September 2010 Archives   22 September 2010 Erin Cummings on Detroit 1-8-7 Review Detroit 187 Review by MaryD One of the things I like about having a US Itunes account is having a chance to watch new shows before they hit Aussie shores (and some NEVER make to this side of the world). Today's new offering was Detroit 1-8-7 - I love police dramas but am wary of getting hooked onto another show. Now this one has something all the other cop shows don't have. Erin Cummings. More than enough reason to tune in. Yep Erin is Dr Abbey Ward and I was looking forward to watching her back on the screen. The Cast: * Michael Imperioli as Det. Louis Fitch * Natalie Martinez as Det. Ariana Sanchez * Jon Michael Hill as Det. Damon Washington * James McDaniel as Sgt. Jesse Longford * Aisha Hinds as Lt. Maureen Mason * D.J. Cotrona as Det. John Stone * Shaun Majumder as Det. Aman Mahajan[3] * Erin Cummings as Dr. Abbey Ward Dr Abbey is fantastic although our first intro she comes out with a giant bruise on her face...a rollerderbying (is that word) coroner. An interesting twist. My one complaint: not enough of Dr Abbey Ward. More please! The rest of the cast were pretty good as well; everyone was feeling their way and things should start to settle down. A good solid ensemble. Another highlight for me is watching Aisha Hinds. Aisha was a guest star on Hawthorne and thought she was fantastic so having Aisha and Erin in the same show was quite a bonus. It was a good solid start with one complaint: The camera work. I was getting a little dizzy with the shaky cam going on so hopefully that will settle down as well. Will I be watching? Yes but please more Erin.     20 September 2010 A Day In The Life... You all remember Gabrielle using Xena's chakky to cut up the eel in A Day in the Life? You all remember what Xena said when she discovered her prized round killing thing was being used a makeshift knife? Well this afternoon I was feeding my kitty and some of her food fell onto my fingers. Her food was fish mixed in with some other vile thing. My first reaction was to say out loud "This is going to smell like fish for days!" and then I stopped. Looked down at the cat who was eating and not taking any notice of mama having repeated a Xena line for the first time in 14 years (I usually don't recall Xena dialogue - I can barely recall what I write in my novels so this is not shocking news). I had a good chuckle to myself and then went to wash my hands (which still smell). Such is life :)     19 September 2010 Send A Message of Support To Andy As we have all read, Andy Whitfield has been stricken once again with cancer resulting in needing treatment and bowing out of Season 2 of Spartacus. This page has been set up to provide a way for fans to leave their support to Andy. Lesley-Ann Brandt (Naevia) will be taking these messages with her when she goes to see Andy and his family in a week’s time. I’m quite sure Andy knows how much the fans love him but your words of encouragement will help him through the difficult times ahead. Please leave your message below. If you would like to send Andy a video message, please post on YouTube and post a link to the YouTube site. All messages will be moderated. Once again this site will be up for a week so Sunday to Sunday 26 September 2010. Lesley-Ann will take the messages with her and present them to Andy. Click here to leave message Please spread this message far and wide; let's show how much we love Andy!     18 September 2010 We Must Choose Hope - Andy Whitfield's Cancer Quite a few years ago an actor I admired greatly, Christopher Reeve, said: "Once you choose hope, anything's possible." A simple but very powerful statement. On May 27, 1995, Christopher became a quadriplegic after being thrown from a horse in an equestrian competition. Like Christopher, Andy is facing a battle to save his life. Back in July we all rejoiced at the news that Andy Whitfield had beaten back the cancer that struck him during the filming of Spartacus Season 1. He looked great at Comic Con; a little skinny but looking fantastic. He received the all clear from his doctors and was ready to go back to Capua. Official news hit my inbox this morning and I was dumbstruck. I looked at the email and just couldn't believe it. A decent, gentle guy who had the world at his feet, a young family and a great future but cancer had other ideas. I saw "Cancer" and everything else was blotted out. The fact that Andy won't be back for Season 2 is not important. What is important is that he gets the treatment he needs, recovers and spends the rest of his long life with his family. Andy's cancer has returned after the doctors gave him all the all clear. That's how life is sometimes. It's cruel. We get the huge joys and great heartaches. Everyone has come to love Andy for his brilliant portrayal of Spartacus, the Thracian slave, in Spartacus Blood and Sand. Andy WAS Spartacus. Above all else, Andy is a fantastic guy. When he was initially diagnosed in March 2010 with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma, there was shock but a hope that Andy caught it in time and was going to be treated AND recover. In July 2010, Andy celebrated his return to public life by declaring his was cancer free and went to his first Comic Con where he was greeted like the champion that he is. The cancer had aother ideas. His Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma is back and he has to undergo aggressive treatment. Into the arena he goes for another battle; this time not as the mighty Spartacus but as Andy Whitfield, the husband, father, son, friend, favourite actor to many. If this adversary could be beaten by love, the fans outpouring of love would have destroyed the cancer. Alas it cannot. Andy, your family, your friends and your fans are behind you and supporting you. Battle On, Andy, Battle On.     14 September 2010 The Bionic Woman Season 1 on DVD (The Original and the Best!) I've been waiting for this and it's nearly here! The original Bionic Woman with Lindsay Wagner Season 1 DVD! One of the Most Iconic Television Series Leaps Onto DVD for the First Time Ever The Bionic Woman: Season One - Available on DVD October 19, 2010 Pre-Order from Amazon.com Superhuman Bonus Features Include "The Six Million Dollar Man" Crossover Episodes That Launched the Series, and an All-new Interview with Lindsay Wagner! Continue reading The Bionic Woman Season 1 on DVD (The Original and the Best!).     14 September 2010 Stellar Season Finale of Rizzoli & Isles Just watched the season finale of Rizzoli & Isles “When the Gun Goes Bang, Bang, Bang” and boy didn't the gun go bang bang bang bang! That was one terrific episode to end a stellar first season of this wonderful show! If you have not been watching this show, fire up Itunes and watch! - Rizzoli & Isles is one hell of a great show! Standout performances by Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander; just superb. I read spoilers that my friends were kind enough to email me with earlier in the day and then I raced home to fire up Itunes and watch Even knowing what was coming, it blew me away (no pun intended). LOVE Jane and Maura! What a great team and LOVED Jane at the end; very heroic! Angie Harmon and Sasha Alexander, what a terrific team! They have such great chemistry that I've only seen in only two other female dominate partnerships: Cagney & Lacey and Xena & Gabrielle. Super chemistry between those two. I'm quite sure that while we are waiting for the second season (slated to be 13 episodes) there will be a ton of fanfic and in particular finding a way to help Jane! <g> Keep checking the fanfic site - Blondegirl14 has already got her alternate ending called Three Days up! Fast work that! Season Finale- “When the Gun Goes Bang, Bang, Bang” – Monday, Sept. 13, at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) Directed by Michael M. Robin / Written by Janet Tamaro After an undercover cop working a narcotics-smuggling sting is shot dead, the killers next turn their sites on Boston homicide headquarters, leaving Jane, Maura and Frankie Jr. trapped in a fight for survival on their home turf. It’s a situation that will force Maura to challenge herself like never before. Chazz Paliminteri (A Bronx Tale) and Erik Palladino (ER) guest-star.     12 September 2010 The Riderless Horse...Remembering 9/11 Today marks the 9th anniversary of the crimes against humanity committed on 11 September 2001. I won't go into my feelings about the mongrels that did this but I want to share a memory with you that has stayed with me since that day. I was in the US for my first overseas trip (and the first time in the US). I fell in love with the country; truly very in love. The warm, open, very hospitable people welcomed me with open arms (and that was even before I met a single xenite!). I felt safe, warmly greeted and found the people to have a great sense of humour, a little intense but fun loving. Days before 9/11 I went to a rodeo and lots of fun was had there but one thing stuck in my head that day (other than the gorgeous rodeo boys) and that was the ceremony of the riderless horse. It was a days of firsts on that day. First time I stood, out of the respect, for the American national anthem and heard it being sung live (gave me goosebumps; it's a very moving and stirring song when sung correctly) and first time I attended a rodeo. What did it symbolise? This is the Ceremony of the Riderless Horse. This is a solemn event held at nearly every rodeo - gay or straight. The Riderless Horse is to symbolize all of the people that may have been lost to us, whether by AIDS, Cancer, Stroke, illness or even lost due to a Rodeo accident. That ceremony moved me a great deal and I didn't know how significant it would be until two days later. I flew out of Washington DC on 10 September to visit with the person responsible for bringing me into the Xenaverse. As well all know the next morning the world changed forever. As I sit here watching the memorials taking place in New York, I remember back to the riderless horse. The boots of the fallen rider turned backward on the stirrups, the respect and honour shown for the fallen. There were alot of riderless horses on September 11, 2001. The America I found on 25 August when I entered the country was not the same country when I left at the end of September. Fear had gripped it's soul and unfortunately it's still there. One day it will be less fearful and maybe go back to the America that I met on 25 August 2001. Maybe. For the those that died that day, we must not let fear dictate how we live our lives; whether we are Christian, Muslim, Jewish or whatever other faith or non faith. If we let fear rule our lives then the mongrels who murdered thousands that day would win. If we let fear hate what we don't know, they win. If we let fear dictate who can or can't live next to us, they win. If we let fear win, they win. You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You must do the thing which you think you cannot do. Eleanor Roosevelt     8 September 2010 Huge Change on AUSXIP - Katrina Law Sites Merge! I have some major news regarding an AUSXIP site. One of AUSXIP's sites will cease to exist as of today. That site is AUSXIP Katrina Law News & Multimedia. I'm very excited to announce that AUSXIP Katrina Law - the Official Fan site for Katrina Law and the Official Katrina Law Site have now merged! In AUSXIP's 14 year history, I have never merged with another site and then totally removed the AUSXIP name from it. I respect Katrina a great deal and I think she's a wonderful actress and person so the decision wasn't that hard. Another piece of good news is that I'll still be bringing you Katrina news but now as Katrina's official webmaster (still no rest for the insane). All updates will also be reflected on the main AUSXIP page which will link back to Katrina's site. So. AUSXIP Katrina Law - no more. The Official Katrina Law Site has been redesigned by Katrina's friend Laura Teti and I'm the webmaster of this shiney brand new site. Go check it out; it's gorgeous! Click here to view the site Here's Katrina's Message: Hello and thank you so much for stopping by my brand spankin' new site! I would like to thank my very talented and creative designer (and long time friend) Laura Teti for refurbishing my online home. She is wonderful and you can find her contact info in my links section if you need her services. With the help of Mary D at Ausxip.com We've merged two sites into one; my official fan site and the official site have now combined. Mary D has been a godsend and a guardian angel to me and with her magical mind behind the controls, you will find all the latest news, images, video and my blogs all in one easy location. We hope you enjoy your stay and welcome to the Official Katrina Law website! Check back often for new photos, blogs and videos! Katrina     5 September 2010 Spartacus Season 1 Episode 4 The Thing in the Pit - Edited Version Spartacus Season 1 Episode 4 The Thing in the Pit. Edited Australian Version Reviewed by MaryD Having performed shamefully in the arena against Crixus, Spartacus is forced to fight in the Pits. Batiatus, determined to profit from Spartacus, may be at risk if his debts aren’t repaid. Here are my thoughts of the episode. I didn't review the unedited version way back in Feb so I don't have notes to compare this version with that but I'm going from memory (please correct me if I'm wrong) Read Review     5 September 2010 In A Time of Ancient Gods, Warlords and Kings.... In A Time of Ancient Gods, Warlords and Kings.... Written by MaryD In the time of ancient Gods, Warlords and Kings, a land in turmoil cried out for a hero...and we found her..actually we found two of them! The story goes back to March 1995 and not September 1995. It goes back to a time of gods and kings and to the legendary Hercules. Xena was born on Hercules on 13 March 1995. We all know what happened; we know the history but because I'm writing a 15 year tribute...we go down memory lane. Read More     4 September 2010 Earthquake in New Zealand Follow the latest on NZ Herald's Earthquake Updates I just woke up to the news about the earthquake in New Zealand. It's centered in Christchurch and it was 7.2 on the Richter Scale. I've just turned on the news and they are showing alot of damage. The earthquake was not on the North Island but on the South Island. So Auckland is pretty much okay. Lesley-Ann Brandt has written to say she's fine and I'm presuming Lucy is as well because she's in Auckland. Our Xena family extends to the South Island and I've been trying to contact Calli and others down there but it seems the phones are out. There are no deaths reported at this stage (just typing what the tv news is saying over my shoulder) but there are injuries. UPDATE: Calli has checked in; she's fine but there is alot of damage but the main thing is she is fine.     Read More Archives