Rachel Carrington's Blog, page 52
September 30, 2011
Ladies Home Journal Essay Contest
I always find the best bits of writing news while I'm stuck in a chair for physical therapy, and here's what I discovered this week.
Ladies Home Journal is having its first ever LHJ Personal Essay Contest, and the prize is a not-too-shabby $3,000 and publication in Ladies Home Journal! Check it out at www.LHJ.com/essaycontest for all the details.
September 25, 2011
And now a little eye candy…
Had to throw this in to make sure my blog stays up to date on the latest in male beauty. Not objectifying, mind you. Just appreciating. Alex O'Loughlin is one handsome man. 
Just plain bad taste
Okay, I'm by no means a prude. Ask anyone who knows me, and they'll gladly tell you that's the last thing they think of when they talk to me. However, I do believe in keeping things in good taste, and lately, that's not the case with television. It's gotten to the point where already this season I'm thinking about dialing back on some of the shows I watch or just DVRing them all. The reasons why?
Well, let's take X-Factor for one. By now, I'm sure everyone has heard about the guy dropping his pants on stage. If this were a live show, I could understand how it was left in, but because it's pre-recorded, the producers/directors had every opportunity to remove that particular part from the show. Did they? Well, of course not. They wanted the shock value. It didn't shock me as much as disgust me.
Then let's take the Summer's Eve commercial. The "all hail to the V". Really? Have we come so far as a society that it's okay to whip out a salutation to a woman's parts? I just think it's ridiculous that the advertising company couldn't come up with anything better. I'm sure somewhere down the line there will be a marching band with a commercial celebrating the big D for men.
Maybe it's just my age, but I'm finding more and more commercials and television tasteless. Even the Emmy's had to have an entire song and dance number around sex. Why was that necessary? Is it supposed to be funny? Could there not have been a segment that wasn't about sex that was just as humorous? Even one of the winners said he'd have some explaining to do to his children after that number.
But that's not the only things I think are just plain wrong. The commercial where the parents "choose" which child they love the most is supposed to be funny, but, to me, that crosses a line. Why make fun of something that really goes on in some families around the world? It's almost as bad as the commercial Bud Light did that involved torture a couple of years ago.
I guess, in today's society, nothing is off limits as long as it has the potential to sell products and/or bring in the ratings. That, to me, is sad. And I think some things just should be considered taboo for ad agencies and television shows. Just my opinion, but my DVR is going to be getting a work out this season.
September 22, 2011
So now that fall premieres are here…
Okay, so far, I've seen several new shows that (and returning favorites) for the start of the fall season, and other than X-Factor, I haven't really been impressed with any of the newbies on the block. (I was really disappointed with Unforgettable.) I'm really looking forward to Terra Nova on Monday, though, so maybe that will turn the tide. It sounds like it's right up my alley!
I just don't think there are really any original dramas. Everything is revolving around cops (or different variations of), lawyers, or medical staff, and while I love all three, the television landscape is swamped with them. Someone on Twitter just watched Person of Interest and said it was good so I might check that one out. Otherwise, I'll probably be sticking to the returning favorites with the except of American Idol. I'm done with that show.
On a separate note, I received two rejections in my inbox today. Good thing I'm not a bitter type of person.
Get ready for a great weekend, everyone!
September 20, 2011
Things that I'm stoked about…
Things I'm stoked about:
X-Factor debuting 9/21 (Simon is back!)
Being a contributing columnist for Writer2Writer (really great ezine for writers)
Finding a carpet cleaner that really works so I don't have to pay a lot of money (yeah, it's the little things)
My ongoing Spanish lessons (because they remind me of my upcoming trip to Spain in 2012)
Only three more weeks to go until I complete physical therapy (for a previous foot surgery)
And finding new effects and transitions for my video editing program (I'm crazy about creating book videos!).
Reading this list, I can see it really doesn't take much to make me happy. LOL
June 16, 2011
Just being honest
In case you haven't figured it out by now, I have a hard time blogging. I know it seems like everyone is doing it, and there are so many people who are extraordinarily good at it. I'm just not one of them. Maybe it's because I find it very hard to open up online about anything I think someone would be remotely interested. Or maybe it's just because my brain thinks of blogging like journaling, and I don't want to spill my thoughts online. Haven't quite got that one figured out yet.
I have been reading more about blogging, but I always find myself drifting back to doing the things I love the most like creating videos. That's what occupies a lot of my spare time. I create book videos, commercials, and even some fan videos. I love doing it, figuring out new ways to do it, and investigating new programs to do it.
At any rate, if you stop by for a visit and notice I haven't been here in a few, you can always check out my Youtube channel at dcarrington2004. I'm constantly working on book videos, and I'm starting to add the ones I do for other authors there as well.
Who knows? Maybe soon I'll start talking about vidding here. It is one of my passions along with writing!
June 2, 2011
It's Friday Hunk Time!
Just one really, really good reason to watch Criminal Minds…even the repeats. Shemar Moore. Nothing else needs to be said!
May 27, 2011
A Hunk for Friday
I just finished watching all ten seasons of Smallville, and I just say that Tom Welling did the Man of Steel proud. For that alone, I'm sharing a little something to get those creative juices flowing!
Could he be any finer!
TGIF!
I'm being interviewed…
I'm being interviewed at Books on the House along with several other wonderful Decadent Publishing authors. The interviews will take place between June 15th and the 21st, and I had the opportunity to grill author Becca Dale. So I hope you'll stop by should you be in that area of the cyberverse. http://booksonthehouse.com/
May 20, 2011
Top two on American Idol
Well, at least I got this one right. Scotty and Lauren are the top two which makes my choice a bit easier.
I don't know if it's just me, but some of the contestants have come across as a bit cocky when they've been voted off like Hayley saying she rocked it out and Jacob saying America fell in love with him. What happened to being humble? Or course, I'm also the one that thinks the folks' hometowns are a bit strange for declaring a day a contestant's day.
At any rate, I've made wrenching decision that this will be my last Idol year. This isn't so much a competition anymore as it is a popularity contest, and Randy's constant refrain of "She/He's in it to win it" is like nails on a chalkboard to me because, really, aren't they all in this competition to win it? So it's a little like saying the law student is determined to become a lawyer. Well, yeah. That's the point of attending law school.
Soooo, I'll be tuning into the X-Factor, though, when it debuts in the fall. How about you? Any predictions on the 2011 American Idol? I'm thinking Scotty will take it.
