Once upon a time...

I enjoyed watching the premiere of Once Upon a Time on CTV last night.  


A pretty blond lady named Emma sees her life change forever when the son she gave up for adoption 10 years earlier finds her on her 28th birthday.  He keeps referring to this magical fairy tale book that he carries around.  When Emma takes him back to his parents in "Storybrooke" (of course) strange events occur.


I thought it was pretty clever how the story flipped back and forth between the fairy tale existence and modern times. Finally, we got to see how Prince Charming and Snow White got together, married (nearly ruined by the evil queen).  Wait a minute... wasn't that in Sleeping Beauty or... was it the birth of their daughter?  


Anyway, as in many a tale, there is a child that soon turns out to be the hero and saviour.  Emma was that child, thrust into the modern dimension after being hidden in the magical wardrobe.  Wait a minute...  Aren't they mashing fairy tales here?  What were their writers smoking or were they just getting lazy?   


Didn't we all grow up reading fairy tales and later, reading them to our own children?  They are great escapes based on tried and true formulas.  Usually things work out well in the end.  Emma and I have a few things in common.  I like to believe in happy endings but due to life challenges, I have become a little jaded about meeting my prince in shining armour.  


- - -


In my novel, The Year of the Rabbit, we learn that Matthew Fletcher had been adopted.  We also learn about a teen pregnancy and the struggles faced by the two families involved.  I like to think it has a happy ending.  

A Blond Nod and Bobble to Lisa Simpson

On Sunday evening, I really enjoyed watching some of the politically incorrect animated television comedies with my teenagers. 

In the season 21 episode "To Surveil with Love", Lisa Simpson is faced with a personal dilemma after she attempts to defend her position in a school debate.  Her opponent used a shady attempt to belittle Lisa's argument and logic because she is... blond.  Whaaa?!

I guess it is acceptable that this subject was given sub-plot value to the civil liberties one.  It was in-didly-deed hilarious to hear tattle tale citizen Ned Flanders state in so many words that "instead of being like Big Brother, I was more like a Little Sister." 

When Lisa's blondness was centered out at a town hall meeting as she expressed concerns over public surveillance, I guffawed as the mayor's blond bimbo girlfriend attempted to provide support - although misguided.  Yes, there are some exceptions to the evolving blond thought theory...

Although I could not agree with Lisa's extreme decision to darken her hair color, I applauded her efforts to defend her position and point out the flaws of the debate judges, the audience (and maybe society) in their own responses to her appearance and assumed intelligence as a brunette.    I laughed aloud when Lisa revealed her blondness underneath the darkened locks and one of the horrified judges gasped "Roots!"

Kudos to the show writers for their creativity and wit.  The Simpsons' official web site:
http://www.thesimpsons.com/recaps/season21/

Please note:  Canadian English spelling of words were substituted by their U.S English cousins, to accommodate our neighbours to the south ;-^  

Go peacefully, openly and ... fair :-) 

T

I don't think Ann Coulter is a natural blond

CBC News - Ottawa - Coulter's Ottawa speech cancelled


"Coulter is a darling of the U.S. right wing who, according to critics, uses incendiary language to sell millions of books, as well as her syndicated column."

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/03/23/ottawa-coulter-speech.html#ixzz0j6Jnfaus"

(Chills. Shivers. Shame.)

Poking humour at hoarding tendencies

One of my favourite TV blondes did a humorous portrayal of a hoarder on Thursday night. I'm talking about Amy Poehler on NBC's Parks and Recreation in which character Leslie Knope decides to hold a dinner party at her house so she could impress her new boyfriend.

When her friend Ann arrives to help her prepare, she is greeted by piles of newspapers and other items that Leslie just can't release. It was quite a hilarious episode.

http://www.nbc.com/parks-and-recreation/

Things turn out okay with the help of continuing education instructors that get pulled in to her vortex to tidy the house, prepare the meal, entertain the guests, etc.

I think the episode provided a clever way to poke fun at our tendencies to keep things "just in case" we may need to use them in the future. I've been there.

If you don't have the space, there's NO "just in case"!