Dear OUAT/Rumbelle/Rumple/Belle/Robert Carlyle/Emilie de Ravin fans,

(WARNING: SPOILERS as of Season 4, Episode 13: "Unforgiven," first aired March 8, 2015. If you're not caught up, please skip down to the last five paragraphs--if you count the P.S. as a paragraph--which contain my main point. I have marked the one spoiler in that section.)

I watch Once Upon a Time because I still think Lost is one of the most brilliant TV shows ever, and ABC originally and continually references OUAT as being "from the writers of Lost." They even frequently re-employ actors from the Lost cast on the show and throw in Lost "Easter eggs," despite the two shows' bearing almost no resemblance to one another. Far from being THE writers of Lost, as ABC tries to mislead us to believe, OUAT showrunners Adam Horowitz and Edward Kitsis wrote only 21 out of the 121 scripts for Lost; Lost was created by J.J. Abrams, and the head writers were Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse (generally referred to by fans of the show as "Darlton," and "A&E," as fans of OUAT have taken to calling "Adam and Eddie" for short, seem all to happy to try to follow in their footsteps by talking about the show, giving interviews and letting out little hints of things to come while keeping others secret, but also going to great pains to explain the inconsistencies in the show and placate unhappy "shippers" whose fan-fiction ships fail to become canon; however, with the back and forth of Twitter now prevalent, they are receiving what appears to be an unwelcome amount of unwanted feedback from disgruntled fans, and Eddie Kitsis in particular seems to be defensive and disgusted by the viewers' lack of appreciation for his vision).

( Why I've lost patience with RumbelleCollapse )

Therefore, if my disdain for the way Rumplestitskin's character has gone from an intriguing, complex, and even tragic character to a mere plot device, played by an actor who is far and away the show's most valuable asset and does his best to knock every scene he's in out of the park despite the futility and total lack of respect for the audience's intelligence by the show's creators, writers, and producers, being cheated out of the Emmy and recognition he deserves (in fact, many fans have said Robert Carlyle is the only reason they are still watching OUAT and if he left, they would stop watching!) causes YOU to believe I am spreading "hate" towards Belle or Emilie de Ravin or any other actor or character on the show and/or I have followed you because you are a Robert Carlyle or Rumbelle fan, please do not get angry with me. Simply block me and/or tell me politely that you wish me to unfollow or block you, and I will do so so that you won't have to see any of my opinions again. People often follow me without asking me first; sometimes I follow others without asking them too. I didn't know it was bad etiquette to follow someone without permission or to reply to a tweet you thought the other person might agree with. Further, I may respond to comments that someone I'm replying to has been mentioned in. If I don't remove your Twitter address from my reply, either it's an oversight, or I thought you were part of the conversation and didn't want to leave you out. Your disagreement with my opinion doesn't mean I bear any malice towards you. So please leave any false assumptions and attacks at the Troll Bridge.

The bottom line is, Once Upon a Time is a fictional/fantasy TV show. The characters and stories on it are imaginary. The actors are real people, and I would never criticize them directly. There's no reason to criticize people who are just doing their jobs. ABC, on the other hand, cares about the show's ratings, and if it has good ratings, they obviously want the show to be renewed. I am a writer and fiction connoisseur who's taken writing classes and enjoys interesting and well-developed characters. [SPOILER:]Rumplestiltskin was once an intriguingly ambiguous character on the show--originally, according to his back story in Seasons 1 and 2, wanting only to do good and protect his family at all costs, even laming himself in the mistaken belief it would protect his son--only to be presumed to be and falsely labelled a coward because his father was one, including by his own self-centered wife Milah. Now it seems like his romantic history is repeating itself.[END OF SPOILER]

I express my opinions and constructive criticism on Twitter because (1) showrunners are always asking viewers what they think; (2) I want the show to succeed and perhaps even garner an Emmy like it showed the potential for in Season 1; and (3) I want Robert Carlyle, who is locked into a five-year contract on the show, to have the opportunity to portray and help develop the complex character of Rumplestiltskin that garnered him so much talk of an Emmy nomination in Season 1, particularly for my favorite episode, "Skin Deep," the popularity of which (at least among Robert Carlyle fans) I don't think has ever been matched. People even wish him a happy anniversary for that episode on Twitter, and it's clear that he appreciates it and is proud of that episode because when he thanks all the people who remembered, it is one of the very rare times that he tweets nowadays. I and many others believed that his lack of a nomination for Season 1 would be rectified in Season 2, but it wasn't and, at this rate, is unlikely to, which disappoints me very much. I'm disappointed in the writing, but I bear no hatred towards any of the show's actors, characters, crew, fans, or even the writers themselves. In the end, Once Upon a Time is entertainment, not anything serious enough to warrant such an extreme reaction as hatred. However, if I am falsely accused of "hating" and/or being attacked by the people I had previously believed to be my fellow "dearies" (otherwise, I wouldn't have followed you or mentioned you in a tweet), I may possibly lose my temper and react irrationally towards you, just like you probably would if I did it to you.

Thanks for understanding. I welcome friendship and discussion, even if we agree to disagree, with other "Dearies," Robert Carlyle fans, and other people who share my interests.

PS: Grr, I'm having trouble replying to comments and keep getting an error message. Sorry! Hope the problem will be fixed soon.
 

I hate the changes LiveJournal has made to their rich text editor. It's screwing with my HTML! (I always compose in HTML.) And my composition font. I can barely see this tiny sans-serifed Arial text! What, did Mark Zuckerberg take over LJ now? Quit copying him; I hate Facebook. It wasn't broke--till now--quit fixing it!!!! Grrrr. (Time to go back to MySpace maybe? Or have they done the same thing in their attempt to imitate Facebook? Maybe it's time for me to stop social networking altogether. I'd rather be in InWorldz where I can "network" and interact with people live. Or just hide in my skybox and build stuff. Maybe this is all just the Internet's way of telling me to get back to working on my novel.)
 

Was a bit preoccupied with alternately posting on Get Glue live as it happened and perving on Michael during the original airing of the show Thursday, so I'm rewatching this week's episode of Person of Interest ... with the benefit of the pause and rewind buttons so I can perv and pay attention to the storyline!

( my stream-of-consciousness commentaryCollapse )
 

Should millionaires and billionaires be asked to pay a few percent more in taxes (that many of them, including Warren Buffet, admit they probably wouldn't even miss), returning us to the properous Clinton-era levels, while the government continues to subsidize rich corporations like banks and oil companies--or is it the poor who should be asked to make more sacrifices? After all, most poor people can still afford "luxuries" like refrigerators and televisions. (I wonder how old those TVs are and how much food is in those refrigerators!)

Jon Stewart actually does the math:




Corrected embed link, August 23, 2011: Part 2

 

... who believe what the person I went to see Geoffrey Rush with on March 2 (someone who, BTW, only appeared on the Rushie community shortly before the opening of Diary of a Madman and whom I actually encouraged and helped to figure out how to use LJ AND e-mail) alleged about me in my friends-only journal posts shortly afterwards. I'm writing this because her subsequent falsehoods and nastiness have been eating away at me for months and succeeded in causing my my mental state to deteriorate further and further. And she CONTINUES to take potshots at people like me with medically documented and legally adjudicated disabilities, calling us ALL--"lazy, pathetic ... pukes." (Unlike Australia--where you can, say, be an alcoholic and thus eligible for the dole--and possibly other countries, the American Social Security system that I paid into for 26 years is NOT a giveaway or a "doleout," and it is very difficult to get and stay on. Of course a few cheaters may fall through the cracks, but in this economy especially, not ALL of us are liars or thieves who take advantage of the system. In this country, Social Security and Workers' Comp are monitored closely, and it is not possible to live comfortably on Social Security and Medicare--which, incidentally, you have to pay for out of your SSD benefits. It would be much more profitable working for minimum wage.)

As I said in those friends-only posts and directly to her, nothing I wrote about her was intended in any negative way whatsoever, but she took certain comments that were in no way about HER or, if they even mentioned her, intended to be a means of "throwing [her] under the bus" as she alleged. In fact, until she sent me cruel and bullying e-mails taking aim in particular at my disabilities while refusing even to ACKNOWLEDGE my apologies and attempts to straighten things out with her privately, I had THOUGHT we were friends and was utterly dismayed by her bizarre and, frankly, paranoid reaction to my very hurried attempts to answer everyone's pressing questions about how the play/Geoffrey encounter went.

In addition to her e-mail, she further alleged publicly in her journal that I was "disappointed," "delusional," and expected champagne and rose petals to be thrown at my feet upon meeting Geoffrey Rush and that SHE had somehow SAVED him from me, implying that I was some sort of deranged stalker, when I'M not the one who flew in from out of town to see him in the same play FOUR SEPARATE TIMES. She further asserted that I was directing my "anger" about it towards her ("spewing poisonous vile" [sic]) rather than at him. (I think she meant "BILE," but since my gallbladder surgery, I don't have any to spew!)

NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!!!!!!

As I detailed when I finally spent an entire night posting the FULL story of our Geoffrey encounter from my perspective, all my hopes for the occasion were more than fulfilled, EXCEPT for (1) the bitter cold wind we endured outside the stage door for a good long time before he emerged warmly dressed in a hat, coat, and scarf, looking ready to go out for a night on the town, and (2) the passive-aggressive woman who appeared out of nowhere continually interrupting our brief-enough conversation with him after he finished greeting his friends and then dragged him back inside the stage door as if he were a helpless child, supposedly, as she told us with a blatantly fake smile plastered on her face, to keep him warm (AFTER he had just responded to my quiet comment to him about the "lovely" weather that, "It's not that bad") when he seemed perfectly relaxed talking to us and was even adding asides of his own as though he'd have been glad to continue chatting for a few more minutes. (And those of us who've met him before KNOW that he is perfectly capable of letting us know when HE deems it's time for him to go.)

My happy memory of that meeting, however, was severely marred by the aftermath of misunderstandings and extremely pointed and cruel words written to me in an e-mail by this cyberbully who had been disguising herself as a friend. It was at that point that I banned her from making any further posts in my journal in order to end the drama--the FIRST time I have ever had to use that feature in four years on LiveJournal.

Her initial behavior, ongoing refusal to make ANY effort to straighten the situation out, and continuing presence in the Rushie community continues to cause me an immense degree of pain and distress to the point where I cannot bring myself to post in the community anymore for fear of being misunderstood and attacked again, and I still feel alienated from certain people in the formerly close-knit group who seem to believe the absurd things she asserts that I said about her. (If you know me at all, you know that I would never say things like that to or about another Rushie, no matter HOW intensely our perspectives diverged. But, after more than two months of this untenable situation, she has forced me to the point where I have to choose between the last shreds of my sanity and throwing her under the bus.)

I know most of you are still my friends, and I love you dearly, but I feel that certain others have been giving me the cold shoulder ever since, and that's what really hurts the most after all these years. I still love Geoffrey Rush as much as ever (and can't imagine what I or anyone else could have to be angry with him about as he is one of the kindest, most thoughtful, wittiest, and generous human beings I have ever met, celebrity or not), but I have stopped posting in the community because I no longer feel welcome as a "Rushie."

There's no need for you to reply to this message, especially if all you have to repeat like a broken record is, "Whateverrrr. I wish you happiness x." I'm not making this entry in search of a "there there" pat on the back as I know who my friends really are, and I'm deeply grateful for all those who have expressed your understanding and support. I just needed, from a therapeutical standpoint, to get this off my chest and take steps to TRY (probably still in vain) to set the record straight about why you've not seen me in the community, much as I'd like to be part of it like I was before this person came along to ruin the once-pleasant, harmonious, non-judgemental, and supportive atmosphere of the group for me--an atmosphere that befits the fans of a person with those same qualities and apparently doesn't have a mean bone in his body. Even when we agreed to disagree, I thought they were interesting and thoughtful discussions, and no one (to my knowledge) had ever resorted to ad hominem (that means "personal," for anyone who doesn't know the difference between "bile" and "vile") attacks on another Rushie before. (Then again, maybe certain of you consider my absence a blessing. I have no way of knowing as that person's replies to me, if any, have been enigmatic and cool at best.) Either way, all I'm trying to do is set the record straight ... and wish that person happiness x. Whatever.

PS: And now my mother has called 911, and I'm on my way to the hospital thanks to Jen's latest "stealth" cyberbullying attack. Coming to take me away, indeed. Mission accomplished, 1lonelymulga.

PPS: My mother is having chest pains too now and will hav eto come with me.

Edit: I've f-locked this post since some of your replies have been quite personal (I appreciate knowing I'm not alone and that you're not all running the other way from the "crazy" lady!), plus I'm back on the Rushie community (with your wonderful help) and so far nothing terrible has happened *fingers crossed*. Not that it wouldn't help the world at large to read what it's really like to be mentally ill, but I don't think I can handle any more bullying from those who refuse to try to understand. (There were far too many of them working in the hospital!)

Edit, August 2013: This episode being so far in the past, I've decided to "declassify" this post for anybody who's wondering exactly what it was that pushed me over the edge and made me close my journal. I will always love and admire Geoffrey Rush and miss the great friends I made through our mutual appreciation, but I can no longer be a member of a community where such a vicious person's presence continues to be tolerated and her cruelty towards me in any way accepted. Any reminder of the aforegoing incident causes me too much pain, anxiety, and depression. (How ironic is it that she went to see a play called Diary of a Madman four times and seemingly sympathized with the protagonist while bullying me about my disabilities? And that Geoffrey Rush himself has not only sensitively portrayed numerous characters suffering from mental illness but has also suffered panic attacks in real life. 1lonelymulga is still welcome and encouraged to bring her favorite gun from her collection to my house and finish me off. It's the least she could do.)
 

Stephen Colbert satirizes the upcoming ban on incandescent light bulbs but finally brings a small bit of attention to a very serious subject for me (starting at about 1:12):



I've blogged about this before elsewhere, getting no response whatsoever, but as the date looms ever closer, I'm getting increasingly concerned about the federally mandated switchover to compact fluorescent bulbs. For one thing, I'm hearing by word of mouth that this is a kind of "hoax" designed to send people running to the stores to stock up on light bulbs before it's too late (I'm even seeing "stock up now" signs in certain stores!) and that compact fluorescents won't really become mandatory, that they're actually coming up with something better since compact fluorescents contain small amounts of mercury, which, if you break one, can't be good. Not to mention what happens when millions of burnt-out CFs all containing small amounts of mercury end up being concentrated in landfills? Or are we supposed to use up precious auto fuel and emit more carbon into the atmosphere bringing them to special recycling centers?

But this isn't really my main concern. I'm all for conserving energy as best I can, but first of all, I think light bulbs are a red herring in the big global-warming picture. Improving public transportation and car and industry emissions around the world are the way to make a real dent in global climate change, if it's not already too late--not forcing individuals to change out all our home bulbs when people are already voluntarily switching to compact fluorescents. And, like I was taught to do back in the 1970s, we can all help by simply turning off the lights in rooms you're not using. In fact, I've willingly switched to compact fluorescents outside my house and in rooms I don't use shortly before bedtime.

Some people argue against being forced to switch to fluorescent lighting purely on the basis of its aesthetic appearance and little more. However, the real problem that I haven't heard anybody in the media talking about is that many people, especially people with autism and ADHD (like me), are physically hypersensitive to fluorescent lighting. I can literally see the flicker, and the longer I'm exposed to them, the more they affect my vision to the point where I become "snowblind" and dizzy. Exposure to fluorescent lighting within a few hours before bedtime also exacerbates my tendency towards chronic insomnia.

So what are folks like me (and it's not just me!) supposed to do? Sit in the dark for three or four hours before bed? Use the TV, which uses up way more energy, as a light source? Studies have shown that fluorescent lighting contributes to hyperactivity in children with ADHD, and in my own adult ADHD support group, every last person there said they experience the same trouble with fluorescent lighting that I do. (They also can see computer-screen flicker that no one else can see. This was a problem for me in my last permanent job because I was discouraged from increasing my screen's refresh rate so that it would stop flickering for fear I would damage the monitor. But when I tried to explain this to my boss, I was treated like I'd just told him I'd been abducted by aliens. I also routinely got in trouble for turning off the overhead lights and "working in the dark" when I'd stay late to get my work done in peace and quiet after everyone else without ADHD had gone home, even though my desk was right next to a huge picture window that illuminated the room perfectly for me, and I had a desk lamp for when it got dark. I also have trouble sleeping in hotels, which all seem to have switched over exclusively to fluorescent lighting in every possible light source; there's no escape from them short of bringing your own lamp! In fact, even regular 60-watt incandescents give me eyestrain; I never buy bulbs over 40 watts and use a 15-watt bulb next to my bed for reading to help me get to sleep. And a 4-watt nightlight because sensory deprivation also seems to contribute to my insomnia. Probably why I sleep better during the day than at night. Which is related to another medical condition I have called Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome.) Anyway ...

This seems to me a very serious issue that should be covered under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) signed into law by George Bush I and much praised even by Democrats/Liberals/Progressives. Why is it not being "brought to light" in the controversy? Stephen Colbert may be joking about the rest of us getting our lighting from Yankee Candle Company (and not sneaking bulbs across state lines, wink wink), but that may end up being the only option for people with certain disabilities for whom this impending law is severely detrimental. And candles are not only an inefficient light source but a prohibitively expensive "option" for people attempting to survive on endangered Social Security payments! Unless we all move to South Carolina. Or this issue gets brought into the discussion about freedom of choice.
 

OMG, I've been so consumed with news and other stuff this week, I had no idea ...

Geoffrey Rush is on the Craig Ferguson show tonight!!! Continuing in his tradition of getting great guests on the show, like Michael Sheen, Timothy Spall, Forest Whitaker ... Geoffrey!!! :D Thank goodness I watch this show every night anyway.

Psst! A couple of months ago, right before the Oscars, after making some harmless joke about him that I can't even remember now, Craig added that he'd never get the great Geoffrey Rush to do the show anyway, and I e-mailed him (Craig) to tell him that Geoffrey is sooooo nice, I bet he would, and he really should invite him on the show! You don't suppose he actually took my suggestion to heart?

Yes, it is a great week for America, indeed, for the whole world!

Edit: For your viewing pleasure, the interview's been posted on YouTube for all to enjoy! :)

Part 1
Part 2

The entire interview lasted a rare, whopping almost 17 minutes!

( click here for mooncove's running commentaryCollapse )
 

Who should be asked to make sacrifices to save our economy, teachers or Wall Street bankers?



Meanwhile, Charlie Sheen upstages insane dictator Gaddafi:



PS: For all you folks (including me) who've been having trouble embedding video in LiveJournal, I've (obviously) figured it out! You have to copy the embed code from the website where the video is hosted, then, back in LJ, click the "Embed Media" link between your entry and the subject line and paste the code there. (For some reason, LJ has disabled us from just pasting the embed code directly into the HTML of the entry.)
 

Just want to apologize to my f-list for not getting my report from last Wednesday's whirlwind Geoffrey encounter posted here yet; I'm still recovering from the stress of the trip and scrambling to get caught back up to my usual level of behindness. I didn't have room in my overnight backpack for my laptop (I felt so disconnected without it, even for one day!), so I've still got e-mails to answer, my unusually eventful-at-the-moment Second and third lives to catch up on, and one of my killer headaches that only the chiropractor can fix. I've been in a major ADD tailspin since Tuesday, when I never went to bed and am still catching up on sleep.

For now, I'll just tell say publicly that Geoffrey's performance in Diary of a Madman was amazing, we did get to meet him, and all went well albeit very very, ahem, "hurried." But I want to wait till I catch my breath (and get my racing thoughts in order!) to write up a proper report, both for my fellow Rushies and to cherish the memory. :)

Thanks for your patience!
 

( my tedious account of the night that would not endCollapse )