Written by Erica Rose Jackson If there was one household, or any kind of, chore I never had to do again it would be laundry. To me, there is nothing more annoying then emptying all the hampers, folding and putting away everything, only to put the clothes on your body in the hamper at the end of the day. There is no way to ever be done with laundry which makes it the absolute worst. Another pet peeve, or maybe irritant, that comes with this task is the fact that it can strike at any time. Even if you have a system and everything is running smoothly, a kid can pee the bed or you can spill something all over your clothes which means an immediate trip to the wash. Not only is this extra work but your cycle is officially thrown off because you have to get these items done before the normal pieces can be started. My biggest issue with laundry is just the neverending aspect of it. There will never come a day when I, or anyone else, can truthfully say, “All the laundry is done.” It will haunt us all forever, at least until someone invents instant washing clothes that take care of themselves as soon as we take them off, but that’s only a dream. So until technology decides to give me something useful instead of new phones every thirty seconds, I’ll keep going on my laundry grind. PS: the smile in the cartoon photo I’ve chosen is so very unrealistic.
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Written by Erica Rose Jackson I consider myself to be a pretty open person to my closest friends so they understand the following things as well. The first quirk I have is my need to sit on the end at the movies. For whatever reason, the one I think of most is needing to race out immediately at being sick, I have to sit at the very end or I can’t enjoy the film because of the anxiety it causes. Another one is my need to have many things to work on at once. Everyone who knows me well understands that if I have a task which needs to be completed, I have to have a few other things going on as well. If I’m working on social media content then I also have to have some future blogs up and maybe a few fanfics so that I can jump back and forth between tasks. I work best when I can stop one project for a bit and move to another, but they have to be there and ready because I won’t finish any if I have to figure out what to do next. There’s a reason I used to have three monitors at work. Those are just a few of my things but I can’t just give them all away on this public forum so that’s it for now. Anyone who knows me, feel free to post others in the comments because I know I’m a strange bird. A teacher once told me that I’m an enigma wrapped in a riddle which has continued to be an accurate way to describe me. Written by Erica Rose Jackson NBC aired Timeless in 2016 and canceled it just two years later. Since the cancellation report, they have announced a two part series finale but fans, like myself, (Clockblockers) believe the show deserves more. That is why I’ve decided to pen six of the many reasons why we love Timeless in hopes that it may make a difference. I am a new fan, just starting season two, but I am in love with this brilliant show and ready to fight for it. The Story - Timeless is a show about time travel, put simply. It begins with a man named Garcia Flynn (Goran Visnjic) stealing a time machine in what appears to be a terrorist act. His actions cause the formation of a team, hand picked to stop Flynn. Our team includes: Wyatt Logan (Matt Lanter), Lucy Preston (Abigail Spencer), and Rufus Carlin (Malcolm Barrett), a soldier, a historian, and a pilot. These three travel through our history in attempt to stop Flynn from destroying it, but they learn that this situation is so much deeper then they could have imagined. In Timeless, we get to go to the time of Abraham Lincoln, the Moon Landing, and Watergate just to name a few historical moments. It’s amazing to watch all these pieces of history portrayed on the show and how well they are weaved into the main story.
The Good Guys - Abigail Spencer does an amazing job bringing Lucy Preston to life because her eyes tell the story along with the dialogue. She is one of those rare performers who can express an entire scene without opening their mouth. Matt Lanter portrays a character who is much more complex then we are led to believe in the beginning, and he does a wonderful job showing us Wyatt’s depth. Malcolm Barrett provides many of the great one liners and comic relief as Rufus Carlin, but he, too, has so much more to offer in his role. The chemistry between these three carries the show and makes us root for them to win against all odds. Supporting these characters, we have Sakina Jaffrey as Agent Christopher who is one not to be judged by the front cover. And Jiya played by Claudia Doumit, who begins as a tech genius but becomes so much more.
The Relationships - In the beginning Lucy is single, devoted to her work and caring for her mother. Wyatt lost his wife Jessica and would do anything to bring her back. Rufus has feelings for Jiya, but he’s too shy to make a move. As the show develops, these situations shift to lay out a possible future where things are very different, though obstacles still stand. After their first mission, Lucy loses her sister, her Mother is well, and she’s engaged to a man she’s never met. So much comes from that shift in her life, but I don’t want to spoil anything. I’ll stick to this one fact, Lucy and Wyatt are quickly and clearly meant to be together and there is a lot of talk of fate on Timeless. The History - Every episode is a history lesson because, even though the locations and faces are common, most of us haven’t studied them in detail since grade school. One of the most fascinating aspect of Timeless is the time travel. I wanted to become a writer after learning about Watergate and it was featured on the show, early in season one. My best friend is an avid fan of Abraham Lincoln and he shows up in the second episode. Legends of Tomorrow, on the CW, travels through history like this but not to the amazing detail or relevancy that Timeless does. Written by Erica Rose Jackson Ariana Grande is back with the release of her fourth studio album Sweetener and she continues to evolve as an artist, raising the bar. With each record, Grande shows her ability to grow without compromising what makes her unique among the industry. Her latest album features artists Pharrell Williams, Nicki Minaj, and Missy Elliott adding edge to her sweetheart vocals. Keep reading for my track by track breakdown and final verdict on Sweetener. Note: Interludes and short intros will not be in the breakdown. ‘Blazed’ featuring Pharrell Williams - This song has Williams written all over it and is only made sweeter by Grande’s voice. After the soulful, acapella intro, ‘blazed’ is an excellent way to start this album. She starts us on our feet. ‘the light is coming’ featuring Nicki Minaj - Sweetener starts with its edge on the Minaj feature. This track feels much like Minaj’s album Queen and plays well off the Grande feature on it ‘Bed’. Minaj and Grande are no strangers to each other and continue to work extremely well together. ‘R.E.M.’ - Grande goes back to a more expected sound for ‘R.E.M.’ but that doesn’t mean the song isn’t good. It’s subtle and Grande proves, once again, she doesn’t need to do belts and runs to show off. Plus, it has a great 50’s vibe.
‘sweetener’ - The title track serves as a sugar sweet song hiding a dirty meaning. It’s more subtle in some spots then others but overall, one of the friskier tracks while also being sweet (pun intended).
‘successful’ - A female empowerment song that gets a little lost in the delivery with too many beats and vocals. This is the first track, I wasn’t a huge fan of upon my multiple listens of the album. ‘everytime’ - Here is a more upbeat version of Selena Gomez’s ‘Back to You’ but that’s ok because I love this one just as much. I am a sucker for lyrics like these though and I would call this my favorite track on the record. ‘breathin’ - Another highlight from Sweetener, ‘breathin’ is a relatable track that’s sappy but we all love that. ‘no tears left to cry’ - The album’s lead single is a much more pop vibe then the rest of Sweetener which is edgier then Grande’s usual sound. This song was the right way to introduce her new work because it is familiar and it’s a bop, for sure. I am still feeling this track even with the radio playing it constantly. ‘borderline’ featuring Missy Elliott - Chasing the man is a common pop theme and this song is average. I wish Missy Elliott had been given a meatier track to be featured on. ‘better off’ - Grande gives us a vulnerable feel in ‘better off’ in a track about wanting a strictly physical relationship. The risk of getting hurt isn’t worth even a little bit of emotion. ‘“I’d rather have your body then half of your heart.” ‘goodnight n go’ - Feeding off of ‘better off’, here Grande is resisting the urge to fall for the guy. She’s open to the fantasy of what could be, but again she keeps her walls up. ‘get well soon’ - An excellent ending to a great album. The final track a heartfelt ballad. Final Verdict - Ariana Grande only gets better with each music project she delivers and Sweetener is not different. I give this album an A-.
Perhaps though, it would be better to make one like Rip Hunter has in Legends of Tomorrow season 3 since my transporter idea requires another transporter where I’m going..or does it? I admitted up front that I am not scientifically inclined so I suppose it doesn’t matter which kind I create but I would definitely invent some sort of transport device to send myself back home. Or maybe anywhere else I’d like to go. Once I have the invention then I can go anywhere I can dream instantly.
Bye airplane tickets and rental cars because this girl is just going to snap her fingers for a quick tip to Cape Town, South Africa or Italy. Can you imagine how fun this would be? And, if it gets invented before it will be so expensive and no one will be able to use it. If I do then we can all enjoy because I am all about the fun side of business and not taking everyone’s last penny. So, you heard it here first, if I’m ever stuck on an island for whatever reason, the first transporter will be invented! Written by Erica Rose Jackson TNT premiered its end of the world NAVY show in 2014 and I was in right away because of the promise of Eric Dane (I’d recently lost him on Grey’s Anatomy). The Last Ship had so much more to offer then merely one of my celebrity crushes which is why this appreciation post is so necessary. What this show brought us was true hope in the darkest circumstances and coming together when things couldn’t be worse. The Last Ship began with a NAVY ship, the Nathan James, coming back from a mission to learn that most of the world has been taken out by a virus. Eric Dane plays Captain Tom Chandler who could have chosen the easy way out in this scenario, but he chose to fight back. It turned out the woman they were hosting for a science experiment was actually working on the beginnings of a cure. Dr. Rachel Scott, played beautifully by Rhona Mitra, led the way to the cure through the bumps along the way. The show also has Adam Baldwin as Mike Slattery, XO turned CO, you may know him from Chuck or Firefly. He quickly became my favorite because nothing stops this man, and of course, I have loved Baldwin on his other works. John Pyper-Ferguson joins in season one as Tex, the best person to have on your side if a fight breaks out. Travis Van Winkle and Marissa Neitling play Danny Green and Kara Foster, our love story during the series. We will never stop shipping them. There are too many amazing people to even mention them all unless I was working on a novel. Things never get easier for the crew of the Nathan James or the people around them because in season two, the United States is under a monster’s power. Thanks to an underground rogue group, they are able to overthrow her administration and later give the world a great president, in Michener (Mark Moses). The last scenes of season two may be some of the most glorious and patriotic clips in existence. I don’t want to spoil the show for you in case you haven’t watched so let me, instead, tell you why you should be checking it out. Tom Chandler and the crew of the Nathan James - Between the acting, the script, the storyline, and the directing, this cast has the chemistry to come across as what they are supposed to be. This adds to the authenticity and credibility of The Last Ship allowing us to become even further invested. The later addition of Sasha Cooper (Bridget Regan) upped the show’s levels and made it even more enjoyable.
The Writing - The team, led by Steven Kane and Hank Steinberg, created an entire world for us. They made it believable and relatable allowing us, the viewers, to feel the anxiety and worry that comes with the situation the Nathan James faced and faces. They never shied away from giving us hope, though, which is what makes this show stand above all the other apocalyptic TV out there. The Villains - You would think a virus was enough of a challenge for our heroes but they also faced many bad, bad people along the way. Whether they wanted the cure, or wanted to stop the cure, or were power hungry, each and every person brought in as an additional obstacle perfecting the show’s dynamic. In the end, it’s The Last Ship’s ability to balance faith and hope among disparity and sorrow is the reason it is the best drama on television. I could go on and on about this show, which I’ve rewatched many, many times, but I will leave you all with this and hope we all tune in for the final season. Season five premieres on September 9th on TNT and it will be the end. One Last Fight. Written by Erica Jackson Summer is nearing its end and we are days away from Syfy sharing its latest and last Sharknado film and the premier of The Meg, but I would like to look back on some of the other low budget shark films that made us chomp for more. This list will not include amazing films like Jaws, The Shallows, or 47 Meters Down because those are classics, this is a home for the best of the worst. The order gives no bearing to their rank as I share my thoughts with the list below.
Honorable Mentions: Sand Sharks, Jersey Shore Shark Attack, Planet of the Sharks, Deep Blue Sea 2, Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, Swamp Sharks, and Ghost Shark (there is a sequel to this and it is truly terrible).
Written by Erica Rose Jackson Due to technical difficulties at my normal location for these types of posts, I'm going to share here so that it doesn't become irrelevant, though really it may already have. Netflix dropped the sixth season of Orange is the New Black on July 27th, and it quickly became apparent the the show was back to what we loved about its early years. The riot is over and we have to find out where all of our favorites ended up. The show took a very interesting scene to start the season with Suzanne ‘Crazy Eyes’ (Uzo Aduba) ‘watching TV’ in her cell, but it was different girls from the show in an assortment of different shows, each as hilarious as the last. It was an excellent introduction back to the series and it continued excelling as it went on. From here on, there will be spoilers, you’ve been warned. Episode one gave us some necessary info on what happened as the riot ended. For one, we know Piscatella (Brad William Henke) was shot by his own after the prisoners released him, but those same guards brought his body to the pool and set up the scene as if he’d been killed there. Only Cindy (Adrienne C. Moore) and Suzanne saw this happen and decide (mostly Cindy) to keep it to themselves. For the duration of episode, we find out who is going to turn on who when it comes to responsibility for the riot and deaths. Frieda (Dale Soules) was in max thirty years before and has enemies inside so she chooses to turn on Red (Kate Mulgrew) to guarantee her safety. By the time Red gets her turn to be questioned, she doesn’t even know Piscatella is dead but makes sure not to hold back on how she feels about him, which she has every right to from the state of her scalp. Cindy slips up that T was holding the gun before her, putting Taystee (Danielle Brooks) in the hot seat as Piscatella’s murderer. Piper (Taylor Schilling) spends most of the episode looking for Alex (Laura Prepon). After the dust settles and everyone has a place, we meet some of the new players in this season’s OITNB. Blocks C and D are at war because they are run by two rivaling sister, whose end is actually one of the funniest moment of the season. You have Carol (Henny Russell) who is in charge of the blues in block C and Barb (Mackenzie Phillips) with the Khakis in D. These two are ruthless, but more then you even imagine as the season goes on. They each have their loyal girls who are ready to kill to keep their boss happy. In D, we have Daddy (Vicci Martinez) who takes a quick liking to Daya (Dascha Polanco), the loveable daughter of another prisoner who found love with a guard, turning her into a murder craving junkie by season’s end. Barb’s big girl on campus is Badison, played by Last Man Standing’s Amanda Fuller, and she is truly a monster, even in her back story. Let’s take a quick second to mention our only complaint about this season of OITNB. The backstories of the new characters took away from the show’s lure, distracting from the main tale without enough interesting points to be interesting. Back to the story, Red (once she’s allowed to play with others again) makes friends with Carol because they both hate Frieda. Nicky (Natasha Lyonne), who turned Red in as well, tries to warn her multiple times throughout the season to get away from Carol, but Red learns on her own. Nicky is the only character who is able to see through the temptation of power that Carol and Barb offer to know that they’re just two sisters who don’t really care about the rest of the people there, and C and D wouldn’t even have beef if they weren’t there. In fact, Piper discovers that C and D used to get along well, even having a kickball game which she quickly starts work to reinstate. The kickball game is Piper’s way of making prison better then when she got there, something she wants to accomplish before she gets out since her sentence wasn’t extended. She isn’t the only character with a mission this season with Taystee and Caputo (Nick Sandow) working to find her innocent of the murder of Piscatella. Caputo gets a lot of redemption this season, which the show has been working towards, and we really enjoy seeing him as a man with drive and a purpose. Alex and Piper were able to get ‘prison married’ with the help of Nicky and Lorna (Yael Stone), who is adorably pregnant for this season. Caputo moves forward with his, pretty twisted, relationship with Natalie (Alysia Reiner). Doggett (Taryn Manning) has a lot of fun during her time out with her boyfriend, Coates (James McMenamin) and their friend Dix (Mike Houston). We got to have some really fun scenes with our ladies this season, but the didn’t ease up on the dark either. Season 6 is filled with betrayal, new friendships, prison weddings, possible childbirth, and rivalries like we’ve never seen before. OITNB shines in his sixth year, with the seventh already confirmed, and we are happy with what we’ve binged. We can’t wait to see what comes next because, as always, season 6 ended with a cliffhanger. Written by Erica Rose Jackson This topic was so hard to think about because sometimes writing advice came from school and it doesn’t seem like an obvious choice, but I have two things which I’d like to share. The first item is about the word ‘said’ and the opinions of some that we shouldn’t use it. I agree that it definitely isn’t the only way to describe dialogue in writing, but if we try to avoid it altogether then we end up spending more time looking for substitutes that our work loses quality. ‘Said’ is fine once in awhile and shouldn’t be feared. My other advice I wish I hadn’t gotten is the structure of an essay or specific word counts. Obviously, we all have to start somewhere to learn how to write, but teachers need to move away from the five paragraph essay at some point. We aren’t prepared for college writing when there aren’t just three things to discuss if we only know one style. Foundation is essential but let’s move on from that and learn more. Also, I wish just one professor had shown me APA before I got to college because there I only used it and MLA was a thing of the past. Written by Erica Rose Jackson Over this past weekend, Star Trek fans were celebrating this amazing series at the Star Trek Las Vegas convention where some big news was announced. Patrick Stewart, who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series, held a panel where he reminisced on his time as the famous character. Stewart went in detail explaining his history with Picard and his decision to never play the character again due to the challenges it posed to his acting career. He also shared a story about a letter he received from a fan which made him feel wonderful about his time as Picard. Stewart became emotional a few times during his speech, which I understand as I felt similarly. As his speech came closer to its end, Stewart stated, “Jean-Luc Picard is back.” The audience erupted with applause, their joy radiating through the hall and those watching from their screens at home, like myself. Patrick Stewart has agreed to team up with Star Trek Discovery’s creator Alex Kurtzman for a new series, which will also be exclusive to CBS All Access. The new show will take place twenty years after the events of Star Trek: Nemesis, Stewart’s last film as Picard which aired around the same time frame span from now, aligning the show with real time, other then the futuristic aspect. Stewart also revealed that the Picard we will see may not be the one we’re used to, and he may not even by a Captain anymore. He does, however, guarantee that it will have the same magic as what we loved before. We couldn’t be more excited about this news and the idea of a continuation story for Jean-Luc Picard. We only hope that someday, preferably sooner rather then later, someone saves the part of James T. Kirk that remains in the Nexus allowing us to have both Captains alive and well. Watch Stewart's announcement below. |
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