it as women owning their sexuality.  But to me, I think it is just the opposite, with women being treated as sexual objects.  And, ew, get that grossness off of my television thanks.  I know this makes me sound old and cranky.  I rarely watch tv, and when I do, it is usually dvred, so I skip commercials.  A recent heat wave, however, has me parked in front of my tube in the air conditioning, and I am simply appalled at what I see.  I am sure it does not help that I have been watching a lot of WE, Bravo, and Oxygen.

To be fair, these are not the only commercials I find gross.  The new Huggies commercial, where the little boy urinates all over the room is awful, as is the Luvs commercial where cartoon babies are in diaper filling contest while the song Poop There It Is plays in the background.

So why the graphic grossness about sensitive bodily parts and functions?  I attribute it to the social media age, where anyone can, and most usually do, share any and every intimate detail of their lives, including things about their vaginas or bowel movements.  People forget to filter themselves, and now that is apparently the accepted mode of operation, even in the marketing world.  Well, get it off  my television.  And get off my lawn.

Sweet and Sour Tiffany: Royal Wedding

I tried hard to not talk about the Royal Wedding, but it became glaringly obvious that I was one of the few bloggers out there in the blogosphere NOT talking about it, so, I decided to cave.  I know so many people in the United States woke up at the crack of dawn to watch the wedding.  I chose not to, and shied away from a lot of the media coverage, though I will admit I looked at a website or two.  I am more interested in the whole cultural focus on the wedding, the coverage, every last detail.  So, yes, I am caving, and talking about the wedding.  But instead of being all schmaltzy, I am going to take a look at the whole hulabaloo, both the Sweet and the Sour.

The Sweet

While I did not get wrapped up in "The Wedding", I certainly understand why a lot of people did.  First off, talk of princes and horse drawn carriages just reminds us of fairy tales.  In a country where royalty does not exist, the idea of a girl marrying Prince Charming for real is ridiculously romantic.  Many little girls love the idea of being a princess, marrying a prince, and living happily ever after.  Just ask Disney.  So, to me, it is no surprise that women in America are so interested in this wedding.

In fact, women tend to be drawn to wedding festivities of every kind.  I personally do not like weddings all that much, though I like them more now that my own is over.  I always hated going to them as a singleton; so depressing.  I am in the minority, however, as most women I know go coocoo crazy over weddings.  They love talking about all the details, the dress, the ring, the music, the flowers.  So, the fact that women are talking about Kate like they are BFFs is no surprise.  Women love a good wedding.

However, I think the biggest thing I "get" about the fascination with this wedding is that this is history in the making.  The future king of England has taken a wife.  That is historic.  His wife was a commoner.  That is even more historic.  People the world over want to be a part of the history of the moment.  Those who were around for Diana's wedding can still remember it, and so it will be when Kate's child marries.

The Sour

As I said, I am just not a wedding person.  The fact that I was single for so many of my friends' and relatives' weddings was just depressing.  I also am not a big fan of opulence.  I am a simple girl, with simple tastes, so I am not terribly interested in seeing the crown jewels.  The fancy schmancy wedding, to me, just seems like a waste of money.  Good for them that they requested that money be given to charity instead of gifts, but how much money could they have given to charity themselves had they had a simpler wedding?

Also, the media coverage was really over the top.  One would think there were nothing else going on in all the world, when in reality, the economic situation in many countries, including England, is less than wonderful, and Americans in the southern states are dealing with yet another natural disaster.  So, perspective here might be helpful.

The thing that drives me craziest of all is the ridiculous merchandise tie ins.  Royal Wedding nail decals, condoms, and lord only knows what other crap can be found on places like etsy.  Seriously, I am glad my wedding favors were boxes of candy, as opposed to some stupid and creepy masks of our faces, or some other ridiculous piece of merchandise.

***

When it is all said and done, I may not be interested in the Royal Wedding, but I certainly understand the appeal of it.  The ceremony is one that is affecting history.  Of course people will make a big deal out of it.  Just like the Americans did when we had an inaugural ceremony to swear in our first African American president.  We all want to be a part of history.  And yes, I will always remember where I was when the future king of England got married.  I was in my bed, sleeping next to my very own Prince Charming.


So that being said, if the Sweet and Sour didn't completely fill you up, move along to the fortune cookie.

Sweet and Sour Tiffany: Glee

While I have a lot of opinions on things, sometimes my feelings are mixed.  So I now present, for those times, the new series "Sweet and Sour Tiffany".


It was about the 6th episode when I discovered Glee.  I was home sick from work, and I caught a clip online.  I immediately watched a bunch of old episodes on Hulu, and by the end of the day I was a full fledged Gleek.  The show could do no wrong for me, until this season.  Now, I have a bit of a love hate relationship with the show.  Let's explore, from a Sweet and Sour Tiffany perspective, what I feel to be the best and worst aspects of the show.

The Sweet

In so many ways, I really do love the show.  I commend the fact that they address really difficult issues, like bullying, and bring light to difficult situations, like a teen coming out as gay or lesbian in high school.  I have seen a lot of character development, particularly in the supporting characters.  I love the recent revelation that Santana had, and think it is wonderful that she is being featured more in the singing.  Similarly, Lauren is stealing the show a lot.  She is completely comfortable in who she is, and serves as an important role model for teen viewers who do not look like stick thin Rachel and Quinn.

The music is getting better as well.  More recent music, and a wide variety of genres keep the show fresh.  I like when the music helps support a theme in the storyline, instead of vice versa.  The recent episode dealing with sex, and the episode where Kurt's mom gets married were some of the best of all time, in part due to the music.

And probably the best reason I love the show is I feel like it really celebrates these kids being different.  They are a collection of misfits.  Each struggles with his or her own issues, but together, they provide each other with strength.  I think this gives tremendous hope to kids, and adults, who feel like they will never belong.

The Sour

Unfortunately, it is not all kittens and rainbows with me and this show.  I like a lot of the recent character development, but not all.  I think several characters are duplicitous, and really need to make up their minds who they are.  Finn is much better off as the bumbling sweet football player.  Him stealing people's girlfriends, and being so cocky as to run a kissing booth just does not sit well with me.  And Rachel can't be sweet and earnest one moment, and the snarky and divalicious the next.  I know this makes them seem more realistic, but at some point realism has to be set aside.  If we wanted realism, we would not watch tv.

I also think sometimes the music controls the show too much.  Entire shows built around one artist are boring, particularly when there is no real lesson learned at the end.  When there is no story, and just singing, I tend to skip through the shows.  I recently got Volume 4 of the soundtrack, and I was all, when did they sing THIS, because I had skipped the DVR forward so many times over multiple episodes.

I also think the show is a bit cowardly in the storylines.  Yes, you have a gay character who is featured prominently.  Yet he is never in a relationship.  There have been hints at Kurt and Blaine for some time, but they will not pull the trigger.  Similarly, now that Quinn has given her baby up for adoption, she is up to her old tricks.  Why not show the realism of what a teen mother deals with when she gives up her baby.  Make Quinn struggle a bit more emotionally, rather than having her jump from boy to boy in the quest for prom queen.

*****

I do not think I will stop watching Glee anytime soon, but it is usually several days after it airs that I actually get around to watching it on my DVR.  However, I honestly, and sadly, do not see how much longer the show can go on, unless these kids never graduate from high school.

So that being said, if the Sweet and Sour didn't completely fill you up, move along to the fortune cookie.

I want to be like Claire

Image from Dover Publications
http://store.doverpublications.com/0486476073.html

Thanks to Netflix, both the dvd service and the streaming, I have been able to watch some of my favorite television shows from childhood.  Sure, some are a little dated, but I can't help but think two things: 1.  they do not make t.v. shows as good as they used to, and 2.  When I grow up, I want to be Claire Huxtable.

Claire seems to so easily balance a very successful job, parenting 5 kids, running a household, and dealing with a lovable but patience trying husband.  All while looking fierce by the fashion standards of her time.  I know Claire is a fictional character and all, but, I really strive to be more like her.

As a mother, Claire is patient with her children, but also a stern disciplinarian.  Her children are taught morals and values, but always with a calm, gentle voice.  She and Cliff rarely fought or disagreed on parenting standards.  The children respected her, but also felt a close bond with her, and could come to her with their problems.

As a wife, Claire contributed to the household not only as a breadwinner, but also displaying her domesticity. She was often found cleaning the house, doing the bills, and supporting her husband.  She knows how to take care of Cliff when he is sick, and is able to gently show him the occasional error of his ways.

As a woman, Claire respected her body, had fantastic fashion sense, and was a strong independent woman.  She took time for herself as a person, aside from her other roles within the family structure.

In short, Claire was pretty much perfect.  How can I ever try to attain that?

Well, for starters, I have my very own version of Cliff in my beloved Hubby.  He is proud of my achievements, and supports my ambitions.  He knows the perfect blend of seriousness and silliness to make each day bearable.  He shares household responsibilities with me without ever complaining.  He loves me with undying fervor and devotion, and is not afraid to romance me.

So, it would seem that with such a foundation, I can easily be like Claire.  And if I ever have kids, I do hope to channel a lot of her motherly skills.  An episode I watched today included her having a talk with a sad 5 year old Rudy, explaining that while 5 can be tough, it had it benefits too.  At the end, Rudy cheers not only for her self and her 5ness, but for her awesome Mommy as well.  Someday, I want my kids to cheer for me the same way.

So, while we may not be the Huxtables, and have their level of perfection...

we are the Harkleroads, and at being that, we are perfect in our own right.

Do you remember....Saturday morning cartoons?

This morning, I woke up feeling nostalgic, and having a yen for some good old fashioned Saturday morning cartoons.  Hubby turned on the tv, and you know what he found on all the major networks?  News.  NEWS.  I mean, ok, I get it, it's 8 am on a Saturday, but when I was a kid, by 8 am I had watched the Smurfs, Flintstones, Bugs Bunny, and Gummy Bears all do their thing.  Still, I know, times have changed, and this is cable, but not everyone has cable (they don't?) so what do those kids watch?  I tried PBS, and what did we find?  Some technology show.  BOOOOORING, I mean not for me, but for a 6 year old kid who wants to watch talking animals, yawn.

What ever happened to the days of Saturday morning cartoons? I know, I know, there are entire cable networks devoted to cartoons now, and do you know what they were showing on Saturday morning? Spongebob flippin Squarepants.  Now, I will cop to watching me some Spongebob occasionally.  But, that is NOT Saturday morning cartoons.  Saturday morning cartoons are something special, to be savored in the mote filled sunshine of a fall Saturday morning, with powdered sugar donuts and chocolate milk.  Spongebob, well, he is on t.v. every friggin minute it seems.

So, here I am, 32 years old, literally craving some Looney Toons like nobody's business.

Hubby contends that Saturday morning cartoons died because parents have been socially bullied into entering their kids into every extracurricular activity on earth, lest they be deemed bad parents.  Therefore, kids have no time for t.v.  Maybe.  I guess t.v. on demand just makes the experience of cartoons a less special event, since kids can watch whatever, whenever, either on t.v. or online.  And that is not a bad thing, really, but I can't help but miss the ritual of Saturday morning cartoons.

And here I thought the Swedish Made Penis Enhancer Pump Gag Died with Austin Powers

Life as a stay at home wife during a really snowy winter has left me with lots of down time. Add occasional insomnia, potty training a puppy, and a cat in heat to the mix, and, well, I watch a lot of t.v. Sometimes the channels and hours are odd, and for that, I can accept that I will see commercials that are unsavory to say the least. Party lines. Girls Gone Wild. Online Booty Call websites. Ok, at 4 am or on Spike TV, these commercials, while not entirely acceptable, are some what expected.

However, today, I have been watching AMC. American Movie Classics. All morning. First Philadelphia, now Silence of the Lambs. In between doing house work and taking care of the pets, I have been watching snippets of these movies. And at least 15 times now, on this channel, in the middle of the day, I have seen commercials for ExtenZe. And it is the same damn commercial.

It shows a guy putting an orange into a penis pump,

and freaking out when it gets sucked up.

So instead he buys EntenZe. What the hell?

Come on AMC are you hurting for money that bad? Or is this just the damn Dish Network not discriminating on their advertising spots. Save that shit for the late night shows.