Lifetime sucks

Over the holidays, I decided to introduce my daughter to my very favorite Christmas movie, White Christmas. It was playing on the Lifetime channel so I recorded it for us to watch later. We finally got a chance to sit down and watch it. I was so excited to see her reaction to the singing and, especially, the dancing. We get to the part where Wallace & Davis help the sisters escape their grungy landlord when.....I realize that they have cut out the "Snow" song and the arrival at the train station immediately following it. W.T.F. As it turns out, Lifetime decided they needed more commercials and less movie so they cut out almost half of the dance numbers. I was so disappointed because those were the parts I wanted my daughter to see! (She takes dance classes.) So screw you, Lifetime. I will never turn your way again.

TV review: Jekyll

Yes, I am a little late on this one. Jekyll is a 6-episode series that aired on the BBC in June and July 2007. It is a continuation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. A brilliantly cast James Nesbitt stars as Tom Jackman/"Billy" Hyde. Alongside him are Michelle Ryan (who was in the Bionic Woman remake), Gina Bellman, Meera Syal, Paterson Joseph and Denis Lawson.

At first, I didn't know what to make of the show. A friend recommended my husband and I rent it so we did. By the end of the first episode, I was hooked. I had heard it was like the Showtime series Dexter, however, I don't agree with that. (Though, I should note that I've only ever seen one episode of Dexter.) In my opinion, it's more like My Own Worst Enemy but a lot more maniacal. I don't want to say too much without giving away the major plot points but this is definitely something you should watch. And since it's only 6 episodes long, it really is easy to watch in one afternoon.

Mid-season hiatus

A lot of shows are starting their mid-season hiatus this week. That means we won't be seeing any new episodes until after the new year. Last night, I watched Chuck, Heroes and My Own Worst Enemy. Granted, My Own Worst Enemy has been cancelled so it's gone for good. Heroes was uninteresting. I'd like to see more of Hiro, Ando and Daphne and less of Claire and the Petrellis. Meanwhile, Chuck remains my absolute favorite show. Let's hear your side. What did you love or hate this season?

Game review: Scrapbook Paige

At first, Scrapbook Paige looked like a game that I could play with my daughter. Unfortunately, it is just a little bit too difficult for her. You play Paige, a woman that makes scrapbooks for other people. Your job is to find all of the little pieces that might be needed for the next scrapbook. Then you need to match stickers to their shapes in order to create the actual scrapbook. The scrapbook section of the game is pretty easy. It's the hidden object part that can be difficult. In each location, there are a number of drawers that hold various things that scrapbookers use - stamps, jewelry pieces, etc. You need to find the list of objects within those drawers and each location has one piece that needs a riddle to be solved before it can be found. It is an interesting concept but it was just a little too much.

Music review: Hitomi wo Tojite by Ken Hirai

At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about Ken Hirai's music. I liked the pop stuff but the bluesy songs that he's really known for never really interested me. Then I decided to sit down and truly listen to what he was singing. That is when I realized how amazingly talented the man is. "Hitomi wo Tojite" is one example of how well he can handle a ballad. A lot of the time, ballads come out contrived and boring. Yet Hirai manages to express that feeling of love without making it feel forced. I have to admit that nowadays, he's one of my favorite artists.

Favorite Friday

Here are some very awesome celebrities getting together to tell us why Prop 8 is BS.

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

It's funny too ^_^

Game review: Build-a-lot 3: Passport to Europe

A little over a year ago, I played my first Build-a-lot game and I absolutely loved it. In May of this year, I played the sequel and it was still extremely awesome. Recently, the second sequel, Build-a-lot 3: Passport to Europe debuted. And it is just as amazing as its predecessors. This time around, you are sent into Europe to help fix up a couple of communities in different countries. I don't know if I can remember all of the countries but I know you go to England, Italy and I think Portugal. The fun gameplay is still the same. There are a couple of new building types and upgrades for you. I do have to admit that some of the levels are very difficult but the game is so fun that it's more of a challenge to get past those levels as opposed to being frustrating. Even if you find yourself getting frustrated, if you walk away from the game for a little while, you can come back knowing that you'll figure out the puzzle eventually. I love these games!

Game review: Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst

The Mystery Case Files series is probably the best known hidden object game. A new MCF game has appeared - Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst. You return to the scene of the original game in order to solve more mysteries. While the hidden object aspect of the game hasn't changed any, there are new additions. This time, you carry certain objects in your inventory so you can use them to open puzzles in other locations. For example, in order to get a key out from under a cat, you need to find some cheese to give to a mouse so you can capture the mouse to give to the cat. In some ways, it can be fun. However, a lot of the puzzles are extremely difficult. I had a such a difficult time trying to open the sun/moon puzzle that I was unable to complete it before my trial period ran out. Since there was no way to skip that particular puzzle, it was frustrating. I liked trying to find the various objects needed to obtain other objects but some of the puzzles were just too difficult. If you can put up with those pieces, I think you'll enjoy the game a lot.