Did the writer of White House Down watch 24 right before writing the movie?

I saw White House Down today! I really enjoyed it. It was like watching all 8 seasons of 24 in one very condensed sitting! I was also very proud of the knowledge I gained from 24. I knew exactly what they were talking about in the movie when they mentioned The Vault and The Football. For those of you who don't want to be spoiled about the movie (or 24 for that matter) DO NOT READ THE NEXT PARAGRAPH.

Here's my list of White House Down/24 moments:

1) His daughter is taken hostage.

2) Air Force One was blown up with a fairly new president on board.

3) The bad guys wanted the nuclear football.

4) The White House was under attack.

5) People on the inside were the reason the White House was under attack.

6) The limo strike.

7) They try to take the president to the vault for safety.

8) He fought the Jack Bauer way. Everyone else died but Kale managed to survive and save the day.

While I admit the reviewers are right that the movie is unrealistic, why is that a big deal? Aren't we supposed to see movies to try to escape from reality? At least this movie had a plot and descent acting unlike Die Hard 5...the worst action movie ever, in my opinion.

SPOILERS OVER.

But on the topic of 24, who else is looking forward to it coming back next year?!? I just watched the show for the first time a few months ago and fell in love with (most of) it. I loved the first 5 seasons, thought season 6 was enjoyable, season 7 was great, and then completely zoned out in season 8. That season got just a little too ridiculous for me. I'm still trying to figure out how Jack found full body armor and found the bad guys within 10 minutes. I think they forgot that each episode was an hour of the day by that season. Regardless, I still can't wait for the new mini season. I'm hopeful that if they're bringing it back, it's because they have ideas. Although, I do have on question. Since I own the "complete series" set (and it says that), shouldn't that mean I get the new season for free? Otherwise it's like false advertising, right?

I am so excited to watch Dexter and try out Ray Donovan. But, since my husband is working tonight, I'm going to wait for tomorrow to watch with him.

What were your thoughts on White House Down? Good, bad? Do you need realism to enjoy a movie? Anything else remind you of 24? Are you looking forward to the new season?

I know Willow looks forward to anything that gives her a reason to lie on the rug and get snuggles!

Talking the Sims 3, the Bachelorette, a Vending Machine that sells $1,500 of caviar, and the most scarring music video ever!

The good news: I got pictures of my resort that I worked so hard on. The bad news: I can no longer load that game. It keeps crashing during the loading screen. Luckily, I did manage to get in and save the resort to the bin.

By far, my new favorite feature from The Sims 3 Island Paradise is the waterfall! I know, out of everything, that's kind of silly, but I've always wanted that! I don't have much to say about the game today. After my game wouldn't load yesterday, I got fed up and decided not to play for the day. I needed a glitches reprieve.

I caught up on The Bachelorette yesterday. My family has a voting chart where we guess each episode who is going home. I'm happy to say I was wrong about Ben vs. Michael. I thought for sure Michael was going to bury himself as most previous contestants have. But I was wrong. Apparently they need prosecutors every season to convince the judge that their is a fraud among the bunch. Bring out the guards, Chris Harrison! Take Ben away! I was finally right about Mikey T. going home!! I've been giving his little box an X since night one. The funny thing is, I almost changed it tonight because of their moment building a little snow family on the mountain. If I had changed it, that would've sucked. The night he finally gets eliminated would be the one time I didn't eliminate him on my chart! Good thing I stuck with my original decision! Now I can start guessing someone else to be eliminated in future episodes and not just Mikey. It's a shame about Bryden. I wouldn't care so much if it wasn't for the fact he was in my original Final 4 prediction. But then again, so was Ben. Yuck. As it stands now, my final four prediction was actually sitting around last episode all talking to each other. Brooks, Chris, Drew, and Kasey. Unless Drew and Kasey tell Desiree about James and both get sent home! That would really mess things up for me. But, she seems smart, so I don't think that's going to happen. For those who don't read spoilers (I do not want to know! Not this season anyways), who do you think is going to win? Brooks or Chris? I know. I'm jumping the gun a little on the finale two but I really do think it's going to come down to those two.

On another note, I saw the weirdest thing at the mall yesterday. Apparently, you can now go to a vending machine and buy caviar for $1,500! I know. That is madness. I don't know why anyone would even spend that much on food in the first place but even worse, from a vending machine? If you're going to spend $1,500, at least do it in a beautiful restaurant with outstanding service and the most amazing food you've ever tasted. I forgot to mention, you can also get escargot and a nice teacup set from this machine. I. Don't. Get. It.

For my final thoughts, have you seen that horrible Miley Cyrus music video "We Can't Stop"? I literally can't wipe that shocking image from my mind. I'm not a fan of hers in the first place but why would anyone make a video like that? It didn't make any sense and it just seemed like her way of saying "I'm grown up but I'm going to prove it by acting really immature". I really wish I could unsee it. Unfortunately, I don't have that power.

How long until your Sims game crashed? Do you think Chris or Brooks will win The Bachelorette, or someone else entirely? Would you spend $1,500 on caviar from a machine? And have you seen that horrible music video? If you have, here's a cute picture to try to erase it from your memory:

Willow sleeping in her cage during The Bachelorette!

Can You Get Seasick from a Computer Game? And is Don Draper dying?

As I predicted, yesterday (and today) I got far too caught up playing The Sims 3 Island Paradise. And hey, my first game crash took only a matter of about 10 minutes! That's always fun. I remember the days when I used to get stressed out that my game wouldn't work. Now I pretty much expect to fight it for the first few hours. Huh. That's actually quite sad. Anyways, here's a picture of my sim on her lovely new houseboat, making out with a co-worker:

I have spent most of my game time today building a resort for my sim to run. I'll show a picture tomorrow when it's done! I'm loving this new game so far, although, I have to say, the boat bobbing continuously is a little hard for me! I think I was getting seasick and dizzy by just watching it! I actually had to step away from the computer yesterday to feel better. I'm happy to say though that I had an easier time today!

I watched the Mad Men season finale last night... It was weird. I'm not really sure what happened exactly or why Don suddenly decided it was time to be honest - especially in the middle of a big meeting that was actually going well. It seemed a little too random. Although, I am curious if he now plans to tell his kids the details of his childhood. How would he break that to them? "Sally. Even though my last name is Draper, it's not really my last name. I stole it. That's right honey. You're not really a Draper." Awkward. And he thought she hated him before? She's a teenager and trying to figure out who she is. This news should really help with that. Not. I felt really bad for Megan when Don told her they weren't moving. He's been so against her career all season and then he tells her they're going to move. She was so happy because California is full of obvious possibilities for a rising actress. So, of course, she gets written off of her current soap opera in New York just in time for Don to come home and say he changed his mind. With her walking out the door, I have to wonder if that's the end of their marriage? Speaking of marriages, I found it funny that Ted decided to sleep with Peggy and then move to California to keep his family together. Sorry Ted but if you're unhappy at home, you're unhappy at home. Moving to California isn't going to change that. He's not like Don Draper, who's just unhappy being Don Draper. Ted actually has specific things in his life that he's not happy about. Why? I have no idea. I guess that's part of the beauty (or lackluster) writing of Mad Men. They don't give you the chance to feel for some of the characters dilemmas. It's one of the few shows where I truly do feel like an outsider looking in. I'm not attached to the characters at all, could care less what happens to them, and yet I am still curious to see what does happen to them.

The one thing I am getting increasingly curious about is Don. Particularly his shaking hands and terrible cough. Does anyone else think he might be dying? I'm not sure of what but he seems to be getting worse and worse; unless it's just the alcohol and cigarettes finally kicking in.

Have you played TS3 Island Paradise yet? Is anyone else getting seasick from it? And what did you think of the Mad Men finale? Or Mad Men in general? Is Don going to tell his kids the truth? Is his marriage over? And will Ted's problems magically go away because of a change in scenery?

Mystical Vibe, Big Bear, more Graceland, and Sims 3!

I was hoping to post a little earlier today but my hubby had the day off and I have my priorities! Speaking of today, my sweet husband surprised me by taking me to Big Bear! The ducks were out in force today and really wanted food; so much so that they started chasing each other away in the water! After that, we enjoyed a peaceful boat ride where we nearly fell asleep we were so relaxed! The day came to an end with some delicious Chinese food from Mandarin Lotus in Agoura Hills and episodes of Castle!

Now, onto my music. I said I'd talk about each of my songs and I intend to keep that promise. I'm going to start with "Mystical Vibe". Back when I was 14 and only dreaming of what true love could be like (and pulling from my fictional experience through TV), I wrote this song. The song is about falling hopelessly in love with someone and losing yourself in them. It really does describe the way you do fall in love for the first time as a teen. You completely forget about yourself and your world just revolves around this one person. The song reminds me of Disney World (where I had my first date & kiss) just months after writing this. This song was my teenage fairytale and will always hold a special place in my heart. That's why this song begins my CD. I really felt like it was the beginning of my journey of falling in love. In a cheesy way, it was my first stepping stone to eventually finding my amazing husband. Mystical Vibe releases on my CD "Stepping Stone" July 15th, on iTunes!

Switching topics to my daily TV talk! I watched the most recent Graceland last night and I'm liking where the show is going. Even that actress I was hating is getting better. Thank goodness because she really was painful to watch originally! Now that I know Briggs is being investigated because of "money" stuff, I'm more on his side. Is it weird that when I thought it was for him being a loose cannon, I found it much more likely that he was bad? And now that it's supposedly money related I just don't believe it's true. And how sad that the other guy couldn't put his drugs and CI life behind him and buy that house for himself.

The Sims 3 Island Paradise comes out tomorrow! Is it bad that being on the boat today reminded me that my sims will get to be on a boat tomorrow? I am so excited! My hubby and I are going to run to Best Buy tomorrow morning for the game! I would pre-order but they didn't have that option when I was 9 and I started the tradition way back then of getting it from the store the day it comes out. Well, or at that age, having my mom get it from the store the day it came out.

So that's it for today! I'm assuming I'll be blogging tomorrow but who am I kidding, there is a significant possibility that I'll be too busy sailing my sims away! But hey, it's got to crash sometime right? The game, not the fake boat.

What's your favorite weekend excursion to take? Do you remember the first time you fell in love? Again, is Briggs bad? And how long do you think it will take for Island Paradise to crash? I'm taking bets!

My CD, The Sims 3, and Tons of TV Talk!

I am super excited to announce that my five song CD "Stepping Stone" will be released on iTunes July 15th! Currently, you can listen to the songs on Soundcloud.com.

My single, which shares the same name as the full CD, "Stepping Stone" is already on iTunes for purchase as the full version and in a ringtone version. A ringtone for "What Went Wrong" will also be available on July 15th!

In anticipation of the release, I will be blogging every Monday between now and the 15th about a different song on the CD. I am very excited and I hope for the day when I hear one of my songs blasting on someone's car radio! Please help support my dream and play my music for your friends!

Now, onto the usual.

I caught up on Mad Men last night and oh boy does it look like we're in for an interesting finale. I have never seen Don Draper looked so unprepared! Every time he's had an affair in the past, he walks around like it doesn't mean anything. He transitions into each role he has during the day, flawlessly. Until now. Sally catching him has really turned the tables and I hope to see this all come out and his world fall apart in tomorrow's finale! Is that mean? By the way, did anyone else love when Pete said to Ken, "any of us would gladly trade places with you." Yeah, right. I'm sure even Pete wouldn't be singing that same song and dance if he was shot in the face. It's crazy how self righteous these characters are. I feel bad for Ken. I'd want out too! I tell you though, Sally has become my favorite character on the show. I've always enjoyed watching her character grow up and develop on the show and I'm wondering if next season is going to have an even stronger focus on her? She's an interesting character, after all, she is the product of a very screwed up father and a very evil mother. I liked how she turned down that guy. Although, I think it was mostly because she wanted to see Glenn and him fight over her. She did seem pretty happy about it! It's weird though. Why did Glenn say she was like a sister to him? They had their first date recently and kissed! It's creepy how these Brandon Walsh type statements just pop up in other shows sometimes.

Hmm, what else? I watched The Bachelorette and thought that talent show was pretty funny. I could have done without the whole Hurricane Sandy date though. That was absolutely depressing and I don't understand why anyone would bring a date on something like that! It sucks that Bryden isn't really feeling it with Des. It sucks even more though that she didn't call him last and that he didn't reject the rose. Can you imagine if he did? That would have been, in ABC preview fashion, "The biggest twist ever!" on "The most exciting season yet!". Especially since then, Zac K would've stayed and then been all sad thinking he was supposed to go home!

For my gaming portion of this blog, I played The Sims 3 some more today and my sims bought a second home. Note to fellow simmers: When you build a home on the water, it will let you place the lot wherever, so be careful that you do actually have it on a nice portion of the sand...otherwise apparently your sims will not be able to get on the lot! I had to learn the hard way and move my sims new beach house to a different lot. Although, it worked out nicely. When I did that, it automatically sold the house, gave my sims back the $69,000, and then a weird glitch caused the new lot with the house to only cost $1,900. So actually simmers, don't take my advice. Learn the hard way like me! It may benefit your sims bank account! I think this new feature however is still not working exactly right because after I bought the house, my game gave me the usual "Error Code 12". I wish I could figure out a way to stop this error from happening! I've tried everything but nothing seems to work. If only EA was designing their games better for us Mac users. Grr.

So that's it for today. I have to go feed Willow dinner and watch more episodes of Party of Five with her. I grew up on the show and now that the seasons are finally being released on DVD quickly, I'm re-watching it! I don't remember much but I do know that Bailey should be getting into a bad drunk driving accident soon with Sarah in the car and that even though Julia currently doesn't want to go to Stamford, I'm pretty sure I remember her going and having a very abusive boyfriend, Ned, who threw a TV at her! Of course, what I'm most excited about is the fact that Tim DeKay, Christopher Gorham, and Maggie Lawson all appear in the upcoming seasons! Yay USA actors! Did anyone else find it weird by the way that Claudia dated a character played by Ryder Strong and then the next season, Ben Savage came on the show as a guy with a crush on her? It was like the invasion of Boy Meets World! Shawn and Cory must've had quite a fight over her. Poor Topanga!

What did you think of Mad Men? Is Don going to finally get what's coming to him? Was that Hurricane Sandy date the most depressing date you've ever seen? Should Bryden have called it a day and took off? What is the worst Sims 3 glitch or error you've ever had? And did you watch Party of Five?

Keep your eyes (and ears) opened for my CD release on July 15th!! Thanks everyone!

Willow cleaning her ears!