The Spank Debate

In the last Mommy Monday blog I wrote about controlling my desire to yell at Kali for every infraction, even the ones she couldn’t control. Taking it a step further, I made a pact with myself to find other ways to discipline and get my point across when the situation warranted some kind of discipline. I began the blog with a short explanation of my views on spanking children. It seemed that received more feedback than the rest of the blog. So, I decided to revisit that topic in further detail for today’s Mommy Monday blog.

You can read the first part of the last blog here.

If you read the first blog, then you know that Kali has received one, open-hand, spanking as a toddler, and received not so much as a swat since.  When explaining my feelings on spanking, I think it’s important to separate pre-motherhood and post-motherhood.

Before having children, I knew that I didn’t want to spank to discipline. I got spankings and beatings a child. It’s just how my mother and stepfather rolled. I grew up in a time when parents spanked and openly admitted it. Hell, parents would spank other people’s children! It was more than “it takes a village,” and more like, “if you don’t act right in my house, I’ll spank you, and then you can go and tell your mom I did so I can spank her too for not raising you better!”

I’ve been spanked with a belt, slipper, and open hand. I’ve been yelled at and smacked. I know the fear that comes with anticipating a spanking, the loss of self-respect, and the loss of respect for the parent that beats you.

My initial response to spanking my future children was definitely an emotional one. It is said that children often grow up to repeat certain behaviors, and I have a temper. I knew before becoming a Mom that not spanking was something I’d have to work at. But, I also had another model to follow. My father didn’t spank. It’s not that he didn’t believe in it, and I’m sure I gave him ’cause to, but our relationship had the luxury of blossoming over weekends, summer vacations, and the occasional holiday; not really a lot of room for spankings.

But really, I attribute my desire not to spank my own children to being spanked as a kid. It was always annoying when people would say, “Oh, you’ll feel differently once you have a kid.” I just found that to be completely ignorant. Not spanking is a choice, and I have every right to it. I found it ridiculous that once my children got here, I’d give up my decision to try other discipline options and go, “Yeah, I need to beat that ass.”

After I became a Mom, as I said, I spanked once out of frustration and immediately regretted it. I didn’t like the way it made Kali feel, I didn’t like the way it made me feel, and I was disappointed in myself for not employing other alternatives.

Now, with ten years, and two kids, under my belt, I’m proud to say I’m a non-spanker. Here’s why (all my opinion):

1. Emotionally, spanking is harmful. One would assume, and hope, that people are only striking their children because they believe this will effectively correct negative behavior.  With emotions running high (you = disappointed, annoyed, angry, etc., your child = embarrassed, frustrated, afraid, defiant, etc.), why add violence to the mix?

Spanking affects the way your child feels about you and themselves. I’m sure adults who were spanked love their parents. I love my mother immensely, but when I was getting spanked as a young child, and later received beatings with a belt as I got older, I didn’t always like her. And I judged her as a parent. I didn’t feel good about myself because it made me feel like the only way for her to teach me was to hit me.

Finally, personally, I honestly get sick to my stomach just thinking about striking my kids. It’s just not a place I’d like to go.

2. Spanking doesn’t work. I don’t think any discipline technique is 100% effective. We all know that every child is different. Grounding two teenagers for the exact same offense may correct the behavior in one the first time, and not at all with the other. I cringe every time I hear someone say that some children need to be beaten/spanked.

I know just the child they’re talking about. We all do. That kid that just doesn’t listen. The one that back-talks and runs amuck.

Almost always that’s the child that received almost no discipline at all. Sassy behavior was ignored or seen as “cute.” Any non-spanking forms of discipline weren’t consistent and then one day you wake up and the kid is running the show. Now the parent wants to spank. They want to spank to gain control and respect in a situation that has already spun out of control.

Is it ever too late? I don’t think so. I do think that the longer you go without employing any discipline just makes matters worse, and to suddenly decide that spanking a kid you allowed to become a terror isn’t going to help. I know people who were spanked and people who weren’t, and they still committed all of the offenses most of us did growing up; teenage sex, missing curfews, lying, slacking off in school occasionally, etc.

I’ve never met a person that says they got one spanking, and then never misbehaved again. Not one. So, if I have a choice, and I do, why not try other forms of discipline that don’t involve violence?

3. I think that, sometimes, spanking is more about the parent’s inability to discipline effectively and less about actually handing out an appropriate punishment for the child.

Again, I know I have a temper, and it would be so easy for me to just spank Kali at every turn, and then send her to her room. But what does she learn? Mommy is bigger than me and can hit me when I mess up? I just have a problem with the message that sends.

And it boggles my mind when parents spank, the child cries, and the parent doesn’t want to hear it! It’s like, they want to spank, correct the behavior, demand respect, gain control, and defy physics! I’m gonna hit you, and it will hurt (and let’s face it, a spanking parent wants it to hurt or else, what’s the point?), but you better not cry about it!

4. What kind of message does it send? We teach our kids that no one has the right to hit them, except us because we gave birth to them. But don’t worry, I’ll only do it when you deserve it, and only because I love you. Yeah, you let your daughter come home with that as an excuse as to why her boyfriend hits her and see how that flies.

5. It doesn’t work! Did I say that already? Good. It bears repeating. I think that, for the most part, kids will always try to get away with what they can. Sometimes it’s because teenagers become defiant by nature, or they honestly don’t think their parents know what they’re talking about. Also, there’s a sense of immortality and invincibility with kids. There’s a reason they’re not allowed to drive, drink, vote, etc. until certain ages. Their reasoning and judgment isn’t always developed enough to handle certain responsibilities. They will push limits and boundaries. The same kid that worries about getting spanked will try harder not to get caught next time, just as the kid that worries about getting his computer or video game privileges taken away.

I’m not saying that Kali is perfect. She’s not. Currently my biggest peeves involve her staying on task in school and doing things she’s told at home the first time. And the latter isn’t done out of defiance or disrespect, we just have a scatterbrain issue developing. Now, she’s grounded for a poor mark in social studies. No TV, video games, computer, or going outside for at least a week. It’s my job to be consistent. It’s my job to not give in before the week is up. It is my hope that she will think about how miserable her life has been without her favorite forms of entertainment the next time she’s tempted to not stay on task at school.

I don’t believe that spanked children grow up to be more respectful, less trouble, or more productive members of society. And because of that, I choose to discipline my children in a manner that doesn’t involve violence and taking away their self-respect.

I prefer talking, removing the child from situations (for toddlers), and taking away their comforts for older kids.

Now, a funny story…

When we first moved here we had dinner at a neighbor’s house. The kids were in another room while the adults sat around the table after dinner chatting. One of the hosts’ sons came into the kitchen complaining that their other son had done something wrong. The offending boy was called into the dining room where he admitted to the bad behavior. Kali, who was about 4 at the time, wasn’t used to sibling fighting because she was an only child. She came into the room, fascinated, and crawled into my lap.

“Go get the spatula,” the father instructed the guilty boy.

The boy shuffled off to the kitchen, wailing as he went.

“What’s a spatula?,” Kali asked me.

“It’s that thing I use to flip the pancakes.”

“Why is he crying over pancakes?”

What are your views on spankings? Do you spank? Are there limits? What are some non-spanking disciplinary action you either use, or would like to use? Do you think that spanking works? Why?

Battlestar Galactica Season 4.5 Epi. 20: Daybreak, Part 2

So, tonight’s the night. The last frakkin’ episode of Battlestar Galactica ever. (We still get Battlestar Galactica: The Plan. Woohoo!) As usual, I’ll list the questions we have going into tonight’s episode. But first…

… There’s been lots of questions wondering whether or not they can possibly answer all the questions in tonight’s two-hour finale. I think they can. What I’m worried about, is not being able to see reactions to answers. We’ve come to know, love, and loathe these characters and I not only want to know what the deal is with Starbuck, but I want to see some reaction to it. I want an ending and then some.

If it were a perfect world, this episode would include some flashbacks to the Final Five’s time on Earth so we can see who these messengers were that warned them of the coming war with their Centurions. I also wouldn’t mind some flashbacks explaining how the Temple of Five became a tool for D’anna to see their faces.

But the world isn’t perfect, and I suppose I should just be happy with what I get, and appreciate the years of geeky joy this show has brought me.

As usual, the episode’s recap will begin after the last blue header.

Questions I’d Like to See Answered in Tonight’s Finale

1. Why did the 13th tribe of Cylons go to Earth when the other 12 tribes left and founded the colonies?

2. Who were the messengers that appeared to the Five when they were on Earth and warned them about the attacks? I find it funny that Galen thought he had a chip in his head, which is exactly what Gaius thought when Head Six began appearing to him.

3. Why did the Five model/name each of the 8 skinjobs the way they did?

4. Just to clarify then, after John decided to kill the Five and place them in the colonies, he “wiped” all the other Cylons so they wouldn’t remember them and think to ask about them? Also, if John had resurrection and the other models, then killed the five and put them with the colonies, why did it take so long for him to make his move?

5. Who set up the Temple to reveal the faces of the Five? Ellen says they used it as a road marker when making their way to the colonies to warn them.

6. Who is Starbuck’s Daddy and why did he teach her that song?

7. What is Starbuck? How was she able to come back from the dead?

8. What up with Daniel? Is he gone for good?

9. Who switched on The Four? What was going on with Ellen when they were switched on? Did she at least hear the music even though she was already aware of her Cylon nature?

10. Why does Roslin, Caprica, and Athena all have those Opera House visions?

11. Will Tory ever answer for killing annoying ass Cally?

12. Will Anders die a hybrid on Galactica? They better not do that!

13. What’s up with Gaius having a Head Six and Caprica Six having a Head Gaius?

14. Not really a question… but I sincerely hope that the series doesn’t end with the big battle that is gearing up. They cannot spend four episodes preparing us for this full human-Cylon integration aboard the rebel Cylon baseship, and not show us what life is going to be like with the military being run from the Cylon’s ship!

My Predictions

1. Starbuck is half-Cylon. “All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again.” Just like Hera, Starbuck is half Cylon. WRONG

2. I think Daniel is the key to the switching on of the Final Four… but that means that he has to have some connection to Starbuck since it’s the song her Daddy taught her. Hmmm. Did Daniel suspect what John was going to do and make his own preparations? WRONG

3. Who’s gonna die? Boomer, for sure. She’ll probably get some kind of redemption by helping Hera, and then bite it. Sadly, I don’t think Gaius is long for this world either. Ditto that, Anders. Oh, and let’s throw in President Roslin for good measure. 3 outta 4 ain’t bad!

4. Gaius will “man up” and join the fight even though he acted like a little bitch last week. RIGHT!

What are your predictions?

Now That I’ve Watched The Episode, Here Are the Answers To My Questions

1. Why did the 13th tribe of Cylons go to Earth when the other 12 tribes left and founded the colonies?

Ans. We really don’t know. I choose to believe that they thought it best to not have Cylons and humans co-exist.

2. Who were the messengers that appeared to the Five when they were on Earth and warned them about the attacks? I find it funny that Galen thought he had a chip in his head, which is exactly what Gaius thought when Head Six began appearing to him.

Ans. Angels. Angels guided by God (though apparently he doesn’t like to be called that) to help those with a destiny fulfill that destiny. Too bad we never got to see what these angels looked like.

3. Why did the Five model/name each of the 8 skinjobs the way they did?

Ans. No one knows. Beyond John being modeled after Ellen’s father, we may never know why Boomer had that nose and Simon had his lips.

4. Just to clarify then, after John decided to kill the Five and place them in the colonies, he “wiped” all the other Cylons so they wouldn’t remember them and think to ask about them? Also, if John had resurrection and the other models, then killed the five and put them with the colonies, why did it take so long for him to make his move?

Ans. Since the latter wasn’t really answered, I’m going with my assumption that his backstabbing took awhile. They were probably living together and getting along quite well before he snapped. And once he made his move, we know he needed time to get the Cylons in place for their various missions.

5. Who set up the Temple to reveal the faces of the Five? Ellen says they used it as a road marker when making their way to the colonies to warn them.

Ans. God.

6. Who is Starbuck’s Daddy and why did he teach her that song?

Ans. Apparently her Daddy was nothing more than a pianist with ants in his pants. He taught her that song ’cause it was her destiny to play those notes, have those numbers, etc. Here’s what I choose to believe, the Final cylons were switched on because she returned. That song was getting clearer the closer she got to the fleet in the Viper that had the coordinates to Earth. If Ellen had not have been killed on New Caprica, she’d have been switched on too. It seems that all of that was in God’s plan too. It was her destiny becuase it all happened before, and it was all set to happen again.

7. What is Starbuck? How was she able to come back from the dead?

Ans. Starbuck was a pigeon.

I kid, I kid, she was apparently sent back to fulfill her destiny of leading them to the real/2nd Earth. Some kind of ghost it seems. But I think it’s pretty clear that she truly did die back in season 3.

8. What up with Daniel? Is he gone for good?

Ans. Daniel was just what they said he was; a model 7 cylon that was killed because John was jealous of him.

9. Who switched on The Four? What was going on with Ellen when they were switched on? Did she at least hear the music even though she was already aware of her Cylon nature?

Ans. Again, now that it’s clear that Starbuck had a connection with the song, it’s my belief that her return is what switched on the cylons. All guided by the one true God.

10. Why does Roslin, Caprica, and Athena all have those Opera House visions?

Ans. Like Starbuck, they had a destiny. Roslin was meant to grab Hera and keep her from harm so that she would end up in the CIC when she did.

11. Will Tory ever answer for killing annoying ass Cally?

Ans. Yes. Yes, she will. And the answer will be delivered with a snap.

12. Will Anders die a hybrid on Galactica? They better not do that!

Ans. Yes. Yes, he will. On the plus side, he remained shirtless.

13. What’s up with Gaius having a Head Six and Caprica Six having a Head Gaius?

Ans. They were, as they said they were; angels. Angels sent by God to guide them to their destinies.

14. Not really a question… but I sincerely hope that the series doesn’t end with the big battle that is gearing up. They cannot spend four episodes preparing us for this full human-Cylon integration aboard the rebel Cylon baseship, and not show us what life is going to be like with the military being run from the Cylon’s ship!

Ans. Oh, they gave us aftermath and then some. Like 150,000 years some.

Daybreak, Part 2

Caprica is so pretty at night. I want to live in Caprica.

Tigh and Adama are in a strip club discussing whether or not Adama should do that thing that will only take one hour of his time, but apparently, lead to lots of money. Ah, he’s pondering retiring from the military. Ellen is there too, and the three of them drink liberally.

At dinner with Lee, Zach, and Starbuck, they’re all drinking heavily too.

Sean shows up for his blind date with Laura Roslin. Turns out, he was a student of hers. What kind of student are we talking? College? High school? It doesn’t matter. They continue on with the date. Roslin was so pretty.

At the strip club, Tigh admits that no matter how much money he was offered, he wouldn’t take a military desk job.

Zach Adama can’t handle his spirits so Starbuck and Lee put him to bed.

Adama apparently can’t handle his either, ’cause he’s all vomiting in an alley and staring up at the stars. Chunks of sick sit on his chin. Gross.

Present Day Galactica…

Gaius is talking to Head Six, and she tells him that he is following God’s plan of leading mankind’s remnants to their end. End of what, he wants to know. A-ha! Clue number one! She doesn’t get to answer though because Paula interrupts.

Doc Cottle tells Roslin she is being left with enough medicine to last two days. She thanks him for all that he has done. Keeping her alive all this time when she should have died years ago. He gets all misty and kisses her hand. Awww, I love Doc Cottle! I hope he doesn’t die.

Helo is preparing the Raptor pilots and tells them it’s gonna be a tough mission. They all volunteer cause really, what else do they have to do?

Lee preps the commandos going in on foot. Adama preps Galactica’s crew and tells them that once they run out of bullets, he wants people to start throwing rocks.

Adama is awesome.

The final cylons discuss moving Anders to the CIC so they can patch him in to the colony’s hybrid faster. They’ll use him to turn off the colony’s guns which will start firing on Galactica as soon as they jump in.

Adama promotes Lt. Hoshi to Admiral and tells him to lead the fleet to the rendevous point. If they’re not there in 12 hours, he should leave. Anders is plugged up and ready to go.

Romo Lampkin is president! I really like that choice ’cause he’s six cups of awesome with three cups of crazy thrown in.

He and Hoshi get on the last Raptor leaving Galactica. Gaius is about to board, but changes his mind. Yah! His nuts finally dropped. Paula begs him to stay. Wait. Didn’t she hate him? Where’s the other chick with the sick son?

Lee tosses Gaius a gun. He’s part of the cool kids now.

The rebel Centurions march along the hangar deck led by a Six. They have red paint across their chests so the humans will tell them from the evil ones.

Tigh gets on the horn to check that all stations are ready to go. Tyrol is on FTL. Roslin is helping set up triage.

Caprica and Gaius are at the same back-up station. She tells him she’s probably seen more combat than he has. True dat. She also looks really proud of him because he’s there instead of hiding under his harem.

Adama gives one last rah-rah, sis-boom-bah, speech. Action stations, bitches!!!

They jump right in front of the damn colony!!! And the colony opens up a massive can of whoop ass… and I think they shook the can before opening. Galactica is taking a pounding.

Ellen switches Anders on and he whispers sweet nothings to the colony’s hybrid. She creams in her bath water and the colony stops firing on Galactica.

Galactica launches her Vipers. The colony launches Raiders. Then…

Galactica rams into the colony. Just like Hera did with the models a few episodes ago. Told you.

Lee leads the assault team on foot into the colony. They’re accompanied by some bad ass Centurions. Lee removes his helmet to reveal his fantastic new hair. Because, is it just me, or did Lee have his regular hair before the mission, and then sexy ass fly boy hair the moment that helmet came off?

He exchanges some hand signals with the Centurions and says, “Move out.” They march into battle with the Centurions who suddenly have some serious attitude. I know I’m a girl and not supposed to like this stuff, but it’s hot!

The Raptors have jumped in from behind and are coming in amongst lots of debris. The colony cylons don’t seem to know they’re there. Racetrack tells Skulls they should go weapons-hot. Skulls makes their nukes hot, and then starts reminiscing. They die immediately after as debris hits their window and busts it.

(Question: weren’t Racetrack and Skulls a part of the mutineers? Didn’t Starbuck shoot Skulls when she rescued Lee on the hanger deck? She then asked, “Who’s next?  Racetrack? Colin?” How are they down with the mission now?)

Starbuck, Athena and Helo’s Raptor team make it inside the colony. They encounter Centurions. The colony rocks the old-school Centurions!

A Simon is performing tests on Hera and Boomer can’t believe he’s still doing it while the colony is falling apart. He says that she is overestimating the humans, they have the numbers and will win. She snaps his neck.

There’s a commercial for Caprica, and one of the houses looks a lot like Gaius’ house on Caprica. Just sayin’.

Centurians are fighting Centurians and Lee’s hair is still fabulous.

Tyrol tells Anders he’s pushing too much power through the ACS and he’s gonna blow the main bus if he doesn’t back off. He totally listens.

John, a Doral, and a Simon find out what Boomer has done. They know she’s taking Hera to the humans.

At their station, Caprica admits that she always wanted to be proud of Gaius. He kisses her ’cause that’s how he rolls; world is literally coming down around his ears and he will still get his.

Head Six and Head Gaius show up and tell them that the pieces are falling into place. They will hold the fate of the Cylons and the humans in their hands. They are both surprised to realize that they can see each other’s visions.

The Cenutrions blow a hole in deck 21 and start taking out a platoon.

Starbuck, Helo, Athena, and co. run into Boomer with Hera. She gives Hera to Athena. Boomer says she wants Adama to know that she owed him one. She says she made a choice and she thinks it’s her last one. Starbuck is all, “Um, yeah, can we get on with it?”

Boomer tells them they can’t go the way they came, but Athena says that wasn’t their plan. Starbuck says, “Can we not tell her the plan?!” I know, right?! But that’s not what Athena had in mind. She shoots Boomer. A lot.

Flashback to Adama and Tigh chewing Boomer out for screwing up her landings. Her gives her another chance, and she says that she owes him one and that one day she will deliver on that when it matters.

1. This is exactly how I hoped this finale would go. I liked the flashbacks they touched on last week, and hoped they could master telling the ending while incorporating flashbacks at key moments like Lost does each week. They’ve done that.

2. I love when a show makes use of history. Starbuck tells Athena (back in season 2.0) that when she looks at her sometimes all she sees is that rookie pilot that kept spooching her landings.

Lee’s team meets up with Starbuck’s team, they plan to retrace his steps. Brilliant plan.

A fire breaks out in the CIC up top where Anders is. I think they should have left some Centurians in the CIC to guard doors and shit. Just sayin’.

Gaius and Caprica are kicking Centurian ass. Gaius gets a little carried away and Caprica has to stop him when Lee and crew show up with Hera.

Roslin gives herself another dose of medicine and has a flash of Hera running through the opera house. She takes off her hospital smock and leaves the triage area.

The assault team are making their way through the halls with Hera when a Doral comes out and shoots a few of them, including Helo. Hera takes off. Athena leaves Helo to run after her. She’s worried that he’ll bleed out, but he tells her to go.

Now, it’s just like the opera house. Roslin gets to her first and finds shelter with her as Cavil and some Centurions march by. While she’s not looking Hera takes off again.

Ok, seriously? Somebody need to teach that little heifer about stranger danger and who she can trust.

Caprica and Gaius find Hera  just as Athena runs into Roslin like in the visions. Caprica scoops Hera up and, like in the vision, they close the door on Roslin and Athena.

They take her into the CIC which has obviously witnessed some kind of major battle. Adama kicks down a Simon that is bleeding from the neck. People are dead at control panels. I would have liked to have seen that battle!

Mirroring the vision, they look up and see the final five on the balcony.

Goosebumps!

Cavil is alive in the CIC and when Galactica shakes, he knocks out a guard and grabs Hera. He wants to take her, but Gaius tells him that she’s the key to humanity. He admits to seeing angels (Head Six and Head Gaius are off to the side looking smug.) He tells him that everyone knows there’s a higher power at play and it’s obvious their two destinies are entwined. Cavil asks how does Gaius know that God is on his side. Gaius says that they don’t know. He doesn’t think that God is on any one side. He creates them and they have a choice on how things will play out. Cavil is worried that giving up Hera means that his people can’t survive.

Tigh offers to give them resurrection if he’ll give up Hera. Cavil agrees and calls off his fighters as a show of good faith.

Frak this mushy shit! I keep waiting for someone to bust a cap in his ass. But they don’t.

In the CIC everyone is checking in. They lost 4 vipers and 7 raptors. The bad cylons are standing around looking suspicious.

Each of the final five know a secret to resurrection. They’re gonna put their hands in Anders goo, compile their info, and then download it to the Cylons via Anders. Ellen explains that for a moment, they’re each gonna know all there is to know about one another.

And Tory shits her pants.

She tries to soften the blow by saying there’s stuff they’re all not proud of and Tyrol just looks at her like, “What you talkin’ ’bout, Willis?”

“I don’t mean to rush you, but you are keeping two civilizations waiting!,” John Cavil shouts.

Tory wants them to agree that they’ll forgive each other no matter what they find out. Tigh is all, “Yeah, yeah, yeah, let’s do this.”

I don’t know why she doesn’t just switch places with Ellen. Standing next to Tyrol is not the move, homegirl.

They stick their hands in the goo and the download begins. A Simon is on the phone… why do the phones still work? A squirrel farts and my DirecTV goes out, Galactica gets lit to holy hell and the AT&T basic phones still work? And to connect to the Cylon ship no less? Anyway, Simon confirms that the plans are coming through.

We get flashes of each of the final five’s lives, but when we come to Tory and her meeting Cally at the airlock, well, Tyrol don’t look too happy. They all see her kill Cally.

Tyrol takes his hand out the goo and chokes Tory. Anders screams. The hybrid screams. Ellen screams. I scream. The only person that doesn’t scream is Tory ’cause she’s too busy getting choked.

The Simon says that the download has been broken, and one of the Dorals yells that it’s a trap and they should open fire.

Yeah, that’s the trap. One of the final five is going to choke another one to trick you guys. Tyrol snaps Tory’s neck. DAYUM! And then pushes her to the floor.

The cylons in the CIC are killed fairly quickly with John Cavil yelling, “Frak,” before killing himself.

I guess ressurection dies, once and for all, with Tory.

Remember the Raptor with dead Racetrack and Skulls and the hot nukes? Well some debris hits it, and Racetrack’s dead hand hits the launch button. The nukes hit the colony with Galactica inside of it. Adama instructs Starbuck to jump them out of there, but she doesn’t know the rendevouz coordinates. Adama doesn’t care. Just jump them anywhere.

“There must be some kind of way out of here,” Starbuck says. Another lyric from the song. She starts remembering how she assigned numbers to the notes of the song and Leoben telling her that she was an angel blazing with the light of God. She starts punching the numbers in. And then she jumps the ship.

And I have more goosebumps and this is just the FIRST hour.

Flashback to Starbuck and Lee drinking while Zach sleeps. She admits that she thinks about death every time she’s in the cockpit, but she’s not afraid of dying. She’s afraid of being forgotten.

Galactica makes the jump, but barely. She’s taking heavy damage. Adama orders Tigh to give a damage report. Galactica’s back is broken. She won’t jump again. Tyrol sits in a corner zoned out. Tory is dead on the floor. Roslin asks Starbuck where she has taken them.

Earth! A new Earth!

12 hours later. A raptor has jumped to the fleet and told them where to find Galactica. They send Raptors down to the new planet. It’s habitable because there are bush people living there. Adama, Hoshi, Gaius, Tigh, and Cottle ponder the odds that a human civilization could have naturally evolved 1 million lightyears from where they lived.

When it’s suggested that lines for a city could be up in days, Lee disagrees. He tells Adama they should learn from their mistake and leave technology behind. They should start over with a fresh slate.

Um, this plan sucks!

For the record though, this is exactly what I was telling my Dad happened with the 12 tribes that left Kobol. They had the technology and ships and stuff back then, but they obviously felt the need for a fresh start on the colonies because they (humans at the time that the show starts) looked at the scriptures and prophecies as fake. Also, they thought they “discovered” Cylon-building technology 50 years prior to the show’s start. This would also explain the Cylons parting ways with them when they left Kobol.

Ok, back to the show. Adama tells the major players (including the Cylons… oh, looky here, a Leoben. Where has his ass/models been?!) that they will distribute humans all over the habitable continents and start over. The sixes, eights, and twos decide to stay with them. They’re giving the Cylon base ship to the Centurions because they earned it.

Sheeeit, I’d wanna go with them.

They run the risk that the Centurions might evolve and decide to come back for them, but oh well. Once all the civilians have been desposited around the planet, the fleet will be programed to rendevouz with Galactica, piloted by Anders, and he will lead the fleet into the sun.

What!? This plan is getting more and more frakked up!

Starbuck says a tearful goodbye with Anders, and I’m not gonna lie, I lose my shit. She puts her dog tags in his goo. He cries and says, “I’ll see you on the other side.”

Frak! I need tissue.

Adama is the last one to leave Galactica. He pilots a Viper out. I love to see Adama’s old butt in his flight suit. Flashback to him taking the lie detector test for his cushy desk job. During the test, he storms out when he realizes that no amount of money is worth his dignity.

Anders pilots Galactica as his interview response from last week’s flashback is played. He talks about being apart of the perfection of creation and the beauty of physics and that’s the kind of perfection he wants to be connected to.

Then he leads the fleet into the sun, and I lose my shit again!

Tyrol tells Ellen and Tigh that the last Raptor out is going to take him to this island up in the highlands that he found. He wants to be alone. Between the music and his name, I told Donny I think Galen’s gonna found Scotland, but I suck at geography and he tells me to shut the frak up.

Flashback to Ellen and Tigh in the strip club where she tells him all she ever wanted was to be with him. I don’t like this ’cause this is all that frakkin’ John programming. I’d have much rather seen flashbacks to the five on Earth… although, as with Anders, I suppose it’s interesting to see their Caprican selves still having some influence on the way their lives turned out. Like, despite their programming, they ended up fulfilling their destinies.

Roslin and Adama sit under trees as she watches gazelles through binoculars. She asks if the world has a name and he says Earth. Since Earth was a dream they were chasing, they’ve earned it. They’re gonna call the new planet Earth. Roslin has trouble breathing and Adama asks if she’d like a better look at the animals.

See, I couldn’t have done it. I like creature comforts! I don’t like creatures!

Adama carries her to a Raptor and Lee and Starbuck follow. He tells Lee that he doesn’t have much time. They hug goodbye.

Adama asks, “What do you hear, Starbuck?”

“Nothing but the rain,” says Nina.

Don’t judge me!

He takes off with Roslin who waves goodbye from the window.

I lose my shit.

Lee realizes that Adama isn’t coming back. Starbuck says she’s not coming back either. She doesn’t know where she’s going, but she knows she’s done and it feels good.

Flashback to Starbuck daring Lee to do her on the dining room table while his brother sleeps in the next room. Classy! They start to, but she knocks over a glass which wakes Zach up and only then do the two fools come to their nasty senses. Lee leaves.

Back on new Earth, she asks what he’s going to do. He says he wants to explore. He turns his back on her and when he turns back, she’s gone.

“Goodbye, Kara. You won’t be forgotten.”

Jesus, could this get any sadder?!

Flashback to Lee waking up the next morning in his apartment and a pigeon flies out of the door. So, Kara was a pigeon?

Flashback to Roslin kicking the younger guy out of her bed and apartment. Then she calls Mayor Adar’s office and agrees to join his campaign. So interesting to see these pivotal moments in these major player’s lives and how things would have been a lot different had they made other choices.

In the Raptor, Roslin comments on how much life there is on the planet, and then she dies. Adama starts talking about the cabin they were gonna build on New Caprica until he realizes she’s gone. He takes off his wedding ring and puts it on her finger.

Do I really need to say I lost my shit?

Ellen and Tigh go off together with a group of civilians. Helo (he’s alive!), Hera, and Athena are walking and talk about building a new life. Caprica and Gaius watch as their angels tell them that they completed their missions.

Flashback to Gaius on Caprica before the fall (my mother points out how good he looks. she’s right) and he agrees to let Caprica Six get a peak into the defense mainframe. How it all began.

On new Earth he points out a spot where they can settle and cultivate land.

“Cultivation?”

“Yes. You know, I know about farming.”

And then he cries… and I do too. Such a great moment. You can see the weight of everything that has happened and the memory of his father hit him at once.

Adama sits on a hill, where he has buried Laura, and talks about the sun coming up over the mountain and how it reminds him of her.

GOD! I’m downright miserable watching this. Like, I knew I would be sad cause it was ending, but not so sad over the content.

Hera walks through the fields and looks up at the sky…

Forward 150,000 years later. Head Six, in what looks to be modern day NYC, reads over a man’s (Ron Moore’s!) shoulder an article about Hera’s remains being found in Tansania. She and Head Gaius comment on the commercialism, decadence, and technology run amok. It reminds them of Kobol, the first Earth, and Caprica before the fall. Caprica doesn’t think the cycle will repeat. Gaius isn’t so sure. When she refers to God, he says, “Now you know he doesn’t like that name.”

They walk off through Times Square as “All Along the Watchtower” plays.

The End

I’m spent. I’ll probably need to watch it for a third time (watched it twice alraedy) before it will sink in. And be less sad. Overall, I loved it. BUT, I must point out one thing. Donny thinks they traveled back in time. I think what we’ve seen these past four seasons was always supposed to be before our time. OK, discuss.

Sharing Space: The End?

Hello loyal readers,

I’ve decided to no longer post chapters of Sharing Space online. As I prepare to send off the manuscript to a few literary agents, and pitch it at the writers conference in May, it seems it’s in my best interest not to give away the whole cow for free.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the time you’ve spent with the cow thus far. Should someone decide to distribute the cow’s milk for a small fee, I hope you’d be so inclined to pay for a cup. Ok, I gotta stop the cow metaphor. Or is it an analogy? And I call myself a writer.

For those of you that enjoy my fiction, I have stuff that is solely for the internet and that will be posted on various Saturdays. As for Wednesdays, another day that was previously dedicated to Sharing Space chapters, beginning next week I’ll be posting a new feature, “Nina’s Top Ten.” I think you’ll like it.

Don’t worry. This is not the end of Patrick and Chloe. God willing, it’s just the end of Patrick and Chloe for free. Hopefully, one day in the near future, you’ll have your very own copy on your bookshelf. And I’ll sign it. And you can say, “I knew her when… her shit was free.”

Love,

n.

TCTBTF: Week 11

I’ve gained one pound. This puts my 11 week total at -2. I suck monkey balls.

I had two fuck-ups this week. I ate a piece of cheesecake and I was molested by the golden arches.

Fucking golden arches.

I’m going to Dick’s Sporting Goods later today for a jump rope. My mom likes walking the subdivision, I HATE walking the subdivision. I like going with a purpose and just walking around cul-de-sacs seems pointless to me.

I know the point is to lose weight. Shut up.

One bad meal, one slice of cheesecake, and no working out = +lb.

I don’t even know why I’m writing this. Are you enjoying this? Do you enjoy to read about my failure? Does this help you? If it helps you, I suppose I’ll continue. I mean, everything can’t be about me all the time, right?

Earth Girls Are Easy: Paper Towel Challenge

Paper Towel Challenge

Sophie says:

In an effort to reduce my waste and save some trees,  I began a Paper Towel Challenge in January.  My long term goal is to be completely paper towel free, but right now I’m just going for less dependent. On average, my household was using one paper towel roll every two to three days.

Now ten weeks into the challenge, one roll lasts us eleven days!  Did I mention that I’m doing this challenge with… myself? That is, up until now.

Nina says:

I really don’t want to do this. I love paper towels! When I told Kali this she asked, “But don’t you love trees more?” No. No, I don’t. I don’t like trees. I don’t like outside. I don’t like leaving the house. But, fine. I’ll try it. Because this isn’t about me. It’s about the planet I’m leaving my children, and my children’s children, etc., etc., so forth, and so on.

Do you want to know how I got roped into this?

One day, a few months ago, Sophie and I were chatting on the phone. She was going through her budget/grocery spreadsheet thing-a-majig, and lamenting on how much paper towel they were using.

I was on the sofa, just finishing up a peanut butter sandwich that had been resting on a piece of paper towel. As we talked, one my boobs began to leak. I folded the paper towel into a square and tucked it into my bra.

“Sophie! I just reused!”

I gave her the details.

“First of all, you nasty. Secondly, why are you using a paper towel for your sandwich? Why not a plate?”

“That’s what they’re for! I don’t want to ‘waste’ a plate.”

Then she explained the challenge…

Sophie says…

For me, it was just about using less. The day the light bulb went off, I had just witnessed my husband use THREE paper towels to sop up less than a ¼ cup of spilled orange juice.

When my mom would come over she would always put the snack on a paper towel, using Nina’s line, she didn’t want to “waste a plate.” Um, how is it wasting if you wash it? It’s the traditional reusable item. Ya use it, and ya wash it and ya use it again!

I decided then and there that I was going to crack down on paper towel usage. My husband’s not slow, really he’s not, but I had to remind him over and over again that we were doing this challenge… together… as a family. That means you can’t use four paper towels to line a plate to cook bacon in the microwave. You don’t have to use half a roll to clean the baby’s potty (even if it is a poopy one). And last but not least, you can not use paper towels for this…

… no matter how funny it is.

How I Cut Back on Paper Towel Usage:

1) I use rags made from old towels to clean up spills around the house.

2) I also use these rags for cleaning counters, sinks, tables, etc.

3) I use paper towels, sparingly.

Another way to help is to buy paper products (toilet paper included) with recycled content and post-consumer fibers. Also, look for paper products that are unbleached or chlorine-free since the bleaching process requires toxic chemicals that eventually end up in our air and water.

“If every household in the U.S. replaced just one roll of 120 ct. virgin-fiber paper towels with our 100% recycled ones, we could save 1,000,000 trees.” -Seventh Generation

So before you do this…

think about it. Maybe you can use something else to clean up that mess.  Think about how many rolls you go through a week and just try to decrease it a bit. So far 11 days has been my best. I’m still working on it though.  How many rolls do you use a week? Any ideas for alternatives to paper towels? And how ’bout we all chip in and buy Nina some breastpads??

Nina says…

That ain’t funny.

So, what tips do you have to use less paper towels? How many rolls do you go through a week? Care to take the challenge?

Lost – Season 5, Epi.9: Namaste

The flight before the crash. Not the first flight, the second one.

(Remember when Sawyer and co. found some boats with water from an Indian airline? Wasn’t it the same airline?)

The co-pilot recognizes Hurley as an O6 member. Then all hell breaks loose. The flashy lights occur and it goes from night to day. The plane has no power. Lapidus is da shit! He brings that plane down on a makeshift runway on the island. Just call him Sully! His co-pilot gets a tree to the chest for his efforts.

Caesar wakes up Elana and she notices that Sayid is gone. Lapidus asks Sun where Jack, Kate, Sayid, and Hurley are. Ben states the obvious; they’re gone and he doesn’t know where either.

So, mystery #1: Why didn’t Ben and Sun disappear with everyone else? I can maybe understand Ben not going because I have a feeling he wasn’t a part of those “meant to go back,” and rather, was piggy-backing on everyone else’s trip. But, why not Sun?

Thirty Years Earlier...

Ah, so those left on plane are in current time. Well, current for the show. Three years after the original crash which would put them at 2007.

Anyway, thirty years earlier Sawyer is seeing Kate, Jack, and Hurley for the first time in three years. He calls Hurley “Kong.” Our first Sawyerism of the night. He doesn’t call Kate “Freckles.” Awwww.

Sawyer marvels over the fact that Locke actually did it. Jack tells him that Locke is dead, but doesn’t tell him how. That is why Jack is annoying. He is stingy with the info. Hurley wants to know why Sawyer and Jin are rocking the Dharma jumpsuits. Sawyer breaks the news that they’re in DI and that it’s 1977.

“Uh. What?,” says Hurley.

Hurley comments on Jin’s awesome English. Sawyer says they have to bring them in. When Jin realizes that Sun was on the plane, he hightails it to The Flame to find out from Razinski where the plane might be. Before Sawyer can go off to formulate a plan, Kate wants to know who else is still on the island…

Juliet goes to a station asking Miles if he has seen Sawyer. He finds him on a monitor. He’s back at his house. Juliet finds Sawyer going through the closet looking for clothes. He tells her about Jack and co. being back. He needs to figure out a way to bring them in, and Juliet reminds him that a sub is coming in that afternoon.

Jin has to grip Razinski up before he’ll check to see if a plane has landed on the island.

Thirty years later…

Elana asks Sun if she lost someone on the plane, but she says she was traveling alone. Lapidus tells everyone to hunker down. Caesar asks Lapidus where they are. How the frak is he supposed to know?! Lapidus says the island isn’t on his charts so he doesn’t know where they are. Caesar brings up the animal cages and buildings as if that is suddenly going to put the island on Lapidus’ chart. What that does, though, is let us know that they are not on the same island that the Oceanic flight crashed on. They’re on the other one where Ben and the Others first held Jack, Kate, and Sawyer.

Ben sneaks off when he realizes this. Sun follows.

Caesar suggests that they search the buildings for a radio and food. Yeah, you do that. I’ve already seen that show. It’s called Lost, season one.

Sun is a bad tracker ’cause Ben pulls an okey-doke and ends up behind her. She asks where he’s going and he says, “Back to our island. Wanna come?” Ho-hum.

Thirty years ago...

Amy is sleeping on a hammock when Juliet swipes the sub manifest. She tells Amy she doesn’t have to work that day. Amy says that two of the recruits dropped out at the last minute because they didn’t want to take the submarine. Juliet asks if they’ve decided on a name for the baby yet. They have. Ethan.

I totally called that three weeks ago.

Juliet hands Amy the baby.

“Here, take this little bastard.”

OK, mystery #2: Ben helps The Others kill off all the DI people eventually. The Others take over the DI set up. I’ve never understood how that flew with the people back in the US (or wherever) running the DI. Did they not notice that everyone except Ben died? Did they not wonder who were all these new people suddenly living in their camps and operating their stations? Also, if Ethan was born to two DI members, why wasn’t he killed with everyone else? Donny reminded me that the Others liked to snatch children. Did they take, and raise, Ethan?

Back at the north point, Jack admits that Eloise Hawkin forgot to mention they’d be going back to the island in the disco era. Sawyer comes back with the clothes and explains that they’ll have to pretend they are new recruits coming in on the sub. They would have been sedated before the trip, so no one would have met them beforehand. Jack is hesitant, but Sawyer explains that there isn’t another group of recruits scheduled for six months. Either they do it now, or they’re camping in the woods for six months. They decide to go with Sawyer’s plan. He tells them that Jin will find their plane.

At the Flame, Razinski tells Jin there was no plane. He does get a signal that a hostile tripped a motion sensor inside their perimeter and Jin takes off. It’s Sayid! Jin asks about Sun, but Sayid doesn’t know where she is. Before they can talk further, Razinski shows up and Jin has to play along. He tells Sayid to shut up, or he’s dead. Sayid looks at him like he’s bumped his head.

Did anyone else notice that some of the monitors in The Flame were tuned to TV shows?

In the van, on the way to the DI camp, Hurley reminds Sawyer that the DI gets wiped out. Sawyer says he’s not there to warn them or change anything. He says that Daniel has interesting theories on what can and can’t be done. Jack asks about Daniel, and Sawyer says he’s not there anymore.

Mystery #3: What up with that?

At the camp, Sawyer drops Jack and co. off at the Processing Center, and tells them to act groggy from the trip. They should watch a little video and then wait for their names to be called. Juliet added them to the list. Hurley wants to know what they should do if someone asks them questions like who the president is. What he needs to be concerned with is whether or not they had to pass a physical. Then, he’d be shit outta luck.

Miles shows up. He’s surprised to see Jack and co. He tells Sawyer about the hostile Jin found. Sawyer gets Jin on the walkie and finds out that the hostile is Sayid.

Thirty years later…

Ben knows that there are three outriggers near where they are and he’s gonna take one back to the main island. Lapidus shows up and says he followed when he saw Ben leave. When Sun says she’s going with Ben, Lapidus wonders if she can trust him. Sun doesn’t have a choice. Lapidus follows along.

When they reach the boats, Lapidus reminds Sun that a boatload of commandos came to the island for Ben.

Ben starts going on about the dock across the water and the camp it leads to. There are resources there that can help those from the plane. Before he can blow more smoke, Sun knocks him over the head with an oar. I always find it funny when people seem to hit someone with just the right amount of force, and in just the right spot, to knock them out and not kill them or simply annoy them. For once, I’d like to see someone get hit, and instead of passing out go, “Oww! Whatcha do that for?!”

Thirty years ago…

Jack gets called for check-in. Peter Chang, from the orientation videos, is checking him in. He tells Jack that, according to his aptitude test, Jack is pretty much a janitor.

Kate is approached by one of the security guys who can’t find her name on the list. When he gets suspicious, Juliet swoops in to save the day with a list from Amy with last minute additions. I bet she did that shit on purpose.

Sawyer shows up and Razinski wants to kill Sayid. He’s worried that Sayid saw the model of The Swan and where they plan to build it. We get our second Sawyerism, he calls Razinski “Quickdraw.” When Sawyer questions Sayid he hints to him that he should admit he’s a hostile so that, according to the truce, they won’t have the right to shoot him. Not being a dummy, Sayid plays along. Razinski looks disappointed. Sawyer says they’re taking Sayid to the barracks, and Razinski says he’s coming to. It’s obvious that Razkinski’s an ole bitch-ass.

Thirty years later…

Sun and Lapidus arrive at the other island at night. As they approach the jungle, you can hear the click-click noise of the smoke monster and the trees shift. Sun lies her ass off saying it’s probably an animal. Lapidus doesn’t buy it.

They get to the DI camp and it’s deserted and jacked up.

If this is 2007, is the camp messed up because the last time we saw it, Ben called the smoke monster to jack things up?

The whispers come and a light comes on in one of the houses. Christian Shepard appears and Sun asks if he knows where her husband is. He tells them to follow.

Christian take Sun and Lapidus to the processing center and shows them a picture of Hurley, Kate, and Jack as new recruits back in 1977.

Thirty years earlier…

Jack and co. get their picture taken and are told to make themselves at home. Don’t drink the kool-aid!

Sawyer arrives with Sayid in cuffs and takes him to the barracks.

That night, Jack goes to Sawyer’s house and finds Juliet there. I don’t think it sunk in what she was doing there. Sawyer is chillin’ and reading a book. Jack wants to know what they’re gonna do next and what they’re gonna do about Sayid. Sawyer says he’s handling it and Jack says it looks like he’s reading a book. Sawyer says that’s how he rolls. He reads and thinks, and unlike Jack’s way, it doesn’t get people killed. He tells Jack to go home and chill and let him handle his damn business.

When he steps outside, he sees Kate and suddenly he ain’t all hardass. He’s all mushed-face and cute with those damn dimples you just wanna stick your fingers in, or maybe your tongue, oh sorry….

Anyway, some kid comes to the barracks to bring Sayid some food. With his sick hostile fascination, you just know it’s Ben. It is. It’s totally bug-eyed Ben.

Sharing Space: Q & A

Hello, loyal readers,

I am preparing a query, synopsis, and pitch for Sharing Space. My plan is to submit it for publishing consideration over the next two months. I’m also attending a writing conference where I’ll be pitching it to several literary agents. Eek!

For those of you who have been reading, and enjoying, I need your help.

1. Please post below any questions you have about the story. Want to know if a character was inspired by anyone in real life? Ask. If you have questions about the direction of the story, feel free to ask that as well.

2. What are you favorite chapters/scenes? Why? What didn’t you like? No bullshit. Just be honest.

3. If you’ve enjoyed the story, a quick blurb as to what you like in particular and why, would be appreciated. It doesn’t have to be terribly long. Just a few lines.

If you’ve been reading and not commenting, now is the perfect time to start. I could use all the feedback.

More news later.

Thanks,

n.

24 Day 7: 8pm-10pm

8pm – 9pm

Previously on 24: Juma and his men storm the White House. Juma uses the president’s daughter to draw her from the safe room. V.P. Hayworth will not authorize the F.B.I.’s plan to rush in without knowing the president is safe.

The following takes place between 8pm and 9pm…

VP Hayworth watches footage of what’s going on at the White House. He’s still acting like a punkass.

At the White House, Olivia apologizes to her Mom for being such a pain in the ass. She feels like a turd. She should. The president tells her it’s okay, and that she should just be ready to make a move if the opportunity allows. I smell a plan in place.

Jack whispers to Bill Buchanan that he’s gonna make a run for the safe room and set off some canisters he opened with one shot in the air. This will cause an explosion. He wants Bill to get the president out. Senator Mayer wants in on the plan, but Jack tells him to shut the hell up.

President Taylor tells Juma that he should let the hostages go now that he has her. He agrees to release one. He picks a guy from the bunch and shoots him in the head. See, he released him to Jesus.

If the president doesn’t read the statement he’s prepared for the cameras, he will release all the hostages to Jesus, starting with her daughter. With a Sangalan flag hanging in the background, she reads the statement.

The VP wants to shut down the broadcast, but it’s streaming live on the internet. He doesn’t care and still wants it shut down. *sigh* Will someone tell him you can’t turn off the internet?

Agent Moss calls the VP and tells him they want to initiate a rescue operation. They believe Juma will execute the president. The VP says no, again. Damnit, he wants to be president!!

Bill tells Jack that Juma has a contact giving him real time intel. Jack needs to find out who Juma is working with, Bill says. Bill then bumrushes the safe room and fires a shot into the air. The explosion kills some of Juma’s men and Bill.

Noooooo!

Agent Moss orders his men to rush in. Jack lights up the rest of Juma’s men while Aaron Pierce makes off with the president and her daughter. Jack saves Senator Mayer’s life. How much you want to bet he’s still ungrateful? Jack then corners Juma and orders him not to move. He does. Jack lights him up too. The FBI guys rush in to handle what Jack left them, which isn’t much. I think they shoot one guy.

As things get under control, Jack goes to Bill’s body. He’s dead with his eyes open. I hate that!

The president refuses to leave the White House. She wants to speak to the VP and she wants an update on her husband. Olivia tells the president that Aaron will be okay. Thankfully. If this show killed Aaron and Bill, I’d have to hurt somebody.

The president asks Olivia if she meant what she’d said earlier about the two of them starting over. Olivia says, of course. Olivia nods at Aaron as he’s taken away and then she looks really shifty when she’s alone. I don’t trust her.

Agent Walker tells Jack, who is still by Bill’s body, that the president is okay. Jack tells her that it was supposed to be him who set off the explosion. Jack tells Agent Moss what Bill said about Juma’s outside contact. Moss is skeptical and Jack resists the urge to pop him in the mouth, I can tell by his eyes. Jack wants to finish interrogating Ryan Burnett, Senator Mayer’s aide.

Moss says that he has to take Jack into custody, but he’ll look into it. When Jack is taken away, Walker sticks up for Jack and Moss doesn’t like it. Moss brushes her off, and she decides to go over his head and approaches Ethan Kanin.

Jonas Hodges (Jon Voight) receives word that the president is alive, but is happy that his weapons are on their way. He tells his assistant to prepare the targets.

Kanin tells Agent Moss that he’ll allow Bauer to question Burnett under his authority; not telling the president.

The president meets with Kanin and tells him she wants to bring Olivia on board, but Kanin disagrees. He says that her leaking personal, damaging, info on Taylor’sr opponent during the election almost cost Taylor the election. She insists that the offer come from him because she wants them to get along.

Agent Walker apologizes to Moss for going over his head. Moss tells Walker she’s suspended because he can’t trust her. Some presidential music plays as Moss and Bauer take off in a chopper to interrogate Burnett. Jack defends Walker in the chopper, but Moss don’t wanna hear that either.

Hodges prepares to attack one of his targets, but his assistant tells him that Bauer is on his way to interrogate Burnett. He took the liberty of sending someone named Quenten to take care of Burnett and Bauer.

Jack arrives at the hospital and is told it will take a few minutes for Burnett to be awakened from his sedation.

Quenten is Jerry from General Hospital! He’s posing as hospital staff and kills a man recovering from heart surgery. While everyone rushes to save the old man he killed, Quenten hacks into their computer system. Then he crawls through the vents.

Olivia thanks Aaron for taking a bullet for her.  She tries prying into what happened to Martha Logan, but he doesn’t want to talk about it. What happened to Martha?!

Kanin approaches Olivia about being a special adviser to the president. Olivia blames him for everything that has happened and vows to get to the bottom of it. She’s a beyotch.

Jack prepares to interrogate Burnett. Moss says if Jack lays a finger on Burnett it’s over. Jack wakes up Burnett. Burnett shits his bedsheets. He starts calling for a lawyer. He says he’ll sing. He’ll sing loud and clear as long as Jack doesn’t touch him.

From the vent above the room, Quenten jams the feed going to Agent Moss so it looks as if Jack is still talking to Moss when what really happens is Quenten dropping a gas into the room that knocks out both Jack and Burnett. He then drops in wearing a mask, kills Burnett, and leaves. By the time the feed comes back, Burnett is dead. They rush the room, but Jack, seeing what happened leaves through the vents too.

Between the secret water tunnels and vents, D.C. is a very dangerous place to be.

Jack calls Moss and proclaims his innocence. Moss says he should turn himself in then. Jack is like, “Slow yo roll.” He tells Moss not to be distracted by him and handle the threat. It’s not over.

Tick… tock… tick… tock.

9p.m. – 10p.m.

Previously on 24: Bill Buchanan dies a hero. *sniff* Jack kills Juma, but the threat isn’t over. Jack gets permission to interrogate Ryan Burnett. Olivia joins the president’s staff and sets her sites on discrediting Kanin. Hodges gets word that Jack will be talking to Burnett, and arranges to have Burnett killed and Jack framed for it.

And now…

The following takes place between 9pm and 10pm…

Chloe’s husband, Morris, arrives at the FBI offices, demanding to see Chloe. Janis tells him Chloe’s been arrested. He’s escorted to a room. Moss calls Janis and tells her what happened. He’s on his way in. Walker asks Janis what’s going on and she reluctantly tells her. At least I think it’s reluctance. Her acting is soooo bad!

Jack gets video of Quenten and sends it to Agent Walker. She runs some facial recognition software. Quenten calls in to Hodges that Jack got away.

Walker gets a hit on Quenten and calls Jack. He works for a defense consultant… basically a member of a private army, a company called Starkwood. She suggests that he speak to Senator Mayer. She also calls him Quinn. I’m too lazy to queue up last week’s episode to see if Hodge’s assistant did indeed call him Quinn and not Quenten. We’ll just call him Q.

Moss goes to Walker’s office just as she sends Jack information on Mayer’s location. When he leaves, he tells Janis to track everything Walker has been doing because he’s sure she’s been talking to Jack.

At the White House, Olivia questions the speech that the president is going to give. She thinks it should be more triumphant than consoling, and she convinces the president to change it. kanin comes in and owns up to letting Jack interrogate Burnett and the aftermath. He apologizes, but Olivia gloats. She’s a bitch like that.

Walker tries to leave, but Moss corners her and demands to know where Jack is. Walker refuses to tell. Moss can’t believe that Walker would risk everything to protect Jack. I can. Jack is da shit.

Senator Mayer arrives home to find Jack waiting in his office. He tells Mayer that he didn’t kill Burnett and that Q. did. Since Q. worked for Starkwood, he wants to know what connection Starkwood has to Juma. Mayer insists there isn’t one. Jack tells Mayer to open his files on Starkwood so he can see for himself.

The president addresses the nation on what happened earlier. A reporter approaches Kanin for confirmation on what happened with Jack and Ryan Burnett. Olivia opened her big mouth! Kanin approaches Olivia who claims she didn’t do it. Kanin tells her that by being a See You Next Tuesday, she’s hurt her mother’s administration more than hurting him.

Please, God, let Olivia die before the day is over. Please?

Janis tells Moss that Walker’s encryption to Bauer is above her pay grade. Moss tells Morris that if he doesn’t help decrypt the info and help find Bauer, they’ll throw Chloe in jail. He agrees granted that Chloe gets full immunity for her actions earlier. He tells them that Bauer went to Senator Mayer’s house.

Moss assumes that Jack went there for revenge. Chloe is angry with Morris for helping the FBI find Jack.

As Jack goes through the Starkwood files, Mayer asks him about his regrets. He says he regrets all the innocent lives lost during anything he’s done. He also regrets not gaggin’ Mayer, now shut up! Jack finds a connection between the man that murdered Burnett and the death of an informant on Starkwood’s activities bribing Pentagon officials. Jack finds a connection between Starkwood and Juma: biological weapons.

Police pound at Mayer’s door, and he convinces Jack that he will order them to help Jack. Jack agrees, but when Mayer opens the door, Q. kills him. Run, Jac, run!! The real police arrive, and of course they think Bauer killed Mayer.

Olivia swears she can prove the leak didn’t come from her, and that she bought them some time in keeping the story under wraps. Kanin apologizes to Olivia, half-heartedly.

Q. tracks Jack via a blood trail. Jack gets the upper hand and they have a macho fight on top of a trailer. Q. tries to fight all fancy with kicks, and Jack is all, “Eff that.” He tries choking him, Bauer-style. Jack throws a knife and stabs Q. in the chest, then smacks him with a 2 x 4. As he dies, Q. tells Jack the weapons are already here. Jack checks Q.’s cell phone and finds the port where the weapons were due to arrive.

Moss calls Janis and puts out an order to shoot on sight because he thinks Jack murdered Mayer.

Jack calls Tony and tells him to meet him with weapons. It’s on, bitches!

Tick.. tock… tick… tock…

Is it me, or was Tony just chilling at some outside cafe?

The Amazing Race 14: It Was Like a Caravan of Idiots & She’s a Little Scared of Stick, But I Think She’ll Be OK!

“It Was Like a Caravan of Idiots”

Previously on The Amazing Race, which I missed ’cause a sprinkle of snow caused by DirecTV to go out: Nine teams raised to Romania. Brad and Victoria took a gamble with flights and screwed themselves. Mel and Mike come in first. Victor led Tammy astray and she finally spoke out. Brad and Victoria were eliminated.

And now…

The teams leave from Romania. Mel and Mike leave first at 10:49pm. They have to fly to Siberia and then travel by taxi to the location on the back of a 10 ruble note.

The two tiny stuntmen ask their cab driver for his cell phone and he gives it to them, but not before dialing the cab driver of the Jaime and Cara (the cheerleaders.) He gives the phone to them and they pretend to be the airlines and tell them there are no flights… then hang up. It’s deliciously evil and funny.

All the teams take various flights to Moscow, but some teams miss the connecting flight to Siberia.

Mike and Mark (tiny stuntmen) and Kisha and Jen (sistahs) are in first and second place respectively. The flight attendants are third. They have to choose between two Detours. 1. Stack wood or 2. Build shutters and then install them on a house.

They all choose Stack.

One of the sistahs keeps saying things like, “This is a lot of wood,” and, “give me wood,” and, “that’s big wood.”

The locals just laugh and drink and stare. As usual.

The stuntmen knock down the model stack of wood and have to restack THAT as well. Sucks to be them. They give up and go to the other task.

The other teams finally arrive.

The stuntmen go in search of the house that needs the shutters BEFORE putting them together.

Kisha and Jen finish stacking first and head off to the first U-Turn. But the U-Turn has a twist, when you choose to have another team turn around and do the Detour they didn’t attempt, you no longer have to leave your picture labeling yourself the perpetrator. Kisha and Jen don’t use it and neither do the blonde flight attendants.

All the other teams choose to Stack.

Kisha and Jen reach the Road Block. One team member rides a bobsled- rollercoaster looking for seven letters along the way. After the ride, they have to unscramble the letters to spell out the name of a Russian playwright. They have to complete the ride in four minutes or less.

Kisha goes through and only gets 6 letters. She has to do the ride again.

The tiny stuntmen are still looking for the house.

The blondes get all the letters in exactly four minutes, but can’t unscramble the name.

The remaining teams stacking all knock over their wood piles, but only the cheerleaders decide to stick it out. Mel and Mike and Amanda and Kris head for the shutters.

Margie and Luke U-Turn Amanda and Kris. That’s messed up.

Victor and Tammy don’t knock over their wood pile, and he chalks it up to Asian engineering.

Kisha and Jen finally guess Chekhov and head for pit stop.

The flight attendants finally get it too.

Amanda and Kris, Mel and Mike, and the tiny stuntmen are all trying to build the shutters.

The flight attendants (Christie and Jodi) beat Kisha and Jen to the pit stop and win motorcycles for coming in first.

At the bobsled, Victor said he had no problem coming up with Chekhov because, “Who doesn’t know Chekhov?”

Um, everyone that came before you, that’s who.

Aaaand those that came after you, too. Luke has a hard time coming up with the name.

The cheerleaders finally finish the wood pile.

The three shutters teams wander the streets looking for the house looking like “a caravan of idiots.” They are literally a few feet from the house and don’t see it. FINALLY, they find it.

When the cheerleaders are trying to decide who should do the bobsled one says, “I’m a good reader.”

Um, you’re a grown ass woman. I hope you’re a good reader!

Amanda and Kris are bummed to find they were U-Turned and have to do the wood pile anyway. I feel bad for them.

As they make their way to the bob sled, after completing the wood pile, they speculate that it was either Kisha and Jen or the blondes who U-Turned them. They are sure that Margie and Luke feel bad for them. Little do they know…

The tiny stuntmen are at the pit stop, but don’t have enough money to pay the cabbie. They offer up a watch, but the cabbie is rolling with a Rolex. LMAO! He finally accepts the money that they have.

Amanda and Kris are eliminated and it sucks.

“She’s a Little Scared of Stick, But I Think She’ll Be OK!”

Previously on The Amazing Race: Luke and Margie blind U-Turn Amanda and Kris. The blonde flight attendants come in first. The tiny stuntmen have a rough go.

And now…

Seven teams remain. Christie and Jodi depart at 12:43 p.m. They have to ride the Transiberian Railway. Kisha and Jen leave second, but it doesn’t matter because the next train leaves at 10:26pm. All teams will be on the same train.

The next morning, on the train, Luke and Margie admit to Mike that they U-Turned Kris and Amanda. Hee-hee. Luke signs that the big, strong guy had to go.

Jaime and Cara are annoyed that their cab driver is smoking. Dude, he’s Russian, leave him alone.

Detour: Russian Bride or Russian Snow Plow. In the first, they have to find a bride and drive her to a church to take a pic with the groom. In the other, they drive a snow plow through a course.

Margie and Luke were following Victor and Tammy and the cheerleaders were following them. When they all stop for directions, Victor finds the way first and takes off. When they stop again, he does the same thing.

Mel and Mike do Russian Bride because they’d rather party with virgin brides than snow plows.

When Tammy and Victor, Margie and Luke, and Cara and Jaime arrive at the snow plows, there’s lots of confusion. Margie yells at Luke. Dude, he can’t hear you.

The blonde flight attendants stop for directions and come across a bunch of drunk Russians that purposely give them bad information. One of the blondes is felt up by a drunkard.

Mel and Mike complete their bridal task.

Kisha and Jen get their bride, but have issues driving a stick shift.

The blonde flight attendants take their bride to the wrong church.

Tammy and Victor and the cheerleaders finish the snow plow and hit the Roadblock. One teammate must strip down to their undies and run a mile with a professional runner.

Tammy, realizing she will be running in her panties, says, “I can never come to Russia again.”

Cara, one of the cheerleaders, looks great in her underwear. Even though they don’t match.

Kisha and Jen finally finish their bridal task and get directions to the next clue.

The blondes complete their bridal task and are in last place.

Luke runs through the streets in his drawers and it’s not pretty. He signs that he just kept looking down which is funny because I tried not to look down.

Luke and Margie are team number 1. They win a trip for two to St. Lucia.

Tammy and Victor are team number 2. Phil tries to keep his eyes up.

Mike runs in his underwear and boots.

Kisha and Jen break their car.

The tiny stuntmen almost walk right past the pit stop.

It’s awesome cause one of the blondes had on a thong, and she ran through Russia with her ass out.

Jen, one of the sistahs, ran in her undies, and her ass cheeks kept popping out.

The blondes are in last place, but not eliminated. They predict they’ll do better clawing their way up from the bottom. No pun intended.

Temper, Temper

I don’t spank.

Kali got one spanking as a toddler for drawing on her bedroom walls, after several warnings not to do it anymore, and I felt horrible afterwards. It was just a few open hand smacks on her thighs and diapered bottom. As she crawled into bed crying I ran to my bedroom crying as well.

“Donny… we… are… not… spanking… that… child… ever… again.”

And that’s worked really well for us. Kali isn’t more difficult than any other child her age. In fact, my only peeve with Kali is having to repeat myself. (That whole easily distracted thing we’ve discussed before.) And after ten years of no spanking, I find myself losing my patience more.

Maybe it’s having a new baby, a full load this semester, a new website, a novel that’s thisclose to being complete, and a house that seems to always require cleaning, or all of the above, but I feel like I’m always yelling. And it’s not that I want to hit Kali, because I don’t, but I sure wouldn’t mind shaking the shit out of her sometimes.

I know, I know, that sounds horrible! But I get so frustrated. Why do I have to tell you to brush your teeth three times? Phrasing your questions four different ways won’t make me change my answer. I hate yelling at Kali. I really do. I don’t like the way it makes me feel at all. Sometimes, though, I felt like I couldn’t control myself.

Then last week I was talking to my friend KeMari and she brought up a good point – she tries not to yell at her kids for things they can’t control.

It was like a lightbulb had gone off in my head! I had a montage of images sail through my head, highlighting moments over the past few weeks where I’d lost my temper. How many of those times really warranted such a response? Not many.

Kali spilled a glass of juice at the table. She turned to say something to Donny, and hit it with her hand. I yelled. Thinking back on it, of course I want her to be more careful, but how many times had I done the same thing? No one yelled at me. It was an accident. Am I so stressed out that I’m yelling over accidents? Yes, apparently I am.

The other night, Kali was dumping the remains of her dinner into the garbage can, but didn’t bother to move the flap completely so her food splattered all over it. THAT is something she can control, but do I need to yell? No, it definitely warranted a raising of the voice though.

So, I’ve challenged myself with two things.

1) Recognize which offenses are controllable (lying and not following directions) and which aren’t (spilling drinks and not being able to sleep at night.)

2) Practicing a stern raised voice to get my point across versus yelling.

Can I really be surprised/upset when she yells and loses her own temper when things don’t go her way?

What discipline techniques have you practiced? Have you found yourself having to make changes to the way you discipline? Do you yell? Spank?

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