Binge

Spouse & I have enjoyed the first 4 seasons of the Netflix series "Grace & Frankie" so we were excited to hear that season 5 had recently been released.

After dinner last Sat night we decided to start watching season 5.  We really didn't intend to watch the entire season in 1 setting, but that's what we did.  We stayed up until 3:30 in the morning, like we were 20-somethings!  Poor Marvin & Walter must have thought we were nuts.  They curled up on our laps and konked out.

We really liked season 5.  For me it contained more 'laugh out loud' moments than past episodes.  For Spouse the characters are pretty realistic, complete with honorable characteristics as well as flaws.  

There were cameos from RuPaul and Nicole Richie so that was some unexpected fun too.

Binge-worthy

While flipping around looking for something to watch recently, I stumbled upon an episode of 'Shameless'.  Two guys were passionately hugging and kissing each other, so I was like "Whoa... what's THIS show about?"  

I kept watching for a few minutes and in the next scene I recognized actor William H Macy.  I seemed to remember him being nominated (and possibly winning) some award for his role in 'Shameless'.  Since there's very little to watch these days I decided I'd watch the show starting from the beginning.  I figured I'd binge-watch a handful of episodes, little did I know the show has 8 seasons, starting back in 2011.  We didn't have Showtime until a little over a year ago so I had no knowledge of it back when it started.

In a nutshell William H Macy plays a raging alcoholic and drug user whose life consists of drinking himself unconcious and scheming to get money.  He has 6 children ranging in age from 21 years to 21 months old, who basically take care of paying the bills, feeding each other, and keeping the home together with lots of odd jobs, some legal, some not-so-much.  Their mother ran away shortly after the 21 month old was born.  Having little-to-no parental direction or discipline, the 6 kids are no strangers to drinking beer and smoking cigarettes and joints.  But despite their unconventional childhood, their family bond is strong.

While my synopsis may sound depressing, the show is full of twists and turns and unexpected intersections.  Not the least of which is a neighbor named Sheila, played by the genius actress Joan Cusack, who has agoraphobia and hasn't left the house in 5 years.  Also, in the 1st episode 17 year old Lip (short for Philip) discovers his 15 year old brother Ian is gay and has been having sex with his married boss who owns/runs the convenience store where Ian works.

The 1st night I binge-watched 4 episodes.  The 2nd night I binge-watched 6 episodes.  The 3rd night I gave Spouse a quick review of the characters and he watched the last 2 episodes of season 1 with me. We're currently nearing the end of season 2.

Its a really interesting show, and I enjoy how the writers make the characters good enough that you route for them and want them to succeed, but keep them 'human' by also showing their faults and mistakes.  And as a bonus, there's a fair amount of shirtless, good-looking men in the series, including a couple full-frontal nudity scenes.

If you're looking for a long, enduring series to watch, I recommend 'Shameless'.  If you don't have Showtime, at least some (maybe all) of it is available on Netflix too.

TV shows

There's been some interesting TV shows on recently.  Not on the networks, since they're all in repeats for the summer.

On PBS we watched "Man in an Orange Shirt".  This was written by author Patrick Gale and was essentially 2 stories, 1 set in the 1940s and the other set in modern time. The stories deal with love, "gay shame", and families' ways of dealing with gay family members.  The 1st story focuses on Michael Berryman (played by the uber adorable Oliver Jackson-Cohen) and boyfriend Thomas March, both soldiers until the war ended in the mid 1940s.  The 2nd story focuses on veterinarian Adam Berryman (the grandson of Michael) and Steve, the owner of a pet treated by Adam.  Flora Berryman (played by Vanessa Redgrave) is the wife of Michael and grandmother of Adam, and is the connecting thread of the 2 stories.  The stories were sensitive, the acting was brilliant, and the cinematography was lovely.  All in all a very well-done program that left me wanting more.  "Man in an Orange Shirt" can be viewed on-demand from your cable provider or on the PBS website.

On FX we're watching the series "Pose".  Set in the late 80s, this series explores the NYC ball culture, AIDS fear, and the lives and struggles of several transgender characters. The series showcases many transgender actors as well as Tony Award winner (Kinky Boots) Billy Porter who is phenomenal in this role as the legendary ball announcer.  The series is created and produced by Ryan Murphy and Brad Falchuk, known for their work on "Glee", "American Horror Story" and "American Crime Story". Unlike "Glee", this show takes a deeper look into the complex lives of the characters and is both poignant and fun.  If you're not already watching, you can catch up by watching on-demand.  Current episodes air on Sun nights.


Have you watched either show?  If so, what did you think?

Watchathon

This week our local cable provider has opened up access to some of the premium channel content and Netflix content for free, calling it a 'Watchathon'.  They typically do this once a year. Last year we binged-watched 2 full seasons of Sense8 which we absolutely loved!

The Watchathon used to be a bigger deal to us when we didn't already subscribe to all the premium channels.  But a year ago the cable provider gave us 2 years of free HBO, Showtime, Starz, and Cinemax for switching to their new platform.

However, we don't currently have Netflix so the free week of a limited selection of Netflix series is nice.  Note, it isn't a free week of Netflix.  The movie library was not included, and not even all of the Netflix series was included.  I was hoping to watch the new 'Queer Eye for the Straight Guy' but it was not among the select series included.

But we did enjoy some free stuff.  We started with watching the entire season of 'Lost in Space'.

Our friends Rick & Nick told us about it, and while it was a little on the juvenile side, we both like it. We also liked the actor playing Don West!  Then we watched the entire 4th season of 'Grace & Frankie'. 

We'd seen the 1st 3 seasons already, while on vacation and during previous Watchathons.  Season 4 was fun and we both enjoyed it.

Then Spouse wanted to watch 'The Crown' but I couldn't take it.  

Those horrible accents, the Royals with literally nothing to do but worry about protocols... so annoying and boring.  So Spouse & I split up so he could watch 'The Crown' and I could watch 'Altered Carbon'.  

I really liked it!  And it didn't hurt that the lead actor was shirtless like 30% of the time.

We'll probably break down and subscribe to Netflix again one of these days.  But its hard to justify it when we have all 4 premium channels and Amazon Prime.  Maybe when the 2 year freebie from the cable company is over we'll get rid of the premium channels (except HBO) and sign up for Netflix.

What other series should we check out when we get Netflix?

Long Lost Family

My new OBSESSION is the TV show "Long Lost Family" on TLC.  Hosts Chris Jacobs and Lisa Joyner (pictured) both of whom are both adopted and have been reunited with their birth mothers, use public records and DNA samples to help reconnect family members.  While most are searching for birth parents or children years after adoption, some are searching for relatives separated for other reasons.

I saw a preview for the show and decided to watch an episode on demand and was immediately hooked.  I was happy to find there were 9 episodes in the 1st season, and 18 episodes in the 2nd season.  Having been at home for most of the last 4 days due to the snow, I binge-watched many of the episodes.

Oh.  My.  God.

First, its absolutely amazing to see the research paths Chris and Lisa use when investigating informational leads.  Hospital birth records, marriage records, high school year books, obituaries, and websites like Ancestry.com.  Second, the reunions they are able to accomplish are so real and touching!  I have yet to make it through a full episode without tearing up.  And its not staged, sappy stuff either.  Its actual footage of the reunions, which are so healing to the long lost family members.

Anybody else watching this show?  If not, you should be!

Nielsen family

Ever since I was a little kid I wanted to be Nielsen family.  If you're of 'a certain age' you'll remember how prestigious it was to be a family that had your TV viewing counted.  Now in my early 50s I still got excited when this arrived in the mail:

I haven't opened it yet to see what is involved but I will.  

I can only hope that an actual person is looking at the shows we watch, rather than a computer analyzing our TV viewing habits.  "The Real O'Neals", "HSN", "Blackish", "evine Live", "Game of Thrones", "The Rachel Maddow Show", "Girls", "QVC", "Beachfront Bargain Hunt", "Hardball", "Flip or Flop", "The Middle", "Bill Mahr" - what does this crazy combination of programs say about us???

Perhaps that there are 2 different people watching 2 different TVs at least some of the time.

Becoming Us

Spouse sometimes brings magazines home from his trainer visits.  As I flipped through OUT or Advocate (I can't remember which) I saw an ad for a TV show called "Becoming Us" on the ABC Family channel, with the tagline "Gender may bend but family never breaks"

 I made a mental note of the show's title so I could look for it on demand.

That night there was nothing good to watch on regular TV so I popped over to the on demand menu and found "Becoming Us".  I watched 2 episodes that night, and the remaining 3 episodes last night.

Its a documentary-style show about 16-year old Ben, his older sister Sutton, and his parents Suzy and Carly who are divorced.  Carly is a trans woman who used to be Charlie, Ben's dad.

By sheer coincidence, Ben has a 17-year old girlfriend Danielle whose father Dan is also transitioning.  Also in the show are Ben's best friend Ayton, his girlfriend Brook, and her brother Lathan.

This show isn't really about being a trans person.  It deals with typical family issues like Ben not applying himself in school and Sutton's engagement and upcoming wedding, but also includes the family members' varying reactions and relationships with the trans people in their family.  Its kind of like the way "Modern Family" isn't about a gay couple with a young daughter, although it includes them in a very integrated way.  This is a documentary-style show, not a scripted one, so things don't always work out in the end, but I find it very interesting to have a look into the lives of a family with a transgender parent.

If your cable provider offers ABC Family, you can watch the 5 episodes shown so far on demand or on your computer at their website.  New episodes air on Mon nights.  Let me know if you've seen this and what you think of it.

Cucumber & Banana

A few months ago I began watching "Cucumber" and "Banana", 2 new series on the Logo network, written by Russell T Davies who wrote the original/UK version of "Queer As Folk".  I was happy to see some actual GLBT programming on Logo, the alleged GLBT cable network.

Cucumber is a serial program which follows a UK couple Henry Best and his 9-year partner Lance Sullivan as they deal with relationship issues, aging, and other life situations.  I would describe it as a dramedy, part drama and part comedy.  I thought the 1st couple episodes were 'okay' but am really glad I stuck with it because the longer I watched, the more I liked it.  In particular I thought the final 3 episodes of the 1st season were especially well written and acted.  

Banana is NOT a serial program, so each episode has its own 'self-contained' storyline and characters.  However, most of the characters are lightly intertwined with Henry and the Cucumber regulars.  Banana does a great job of including women and trans folks in leading roles, which is rare for GLBT programming.

Watch the trailer to see where the names Cucumber and Banana come from.

I would encourage everyone to check out both of these programs.  While the 1st season has wrapped up and is no longer airing on Logo, you can watch the episodes online. 

If you've watched Cucumber and Banana, what did you think?

New Girls

I started watching a new show on the Discovery Life network called "New Girls on the Block".  It focuses on 6 transgender women who live in Kansas City.  Let's meet the cast:

Jaime and AiYana both used to be straight men, but are now lesbians in a relationship with each other. 

Chloe and Kassidy are best friends and used to be roommates until Kassidy moved to TX for a new job. Kassidy returns to Kansas City frequently to hang with her friends.

Robyn is in a hetero relationship with Andrew, who was Robyn's best friend when she used to be male.  "We went from best friends to boyfriend and girlfriend" she says in the opening.

Macy used to be Ken, and is still married to and living with her wife of several years, Sharon.

While I guess this show is technically a reality show, it is not at all like the other reality shows that are far from reality.  (Read: The Real Housewives, The Shahs of Sunset, etc.)  This show has more of a documentary feeling, and I'm enjoying learning more about the challenges and rewards of transitioning.  I have no interest in changing genders but I have a lot of respect for those brave enough to undertake it.  I've seen several shows over the years that have focused on the preparation to transition and the beginnings of it.  This is the first show I've seen that is entirely focused on life after transitioning.

I encourage you to give this show a try!  "New Girls on the Block" airs on Sat nights.  Find your channel and show time here.

Friday fragments

Two weeks in a row now I find that a post comprised of several small topics works for me, so here goes another Friday fragments.

The other day I needed to call our car insurance agency, Progressive.  After my purpose was accomplished and the call was ending, I said to the customer service rep "Say hi to Flo for me!" Apparently I'm not the 1st one to think of this, as the rep responded "Oh, I will" without missing a beat.

On Mon I had my week 2 weigh-in and was encouraged to see that I had lost 5 lbs again.  That makes 10 lbs in 2 weeks.  This Fit for Life is really working for me.  Yes, I sometimes feel deprived when I want to eat a big, juicy burger with fries, but that's what got me in this situation to begin with.  I still eat most of what I like, but not together.  I'll eat a burger without the bun or fries with salad or a veggie.

Spouse & I have been watching American Horror Story Freak Show and this week was the finale.  It was not what I was expecting, but I liked it.  The series was very interesting, albeit gory at times, so now I think we're going to go back to the earlier series (Asylum and Coven) and watch them.  Anyone else like American Horror Story?

I've been letting the top of my hair grow out for the last 2 month, and only getting the sides and back cut.  I'm doing this because I want a new, modern hairstyle called an Undercut.  There is the slicked back version which is better suited for guys like Brad Pitt with straighter hair...

...and there is a more casual, non-slicked back version that is better suited for guys like me with wavy hair...

Not surprising, Spouse is not a fan of this style.  He says its for hipsters and younger guys, but I reminded him that Brad Pitt has this cut and he's only 11 days younger than me.

Whirlwind weekend

OMG, what a weekend!

Kerry & Hugh and Ana, Javier, Alison, Gabe, and Antonio arrived Fri night at 11:45.  We snacked and talked and finally went to bed at 1am.

Sat morning I went to work and our 7 friends had breakfast and headed to the beach.  In the late afternoon, Lois & Christy, Harriet & Bob, Emily, Brandon, and Dan arrived.  (Yes, that makes 14 visitors!)  Once the beachgoers returned and showered, we discussed dinner.  There is no place in the area that could seat all 16 of us at 7pm, so we decided to order pizzas, subs, and salads.  They were delivered amazingly quickly, and since the weather was gorgeous, we all ate together on the screened porch.

I left ahead of the others since I needed to be at the Blue Moon early, but the rest of the group followed a little later to see me perform as Elton John in the LEGENDS show.

Singing the 1st number:  Your Song

With back-up dancers during Crocodile Rock

The show went really great and my friends had a great time.  When we returned to the house, we had drinks and talked on the screened porch until nearly 1am.

Sun morning we had bagels and coffee and visited on the screened porch until the crew had to pack up their things.  They all left by 10:30am.  It was a whirlwind visit!

Spouse & I packed a lunch and headed to the beach.  The weather was hot, but it was beautiful at the beach.  We sat with our friends Tim, Kevin, and David and talked and relaxed well into the afternoon.  After returning home and showering, we had dinner at Saketumi and then watched "True Blood" and "The Leftovers".

Watch-athon results

So this year Spouse & I watched the entire 3rd season (12 55-minute episodes) of "Spartacus" and 2 full seasons (16 55-minute episodes) of "Magic City".

Normally I wouldn't be interested in a show like "Spartacus" because of all the fighting, blood and gore.  But we watched 2 seasons last year and the 3rd and final season this year because "Spartacus" is full of hot, buff, scruffy men wearing little more than leather diapers.  Call me shallow and see if I care!

And there's a fair amount of male and female nudity too, so there you have it.  Plus the fighting scenes are done in a sort of video game style, where the camera slows down into slow motion and the blood spurts out of the wounds with an unnatural force, as if it were being viewed in a video game, so it really makes it a lot more watchable and less real.

I'd not even heard of "Magic City" before.  But after finishing "Spartacus" I was looking at what else Starz had on-demand and I read that "Magic City" takes place in 1959 - the very year my Big Ella was born.  Spouse & I love mid-century furniture, architecture, clothing, and of course cars so we decided to give it a try.

Its about a Jewish beachfront resort owner and his family who live in the hotel in Miami Beach.  We liked the series a lot, and I would recommend it to anyone who liked "The Sopranos" or "Mad Men", or both.

Do you have Comcast?  Did you watch anything new or different during "Watch-athon" week?  I'd love to know!

Watch-athon

Our cable company's "Watch-athon" starts today and runs through Sun.  That is where they open up on-demand viewing of past seasons of network shows and some premium channel content to all cable subscribers. 

For instance, during regular viewing times you may only be able to get the most recent season of "NCIS" or "Chicago Fire".  But during "Watch-athon", all previous seasons of those shows are available on-demand.  Its called "binge watching" when you start with the 1st episode of the 1st season and just keeping watching episode after episode, season after season, until you've seen the entire show.

The same principle is true for many (but not all) of the premium channels.  Even those who don't subscribe to premium channels can watch past seasons on-demand.  However, we were pretty disappointed to find that Showtime was not participating with any of the series we wanted to watch, such as "Masters of Sex" and "Nurse Jackie".  Booo for Showtime!

When they had "Watch-athon" last year Spouse & I watched a bunch of episodes of HBO's "Girls" and Starz's "Spartacus".  It was fun!

"Girls" is about Hannah and her 3 friends who all live in NYC.  Hannah wants desperately to be a writer.  Its kind of like "Sex and the City", only with poor, less attractive Jewish women with bad fashion sense.

 
We also watched the 1st and 2nd season of "Spartacus", the story of a men captured by the Romans and forced into slavery and become gladiators.  Normally this would not be 'my thing' but these gladiators are HOT!

So if you email, call, text, or private message me on facebook and I don't respond, its because I'm binge-watching cable shows during "Watch-athon" week.  Please be patient... I'm watching gladiators.

Disappointed with LOGO

For several years I have enjoyed the programming on the LOGO network, a cable station with GLBT-themed programming.  I enjoyed watching gay-themed films like "To Wong Fu: Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar", gay-themed original series like "Noah's Arc", and a gay-themed comedy show called "The Big Gay Sketch Show".  I always knew where to turn when I wanted a dose of gay in my entertainment.

But about a year ago or so, something changed, and not for the good.  In place of all that GLBT-themed entertainment, LOGO now runs series like "16 and Pregnant", "Teenage Mom", and "Roseann".

WTF???  I understand that MTV owns LOGO and those shows air on MTV, but why in the world would a network for GLBT people run programming about unwed teenage mothers???

Until a month ago the ONLY GLBT-themed show on this network was reruns of past seasons of "RuPaul's Drag Race".  As much as I enjoy watching that show, I don't need a 12-hour marathon of an entire season in 1 day.

Just recently LOGO has added "Will & Grace" reruns which is fun, but it doesn't make up for all the hours of programming geared toward MTV audiences. 

Where are the gay-themed films, original series, and comedy shows???

Indeed I am disappointed with LOGO

Reality

As a general rule I do not watch "reality" shows.  They seem so scripted and contrived that to me they are anything BUT reality.

I do watch 2 shows where contestants are eliminated weekly, although I don't think of these  as "reality" shows:  Project Runway and RuPaul's Drag Race.  

 
Neither of these shows seems to fit the typical "reality" show formula where contestants are baited into fighting with each other and encouraged to be outrageous. 

There are occasional fights and outrageousness for sure, but they appear to me to be genuine and not induced on Project Runway and RuPaul's Drag Race.  

I have never been entertained by my limited viewing of "reality" shows as I usually am with these 2 shows.

Recently on Project Runway the judges felt the contestants did such a poor job on the menswear challenge that they refused to declare a winner for the challenge and they sent not 1 but 2 contestants home that night.

Recently on RuPaul's Drag Race the bottom 2 contestants who 'lip-synched for their lives' both did such a fierce job that RuPaul did not send 1 home, allowing both to move on to the next round of competition.

Do you watch either show?  What are your thoughts?

Dallas

Anyone else old enough to remember the fabulous nighttime soap opera called "Dallas"?

My family used to love that show!  JR Ewing was the 2-timing dirty scoundrel you loved to hate.  Bobby Ewing was the brother who always managed to 'do the right thing'.  Sue Ellen Ewing was JR's beauty queen wife who enjoyed a cocktail or 2... or 20.  It was a great show with lots of plot twists and turns.

Imagine my delight to find that the TNT network was airing a new, modern "Dallas"!!!

While JR, Bobby, and Sue Ellen are in the new show, it really focuses on JR and Bobby's sons, John Ross III and Christopher who are all grown up now.  As you might expect, JR's son John Ross III has his father's tendency to cheat and manipulate people, while Bobby's son Christopher has his father's good personality.

Although I was 1/2 way expecting a flop, I was pleasantly surprised by a really good show.  The writing is good, the acting is good, the story lines are plausible, the show is fun to watch.

Of course, the cast is another reason for enjoying the show.

Christopher Ewing is played by the delicious-looking Jesse Metcalfe:

John Ross III is played by the dark-n-sexy Josh Henderson:

The show includes cameo appearances by Lucy Ewing, Ray Krebbs, and Cliff Barnes too!  Bobby's 1st wife (and Christopher's mother) Pamela Ewing is the only living cast member that has not shown up and I think that is by design.  When the characters talk about her they simply refer to her "disappearing", so I believe she will appear in the show next season.

Weekend highlights

Spouse & I had a rather low-key weekend, with nothing concrete on our schedule.

Spouse went to his 9am personal trainer appointment on Sat and I did a little vacuuming, loaded the dishwasher, read some blogs and email, and watched 2 episodes of "Sell This House".

When Spouse got home we put on some SPF, picked up some sandwiches, and headed to the beach. It was a beautiful day, and we had a great time hanging out with Rusty, Chris, Steven, Bob, and Bob. (Bob and Bob... the Bobs... Bob squared...) Upon returning home we both showered and I watched some TV while Spouse took a nap. Later we met up with Steven, Bob, and Bob for dinner at Rigby's. Yes, I know we just had dinner there the previous Sat with Ron & James, but its really become one of our favorite places. We had a delicious meal and delightful conversations with the guys! Steven, Bob and Bob went out afterward; Spouse & I watched TV at home.

We had a very relaxed, laid-back Sun morning. After breakfast Spouse & I watched TV, spent some time on the computers, and just chilled until about noon. We went over to the storage place to start up Big Ella and take her out for some exercise. Man, just the sight of this car makes me happy!
Driving her around provides me with such enjoyment that I have a smile plastered on my face. Spouse noticed my permanent smile and asked rhetorically "Aren't you just the luckiest guy?" to which I answered "Yes!"

We had lunch at home, Spouse was on the computer again while I went to Homo Depot to look at paint chips and design magazines. I bought a sample of the floor tile, the shower tile, and the accent tile, then matched up hundreds of paint chips to them. When I came home I set up this "color story" so Spouse could try to visualize how it will look and decided with me on a paint color.

The natural wood at the top is the wainscotting material and the white wood beneath it symbolizes the white painted, tall baseboard molding. The large piece of tile underneath is the floor tile, and the smaller piece on the right is the shower tile. We'll have a variegated, 2 inch travertine in the shower floor (which includes the color of both the floor and shower tile) but I did not purchase a sample of that. On the lower left you can see the glass mosaic accent tile that will be in the shower room as well as a decorative border around the tub. We narrowed down the paint choices to 4 shades of green and a terra cotta color. As you can see, we're going for an organic, nature-inspired, restful color scheme.

Later that evening Spouse & I broke our "no fast food" rule and ate dinner at Taco Bell. I know, right? We both wanted to try their new Volcano menu, which we liked. Since it was a gorgeous evening we went for a convertible right.

About 9:00 I met up with Steven and one of the Bobs at a local watering hole for karaoke. Flotilla DeBarge was guest performing a few numbers before karaoke started, and she was great! Steven took videos of me singing "Mambo Italiano" and "Breakin' Up is Hard to Do" and uploaded them to YouTube when he got home last night. The lighting is so low you can't see me. At all. But that's okay; I wasn't really dressed to be filmed anyway! I had a lot of fun with Steven and Bob! I got home at 11:15 and talked with Spouse for a few minutes before hittin' the sack.

Crush du Jour: Gareth David Lloyd

In The Life

This August, IN THE LIFE concludes its Summer of Stonewall series celebrating the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots with “Coming Together,” a look at how LGBT art and culture has shaped and inspired the movement.

Caffe Cino
Credited as the first Off-Off-Broadway theatre, Caffe Cino began in 1958 as a Greenwich Village coffee house with a tiny makeshift stage. This Bohemian refuge was home to burgeoning gay playwrights and performers, who, inspired by its owner, Joe Cino, were liberated to create their most experimental and daring works of self-expression.

In A Conversation With… writers Edmund White and Doric Wilson share first hand accounts of the Stonewall Riots, and discuss how bearing witness to the uprising impacted their work and shaped their politics.

Capping off the Summer of Stonewall series, this episode’s REAL TO REEL highlights Crayton Robey’s 2009 documentary “Making the Boys,” a tribute to Mart Crowley’s 1968 play and William Friedkin’s subsequent film adaptation of the classic story that swept gay and straight audiences alike, The Boys in the Band.

“Coming Together” will begin airing Aug 1st and be available for free video streaming and downloadable podcasts from IN THE LIFE Aug 2nd. To find out when it will air in your local area, and/or to stream or download it, go to IN THE LIFE.

To watch a preview of “Coming Together,” click here.

Crush du Jour: Jai Courtney

How Lifetime movies save time

Spouse is a therapist and social worker. He was licensed in VA where we used to live, and in order to accept his new job in DE (almost 3 years ago), he had to get licensed in DE.

Some states allow you to simply show your out-of-state license in order to get licensed in the new state, with the understanding that if you passed the test in the other state, you're fine. But DE required him to show his out-of-state license AND take a little test.

Part of the test required him to read a real-life scenario and then be able to provide the correct personality diagnosis. The real-life scenario was about Betty Broderick who shot and killed her sleeping ex-husband Dan and his much younger 2nd wife in 1989.

Most people would have had to read through the lengthy description of the people, situation, and circumstances in order to provide the correct diagnosis, but not Spouse. He provided the correct diagnosis without taking the time to read the lengthy scenario at all. How could he do this?

Because of watching Lifetime, TV for Women (and gay men).

You see, years ago Spouse & I had watched the dramatic TV movie "A Woman Scorned: The Betty Broderick Story" on Lifetime.

We were particularly amused when Betty (played by Meredith Baxter) ran her Chevy Suburban right into the living room of her ex-husband's house. Really, how can you ask for more entertainment than that? And it was a true story!

In fact, the film was so inspirational to Spouse that occasionally he will threaten me by warning: "Don't make me run the Suburban into the living room!" and then we both laugh. We even owed a Suburban for 4 years.

But back to my story.

So Spouse was able to save the time it would have taken him to read the lengthy scenario about Betty Broderick due to having watched the thrilling and dramatic movie about her on Lifetime. So, Lifetime movies save time.

Have you ever noticed that nearly every Lifetime movie stars Meredith Baxter, Jacklyn Smith, Valerie Bertinelli, or Melissa Sue Gilbert?

Crush du Jour: Jason Cook

Sordid Lives: The Series

If you're like me, you really enjoyed watching season 1 of "Sordid Lives: The Series" last summer on Logo, and have been wondering where season 2 is.
Thanks to social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, I knew that Logo had ordered season 2 and that its creator, Del Shores, had been busy writing it. But that was months ago.

Today I received an update from Del, explaining the situation, which ain't pretty. Here's Del's official statement.

So, it appears we're not going to see season 2 because the production company hasn't paid the writer or actors their residuals.

What a shame!

It would seem that the production company would be in breach of contract, doesn't it? Wouldn't the writer and actors have a clause in their contract requiring payment for their work? I'm sure its more complicated than that.

"Sordid Lives: The Series" was a fun show and I really hope the production company does the right thing and pays the residuals so these folks can be compensated for their work.

Maybe Del can find another production company so the brilliance of Brother Boy can live on!

Crush du Jour: Matt Stone