Dexter Comes Back Strong

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Reena

Dexter, Showtime, tv show, premiere, Michael C. Hall

Article first published as TV Review: Dexter Comes Back Strong on Blogcritics.

This Sunday night was the much awaited season premiere of the hit show Dexter and it did not disappoint. Sunday night is full of popular shows but Showtime’s award-winning shows can hold their own against the competition. If you’re not sure about it then check out the encore presentations after the initial airing.

We pick up where we left off last season, with Debra walking in on Dexter fatally stabbing the serial killer Travis Marshall. Dexter tells her he snapped and it was self-defense. Debra agrees not to report it since he’s her brother and he convinces her he would lose his son. She wants to believe him and allows him to torch the scene but doesn’t understand why Travis was wrapped in plastic similar to the style of the Ice Truck killer. Dexter doesn’t attempt to give too much explanation and hopes that Deb will forget the whole thing and things can go back to how they were. Though Deb has always had a blind faith in him, this is too much to ask.

However, Deb’s detective instincts won’t let her forget, and she eventually finds Dexter’s blood slides and knives. Now, Dexter admits that he’s a serial killer and we have no idea how this new honesty will work out for them. Obviously this means things can’t go back; what will this mean to Deb/Dexter’s relationship?

For years, Deb has been trying to get closer to Dexter while he has been hiding his other side. Though they are adoptive siblings, Deb was discovering in therapy that she may be in love with him. Debra has always meant a lot to Dexter as well and therein lies the conundrum. Will she be able to accept the real Dexter or will he attempt to change for her. Will he get caught by someone else since La Guerta found the blood slide he dropped when killing Travis? Seems like this season will be pretty intense and better than the last one. The show is on its final run of 24 episodes. This means they could take things in any direction, but whichever way they go I’m sure it will be a fun ride. Pretty impressive that they’ve gotten us to root for a serial killer for seven seasons already!

Posted in Entertainment, Television | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Allergies Attack!

Posted on October 1, 2012 by Reena

Allergens, Seasonal allergies, Zyrtec, singulair, allegraAllergy season is here again, though for some it never left.  Both my kids have horrible seasonal allergies.  I guess they inherited it from me and my husband, but mostly from me.  All day today I’ve been dealing with a major headache despite taking my Allegra.  The allergies just drain you and hit hardest at the beginning of the season when you’re not quite sure what you’re dealing with.  Is it a cold, a migraine, or am I just nuts?  Then eventually you realize and start taking your meds regularly and also get used to the misery.

I really feel bad for our kids though.  They don’t know how to deal with misery, nor should they have to.  They also gain a lot more exposure to the allergens because they still want to go out to play despite the evil lurking outdoors.  As a parent, I don’t want to lock them inside either because that would cause other issues like Vitamin D deficiency, Obesity and general slothfulness.  I wouldn’t want to be guilty of that now.  Therefore, I let them go out, run around in the grass, take in the ‘fresh air’ and come back congested.  Then every night I dutifully dope them up on Zyrtec, Singulair and Nasonex and hope for the best.  We make it through the season okay but about once a season there is a morphing into an ear or sinus infection and then we have to deal with antibiotics.  My little one is still a mystery to his allergist since he is constantly sniffling or clearing his throat despite the meds.  It’s a lot of fun to go to the movie theater with him while he’s doing that!

I know our health issues could be a lot worse so I’m not complaining…..scratch that, since I am complaining.  But I do recognize that it’s not the end of the world, it just means that it is the end of the summer.  Time to stock up on my Allegra and Kleenex and do what I can for my sniffly boys.  Hope my fellow allergy sufferers are faring well!

Posted in Health, Parenting | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Is my Inner Child Gone?

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Reena

Messy kids, children, fun, freedom, innocence, playingYesterday at the park, I noticed a child rolling down a hill.  She laid herself flat on the grass, rolled all the way down then got up smiling and ran up to do it again.  My first reaction to this was ‘oh gross!’ because I kept thinking about the dirt and bugs and possible animal poop on the grass.  Then, suddenly I had a distant memory of doing the same thing dozens of times when I was a kid.  I tried to dial back my germaphobic reaction and tried to see things through my inner child.  Well, it took quite an effort.  So does that mean that my inner child is fading away?  Does that mean my innocence is lost?

I started to feel bad about that possibility of lost innocence and being a grown-up with no inner child to draw from.  I mean I do believe that kids should be able to have fun and explore and be free sometimes.  Yet when I see them with a dripping ice cream cone or playing in the dirt.  I focus on the mess and want to stop them instead of letting them enjoy it.  Maybe that is what happens when you become a parent and have to worry about the consequences of laundry or sickness or injuries.  My mind jumps to those possible consequences rather than enjoying the moment like the child does.

So maybe I need to reconnect with my inner child again and let myself get messy and free with the kids sometimes.  Maybe a risk of bugs and boo-boos is okay now and then just to connect with my kids on their level and see the world through their innocence.  It might even be fun and make the laundry and bandages that follow seem not so bad!

Posted in Fun, Parenting | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

2012 Emmy Awards

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Reena

Emmys2012, fashion police, Emmys, Modern Family, Game ChangeLast night I was glued to the TV watching the Emmy Awards to see if the Academy and I agree.  Plus, the Red Carpet is always an entertaining as well for those like me who love fashion.  So, I thought Jimmy Kimmel did a decent job as host and some of the skits were quite amusing.  I didn’t, however, find the prank with Tracy Morgan to be very amusing.  Tracy Morgan was to pretend to pass out on stage in an effort to get everyone to start posting that he really fainted and to turn on ABC to watch.  I understand the show’s effort to become a trending internet topic and to get more viewers to turn on the show.  Though it was rather silly and boring for those of us that were already watching.

As for the winners last night, the comedy category was dominated by Modern Family which won 4 awards including best Comedy Series.  Here I totally agreed with the Academy’s choice since I think Modern Family is a hilarious show and very well acted.  The comedic lead actor and actress were Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (Veep).  I guess Jon Cryer continues to give a good performance despite the changed co-star.

The awards in the Drama category were dominated by the HBO series Homeland which took the Emmy’s for Best Series, Writing, Lead Actor and Lead Actress.  I agreed that this is an excellent show on a delicate subject and has very powerful acting by Claire Danes and Damian Lewis.  I definitely look forward to watching the second season of this show that delves into politics and terrorism while keeping the viewers engaged into the very human and flawed characters.  I was also very happy to see Aaron Paul win best Supporting Actor for Breaking Bad.  This is a series that I had only started to watch this past summer but it got me completely addicted.  I’m sad that it is in its final season now but it’s had a great run.  The surprise in the Drama category was that Mad Men didn’t win anything, despite having 17 nominations this year.

The big winner in the Movie/Miniseries category was HBO’s political movie Game Change.  Yet the History Channel’s Hatfields & McCoys were also honored.  Kevin Costner received the lead actor Emmy and Tom Berenger won the supporting actor award for this historical based miniseries.

All in all it was a good show and the fashion and glamour were at its best (and sometimes worst).  My personal fashion favorites were Sofia Vergara and Tina Fey.  The not so nice looks in my opinion were Julianne Moore whose dress color and shape did not flatter.  Also, the choice of maternity gown was a total fail for Claire Danes since it had no shape and looked like she wrapped herself in a yellow sheet.  So I look forward to a fresh new television season of old favorites and some newbies that show potential!  What were your favorites last night???

Posted in Entertainment, Fashion, Television | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Really, Romney???

Posted on September 18, 2012 by Reena

Romney, taxes, tax returns, ObamaI was very disappointed by Mitt Romney‘s recent statements calling 47% of our country victims who are basically freeloaders on the government. He implies that President Obama’s supporters are all people who don’t pay taxes and don’t work hard. He misrepresents so many facts and insults half our population. I really fear for our country’s future if we elect a leader who is so out of touch with reality. He is basically insulting the elderly and those under the poverty line. Yet there are many profitable, large corporations like G.E. that are paying little, if any income tax. So many rich people in this country are paying so little taxes and hiding their wealth in other countries. Romney himself won’t disclose any more tax returns which gives us reason to believe that he is hiding something as well.

How is it that he feels sorry for those rich people yet he thinks that the less wealthy are horrible for feeling ‘entitled to food and healthcare’? The disparity between the very rich and poor is at its most extreme. The type of policies that Romney backs will only make this worse. His supporters may not think there is anything wrong with the rich getting richer and others suffering but historically this has only led to bad things. A nation where the majority is unhappy and suffering leads to hate, crime, and less consumerism. Many rich people feel that they worked harder or did the right things to earn their success and therefore look down on the less fortunate. However, often this is not the case. Many times it is just bad luck, bad health or circumstances that result in one person being poorer than another and not because they didn’t get an education or work just as hard. Should our country let all these people fall and suffer because they somehow deserved this?

It’s not that I don’t feel there are people out there that abuse the system but I don’t think that this means we should take things away from genuine causes. There are plenty of people on welfare or Medicaid that lie about not having money but there are also plenty of rich people who hide their money or use loopholes to not do their share as well. I think there are reforms that can be used on both sides and as someone in the middle, I would appreciate someone improving the system. However Romney has not been forthcoming about his own practices as far as paying taxes and he is also not giving the public any details on how he plans to change the tax laws if elected. Many have said that he would take away credits for mortgage interest. Well most average Americans have a large chunk of their money invested in their homes so that credit really helps us and taking it away would increase our taxes.

Sadly though, he is pretty close to Obama in the polls and could very well become president. Many people are frustrated that the President did not work miracles in this first term and are getting very impatient. I understand the frustrations, especially for those who have not been able to find jobs or have lost their homes. However, a lot of damage was done during the Bush administration and it is a slow recovery. I’m sure there are no miracles that Romney could work either but I do believe most of America will suffer under his proposed policies. Let’s see what happens and pray for the country!

Posted in News, Opinion, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Hot Topics

Posted on September 14, 2012 by Reena

hot topics, current events, middle east, tall childrenToday I wanted to share my thoughts and observations on things that have caught my attention this week.  All these things, whether in the news or around me, have made me pause and think.  Maybe others were struck by some of these issues as well.

1.  One thing I heard that shocked me was that the Today show this week chose not to air the 9/11 moment of silence ceremony and opted instead to discuss Kris Jenner‘s breast implants.  I found that shocking and really disheartening.  I’m not a fan of some of these reality shows (excluding the ones that are talent competitions) because I don’t see why following these people around is so fascinating that we pay them millions.  I still prefer watching people with talent or something inspired by creativity.  So maybe I’m more sensitive to this issue.  However, this was a critical day in our history and its anniversary deserves some respect.  Therefore, I think it was really pathetic that a frivolous discussion with a reality star trumped 9/11 memorial coverage.

2. Another thing I noticed was how people are treated differently based on appearance.  I mean I’ve always felt that the pretty people of the world are afforded more courtesies.  They seem to get more pleasant reactions from people and people often will go the extra step to help them out.  Yet what shocked me this week was that I saw a Kindergarten aged girl being treated differently because she is tall and big for her age.  She is a cute girl but she is taller than some of the second grade kids.  Her behavior of course is that of a 5-6 year old child but people seem to expect more mature behavior because of her appearance.  They seemed more put off by her immaturity and way of speaking than the other kids her age.  I actually found myself reacting that way too until I consciously reminded myself that she is only in Kindergarten.  Why is it that our minds play tricks on us like that?  Despite what we know, we seem to react on what we see.

3. The other hot topic that really got to me was the murder of 4 Americans, including our Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens, in Libya.  It was awful senseless violence by cowards.  The supposed reason for the murder was a movie made by an American that depicts the Muslim prophet in a bad light.  This movie has upset most of the Muslim community since it is disrespectful to show their prophet and especially with the lies shown in the movie.  This apparently incited many in the Middle East to protest and show more hatred towards the USA.  Protesting is acceptable but the violence is completely unacceptable and should be controlled by the leaders of those countries.  After all, those murdered were diplomats who try to promote peace and understanding between countries.  Sadly there are too many people who think violence and murder are an appropriate response to their anger.

I also feel that the maker of this controversial movie “Innocence of Muslims” was wrong.  I believe in free speech but I think that comes with some responsibility. I mean we should be allowed to say or show controversial things if there is some basis in fact or if we think it can help in some way.  However, just saying and showing things that are hateful and malicious is not right.  It is just gossiping taken to an extreme.  Look at all that resulted.  I’m not saying that this movie creator was directly responsible for the murders but he did know that he would anger and hurt a lot of people and obviously didn’t care.  He was also a coward who used a pseudonym and put this hateful material out there and is now hiding for his safety.  There is still absolutely no justification for what those murderers did.  But I do wish people weren’t so hateful with their thoughts or opinions.  Why can’t we all just get along???

Posted in Life, News, Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

So What if it’s not a Blockbuster Film

Posted on September 3, 2012 by Reena

Premium Rush, movie, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yesterday my husband and I wanted to go out for drinks and a movie.  However, we didn’t know what to watch because nothing seemed of the caliber of blockbuster films we’ve been watching all summer.  We looked at the reviews and finally decided on ‘Premium Rush‘ over ‘The Bourne Legacy’ or ‘Lawless’.  I figured Joseph Gordon-Levitt has done good work in his previous movies but wasn’t sure how he would fare without a Christopher Nolan and a big name actor beside him.  Still, the concept seemed interesting so we were on for a Premium Rush.

Levitt plays a bike messenger in NYC who, despite having a law degree, chooses the rush of zipping fearlessly through traffic on a gear-less, brake-less bike over sitting in an office.  The story follows Levitt’s character, Wilee, as he attempts to deliver a mystery package that attracts the interest of a dirty cop.  This cop is played by Michael Shannon who does a brilliant job playing this relentless villain.  The action is intense as the camera is often on the bike and the audience experiences the near-misses and traffic nightmares.  Anyone who has experienced crazy Manhattan traffic would cringe during many of the scenes.  The movie was done in an interesting way with a lot of rewinding to explain the back story.  There are snippets of Wilee’s love life thrown in to help us get to know the character better.  It also doesn’t hurt that his love interest is an attractive bike messenger played by Dania Ramirez.

All in all, it was a good movie with a fast pace and a decent story.  I definitely enjoyed it.  Sadly though, in these times of overpriced movie tickets, many good movies like this one are relegated to the DVD category for people like me (limited time and money for entertainment).  When I mentioned to my brother that I was trying to choose a movie for the evening, he said “I’m sure it will be good but since the last movie you watched was ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, nothing will impress you too much”.  I guess that is what happened.  It was a very good movie but lately we’ve only been watching the big blockbuster movies in the theaters.  We wait for the movies with the proven Directors and all the A-list actors and then we’ll pay the overpriced tickets and even splurge for 3D or IMAX.

I feel for the newer actors and the smaller budget films because they don’t get much of a chance against these juggernauts.  Going to the  theater to watch a flick still has it’s own charm and makes the movie itself more likable than watching it at home.   Hopefully people continue to go to the movies for the independent movies, rom-coms, and smaller films because sometimes they surprise you and end up being amazing.  Hopefully the trend of only going to theater for the superhero movies is just a symptom of our bad economy.  Maybe in our difficult times, people just want to pay to watch a super-someone save our world.  When things improve, maybe then we’ll give the regular human characters a bigger chance.  Anyway, we enjoyed our movie night even if it wasn’t a blockbuster!

Posted in Entertainment, Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

End the Hate and Be What America Prides Itself On!

Posted on August 6, 2012 by Reena

This Oak Creek, WI massacre at a Sikh temple has me saddened and outraged.  I am sad for the many who lost loved ones and outraged over how this all happened.  It was a horrible hate crime.  In a country of immigrants, a famed ‘melting pot’ of the world, how are certain people able to have so much hate for people who are different from them?  I mean not being a white American doesn’t make you less American.  Afterall, the people who are actually native to this land (the Native Americans) are not white Americans.  Besides them, we are all immigrants and whether your family came 10 generations ago or 1 does not determine how American you are or how much you love this great country.  These haters need to get a clue and cleanse the evil inside their souls.

I know that after 9/11 many people became paranoid about Muslims because it was Muslim extremists who attacked our country and made us live in fear.  However, those were extremists and people shouldn’t generalize.  Also, Sikhs are a totally different religion than Islam and have nothing to do with those terrorist groups.  People should get their facts straight if they are going to have such strong beliefs against someone or something.   Obviously these types just need any excuse to exercise their violent tendencies and unfettered access to firearms makes it easy.   I mean places of worship were considered sanctuaries and off-limits even in war times.  So going into a peaceful prayer service and killing innocents is beyond cowardly and disgusting.

This shooter Wade Michael Page was a white supremacist and had been going to hate events around the country.  I’m glad these gatherings are doing something useful.  I mean don’t you feel safer as Americans now that some old people saying their prayers have been gunned down? Did this guy feel that because these people wear a turban similar to a terrorist group they should be murdered?  White  Nazis did horrific things in Europe to those who were different but do we all say all white  Christian people are Nazis because they have the same skin color?  No, we only punished those who were guilty of the crimes and didn’t start hating and fearing every white person across the world.  A terrorist is a terrorist and it’s not because of what they wear or the color of their skin.

I also hate the fact that we have had so much senseless gun violence in the last couple of weeks.  I understand we have the right to bear arms and whether I like it or not, it is legal.  However, can’t we control the sale and access better?  I mean why do people need such dangerous assault weapons?  If people want guns for hunting animals or for self-defense, I don’t think they need all these crazy assault weapons.  Apparently WI has the most lax regulations on buying guns.  I read that a law against some of the most dangerous weapons expired in 2004.  I think it is time to bring some of those regulations back and improve on them.  We need to end the ignorance and not make it so easy for the crazies to get weapons.

Posted in Life, Opinion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Vacation Utopia

Posted on August 1, 2012 by Reena

vacation, family, beach, relaxWe recently went on a family vacation to Jamaica and it gave me time to reflect on the importance of family vacations, whether they are simple or extravagant.  Stepping away from real-life stressors for a while can be critical to appreciating the joys of family.  The kids fought less because they were excited and distracted.  We adults were also very relaxed because there was no work or household issues to be cranky about.  Everything seemed so wonderful as we sat by the pool sipping drinks, eating fruit and watching the kids splash around.  We got re-acquainted with their smiles and our own.  Life seemed so good and we took time to count our blessings.

For many years during my childhood we didn’t take many vacations due to financial hardship and job insecurities.  When we did go away together it was to visit relatives.  While that was enjoyable in its own way, it didn’t count as a vacation in my mind.  There was so much planning on taking gifts for everyone and when you get there you are concerned about all the people you came to see.  There is little time to focus on pleasing yourselves.  You don’t get to completely clear your mind.

I remember that as we got older, my parents would take short vacations without us and I loved that because they were both in sync and happy for weeks after they got home.  They would stop the usual bickering because the getaway provided time to enjoy each other as people and no chores or interfering relatives to argue about.  This would reassure us as kids that our parents could be happy together and it was just all the external stress that made them unhappy.  This increased the importance of vacation time in my mind.

My husband had even fewer family vacations than I did when he was growing up but we both agree that it is something important to incorporate into our family life.  There have been times when the economy was tough and we were not able to go anywhere exotic but that didn’t mean we couldn’t take a vacation.  We found places to drive to rather than fly and went for a shorter period of time.  We found activities that were free or less expensive but we still explored something new and enjoyed ourselves.  We got to bond with one another with no concern over homework, bills, etc.  Many people do ‘stay-cations’ these days when they can’t go anywhere far.

The stresses of life get to us all and under all our love for each other, we start to build small resentments or annoyances.  We get tired and frustrated with the kids while having to nag them to do their work, practice music, don’t fight.  During a vacation, none of this is necessary and we get to fall in love with these little guys all over again.  Suddenly their angel wings come back.  I guess they were always there but our frustrations started to cloud our vision to see red instead.  Even with our spouse, we begin gazing at each other as if on a honeymoon again.  Quite a change from home where we rarely have time for romance or even casual chatting.  Now that we are back home, the stressors are back on.  However, the trip provided a change in perspective that will hopefully get us through it all happily….at least for a while!

Posted in Life, Parenting | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Too Much Summer Fun??

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Reena

So the kids are home on summer break and my husband and I are always struggling with whether to let them just play and have fun or whether they should be ‘productive’.  I mean is there such a thing as too much fun during the summer holidays?  When I was a child I remember having a lot of free time to do what I wanted.  Outside of some activity camps, my parents didn’t really require me to do anything specific.  I did enjoy reading so I suppose that was educational, but I was doing it for fun.

In our kids’ generation however, I feel like we are letting our kids fall behind if we don’t enforce some education or skill even during the holidays.  Every family I know has their kids in some athletic, academic, or creative classes during the summer.  In addition, they are expected to do the library reading program or at least some workbooks.  I guess it makes sense that they might forget if they don’t keep up with what they learned during the school year.  But the summer is also a time for freedom, creativity and fun.  I mean we want our kids to enjoy their childhood as well.  They have the rest of their lives for structure and stress and no summer break.  So where is the balance?

It seems like there is so much more competition for these kids and succeeding means doing a lot more than the school requirements.  That’s why I guess parents use the summers to pack in all the swim lessons, sports camps, tutoring, and other skills.  Many families have their kids in full-time summer camps as a childcare solution but most of them seem to pick the ones that their kids will ‘get the most out of’.  Everyone is very concerned with how productive the children will be and what they will learn.  Pure play camps seem to be a thing of the past.  Is that a good thing or is it sad for the kids?

I am guilty of all of this as well even though I sometimes think it is too much and then I back off.  My kids have been doing camps on making movies, making video games, and chess.  These are all things they enjoy so they are happy to do them but my motives were not so fun.  I saw the potential for IT skills, creativity and strategic thinking.  Though I do believe free play time also fosters creativity so I am happy for them to have play time or go run around outside.  It is just a bit sad that I think of the positive effects of going out to play rather than just thinking of it as something kids can and should do for fun.  I’m trying to stay balanced and not be a total tiger mom but our society sometimes makes that hard.  Okay off to have some summer fun with my boys….

Posted in Education, Parenting | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment