Jul 6, 2017 |
by Molly Jo Realy @RealMojo68
Why DVDs are Still Important
Okay, y’all. I admit. There’s a lot to be said about streaming videos. No extra clutter on the nightstand or when traveling. No storage issues (well, at least not at the house). And super bonus: no “ohmagosh where I did put that?” Or super-super bonus: no breakage.
But there’s something to be said for getting your entertainment the semi-old school way. And it comes with its own bonus.
Now, I enjoy Netflix as much as the next person. I mean, how many of you already know when Stranger Things Season Two is available? [Here’s a hint: Come home early from Trick-or-Treating this year.]
I love instant access to all the episodes of Fuller House. I’m watching my way through all eleven seasons of FRASIER this month. Last month it was FRIENDS, but you knew that.
But, see, I also love my DVDs and Blu-Rays for one very important reason: Behind the Scenes.
I love picking up a season of NCIS or ER [or the newest hottie I mean, hero, Avengers movie] and having access to bonus features.
Hearing Aaron Sorkin talk about why he wrote a certain episode of the West Wing, or picking up on Iron Man’s special effects . . . Those aren’t things you can get through online streaming.
And I don’t know about you, but I hope *fingers crossed* I’m not the only one who likes the rewind button. I mean, seriously. I’m talking laugh-out-loud or “what the heck was that?!” moments when you just have to experience it again now without waiting for the feed to reload. In writers terms, we call that taking the reader out of the story. That’s no way to keep the momentum!
Sure, you can’t take everything with you. But when you’re going on a trip, you don’t pack the kitchen sink, do you?
And here’s one more reason to love DVDs and Blue-Rays: Sometimes your shows aren’t available.
Okay? Who else cried when Netflix took down FLASHPOINT? And why is Pet Sematary only available around Halloween?
These things are important, people!
Oh, wait. One more awesome reason: I’m told by more than few to prepare for that foretold horror, the worldwide EMP. You know, that moment when the internet and all things attached go down. I know, I know. Let’s for a moment forget the correlation that in such an event my DVD and Smart TV will also most likely definitely not work. Let’s just stick to the streaming video for this conversation. Thanks.
So. What’s This Girl gonna do when I can no longer access my Netflix? I think I’ll survive.
I may have to learn how to churn butter . . . But in the event of an emergency, I can string my discs together and find a laywoman’s way to harness the power of the sun.
You can’t get a tan from Hulu. Just sayin’.
Why DVDs are Still Important
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . Why DVDs are Still Important @RealMojo68 #DVD #EMP #netflix
TWEET THIS: Frankly, My Dear . . . When streaming videos doesn’t give you full access. @RealMojo68 #netflix #streaming #DVD
And Frankly, My Dear . . . That’s all she wrote!
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Jun 17, 2013 |
Every so often, I like to give a shout out to my favorite TV Show, Canada’s FLASHPOINT.
If you’ve been around the Blog any length of time, you understand how this wonderful show has affected me. Sounds silly, right? Or over-dramatic? Yah. From the other side of the fence I’d agree with you. But on the inside looking out, all I can say is you don’t know what you’re missing.
Right now I’m all wrapped up in Grey’s Anatomy on Netflix. But it still doesn’t feel like it does when I watch FLASHPOINT. Even though they ended production after five seasons and I’m relegated to reruns and DVDs.
FPTO Farewell [courtesy Angelo Barovier]
It still feels like community.
Maybe I’m overly lucky. I was in the right place at the right time and cyber-met some amazing people. The people who cheer me on, share my chocolate, talk about toast, and continue to inspire and support me in so very many ways. And let me do the same for them. The people who have become My People.
When I watch FLASHPOINT, I feel connected to family. Can a TV show do all that?
Of course not.
But a community can.
FLASHPOINT is the only show I have never missed an episode of. It’s the first mainstream show I’ve known to have a truly interactive online community (thank you, Facebook and twitter!). My list of friends expanded exponentially when I opened myself to FPTO.
I get traffic on the Blog every single day for search queries for “FLASHPOINT” and its various characters. How amazing is that? This award-winning show with its ueber-intense storylines and intricate personalities. I always get caught up in the show for the first five to ten minutes before the title theme starts. The commercial breaks served to let me catch my breath. Now that I’m watching the show via Netflix and DVD, I get no breaks. It’s 44 minutes of pure adrenaline and breath-holding. So I guess it’s a good thing I only watch one or two episodes as I’m heading to REM slumber.
Of course it’s more than a show. When I’m on Facebook or twitter, I check in on My People. We’ve formed real relationships. We’ve met. We’ve socialized. We’ve encouraged and supported and cheered and been there for each other in a variety of situations. These people are My People.
And that’s why I still love this show. Because the show may have ended. But the community hasn’t.
I hope that someday I’ll write a script as worthy of the same kind of kudos that FLASHPOINT has received in the industry and from its fans. I have a glimmer of a goal to be the kind of writer and producer who continues to appreciate the community built around my Blog and other writings. To introduce people to each other in a way that is special and bonding. Not a casual “hey it’s been fun” moment that ends when the series ends. But real, ongoing, honest “how are you” friendships. And I strive to open up to strangers and expand my horizons with stories full of such friendships and adventures and character.
Because of the generous, supportive, encouraging people I’ve met through FLASHPOINT, I am reminded each day that I can do anything. It starts with an idea that spreads to a goal that leads to a step that builds a foundation.
When I give a shout out to FLASHPOINT, I’m really saying “thank you” to Jaye and Kate and Mary and Angelo and Sharon and Victoria and Joy and Beth and Laura and Nanette and so many others who continue to add spice and seasonings to This Girl’s life. And hoping in some small way I’m already returning the favor.
Yes. A TV show can do all that.
When I say, “FLASHPOINT inspires me,” I’m saying I get it. And whatever your community, I wish you the same. From the inside out.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Follow Flashpoint Team One on Facebook and twitter.
You may also enjoy reading:
Hello/Goodbye: How Flashpoint Keeps Hitting the Mark
Do You Know FPTO?
KEEP THE PEACE, Part I
Feb 16, 2013 |
What’s This Girl to do when
- It’s too cold to do yardwork
- The kitchen’s too clean to bake
- Friends have their own family plans
- The movies are too expensive
- It’s a Lazy Saturday Afternoon
Any or all of the above is enough to make ya’ want to crawl into a good book with a cozy blanket. But sometimes reading is a little too much effort.
And in my desperation for cheap entertainment, I finally took the advice of many friends (and Dot’s repeated pleading) and subscribed to Netflix.
So as Dot’s cat competes for her attention against college-level government studies, I’m happily engrossed (finally) in the greatness that is Jack Bauer. Yes, it’s true. I’m late to this party, but now I get “24”. I mean, I get it. And, I get it. I’m able to watch it, and I see why it was so attractive.
Of course, when it first aired, Dot was all of 7 years old and so we watched shows like “Lizzie McGuire” and “Unwrapped”. After she went to sleep I was invariably too tired to focus on much more than the insides of my own eyelids.
But now I have the freedom to watch more adult-themed content. Dot loves watching crime dramas with me. We still have our cooking and Disney Channel shows. We love our baseball and football games. But with Netflix, our viewing world has opened up in ways I never thought possible.
I can pick my shows and movies and watch what I want, when I want. No more do we have to wait to buy the next season on DVD, or a rerun to show on television.
There are a few drawbacks: some of my favorite 80s shows aren’t on the list. I could pay another $7.99/month for the DVD service, but that’s like renting a movie through the mail. I don’t want that. I have plenty to keep my attentions with the streaming selection.
Right now we’re using an ethernet cable plugged between the modem and the blu ray player. At some point in the near future, I’ll afford the $100 to buy a wireless adapter. But at least for this weekend, the blue cord across the floor is far less repelling than the endless supply of Bradley Cooper, Keifer Sutherland, and many other wonderful programming.
For less than the price of one adult movie ticket, Dot and I can now get caught up on shows we’ve been missing. In the next few weeks, I expect we’ll have more than our fill of any of the following:
- Frasier
- Cheers
- Friends
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Sherlock Holmes
- 24
- Liam Neeson
- Sandra Bullock
- Cats
- Nature Stories
- All this and more…
I am, however disappointed at the lack of Kurt Russell flicks. I was rather hoping for BACKDRAFT. I have a digital copy that I’ve been watching on Babycakes (my laptop) each night as I drift off to sleep. It took me four viewings to pick up on the fact that Kurt Russell wasn’t really drunk. He was just playing a character. He’s that good. So why wouldn’t I want more? Alas, Netflix, you do me wrong.
I would love a better supply of Poseidon movies, Bruce Willis (Moonlighting!), and perhaps some Riptide.
Even so, for less than $8 a month, I can’t really complain. Especially because, and let’s get down to the nitty gritty here, what really matters is four full seasons of FLASHPOINT. That alone makes This Girl, well, jitterbug happy.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
Jan 23, 2013 |
As I start this, I just know it will end up on Shell’s “Pour Your Heart Out” Page. I’m thankful for her keeping that weekly link up open so I can spill my emotional vomit and not be the only one doing it. Misery loves company, right?
Okay, so it’s not all miserable. But it’s a lot of what I can’t, or won’t, normally write. Today’s post is about life. And death. And a few things in between.
The last week has been a mixture of endurance, sorrow, mourning, and sickness. The details don’t really matter. My Blog friend, Jenn, nailed it when she said this is “vague blogging”. Not so much a fan of teasing y’all… but there really are some things I just can’t say. Ever.
Except today I’m sad. I’m just utterly sad and tired and worn out… and, of course, hopeful. Because regardless of how bad things are (and I thought they were bad a month ago… boy was that just a prelude!), nevertheless, I’m still loved. And sheltered. And cared for. And breathing. So it’s okay.
That’s the part I’m choosing to remember. The parts that turn the bad stuff into Something Good. That even my worst is someone else’s best. I’m blessed, I’m rich, I’m healthy. Even when it doesn’t seem like it.
And I could sit here giving myself a Pity Party. I choose not to. That doesn’t mean I’m not tired or worn out or feeling down. It just means I can still smile about it. And if all I know is only that, it’s still enough.
I can’t even say life goes on… for some, it doesn’t.
It’s completely strange yet comforting that most of my tears fell at the end of FLASHPOINT. It wasn’t just the end of this wonderful series that got me. It was the catalyst that allowed me to face the pains inside. It gave me permission to cry. It was a bit confusing… and a bit cathartic.
It was symbolic of so much. The highs and lows of the last week. The beginning of some things… and the end of others.
And then there are the stories I can’t tell, because they’re not mine to tell. The stories that leave a pain in my soul that isn’t easily healed. So I hold on to hope that this, too, shall pass.
Dot is under the weather tonight. I’m hoping she just needs a good night’s sleep. We’ve been house-hopping to Mom’s for a few days because the furnace is out. Again. The fifth time since Christmas. And it’s finally been given its last legs, a new one has been ordered. It was suggested that we get a carbon monoxide detector “just in case”. While it hasn’t sounded an alarm yet, there’s that keyword yet. I’ll be sleeping less peacefully until the new one is installed on Saturday.
We’ve been intermittently staying at home in the cold, staying at mom’s in the warmth, and thankfully, the furnace is working just enough tonight for us to stay home comfortably. I expect it to go out again tomorrow, as that seems to be its pattern. At least the cats are happy to have us home. But the turmoil hasn’t been good for Dot, and now she’s feeling ill. I hope it’s not the flu. She has so much on her plate, that’s the last thing she needs.
And a Momma never stops worrying about her babies, no matter how old they are. My mom and I are evidence enough of that!
I’m waiting to exhale when the Cookbook Project is finished. I don’t understand how I could believe in something so completely and not be successful at it. But that glimmer teases me. It’s not over yet. One more week. I have one more week. And, as the last week has evidenced, anything can happen. Even the unexpected. Be it good or bad. I believe it will be Good. But getting there is terribly stressful.
Mostly, tonight, I can’t shake the feeling of sadness over one small thing:
I never hugged Grandpa Jack.
He’s not my Grandpa. He’s the father-in-law of my dear friend. She’s been a motherly-mentor to me for nearly two decades. We were at their house for Thanksgiving, and the whole family was around. And when it came time to leave, I was selective in my affections. And I awkwardly never hugged him. Because after knowing the man for 18 years, I still didn’t know him. And I was embarrassed by my shyness. So we left. It was the best time we’d ever had together at the Great Turkey Shoot. I told myself I’d hug him at Christmas.
But I didn’t see him again.
And now he’s gone.
I never hugged Grandpa Jack. And that horrible thought haunts me. Because now I never will.
I don’t know what to do with all this pain… except sleep on it and know that tomorrow I’ll wake a bit more refreshed. A bit more warm. A bit more optimistic.
Because Shell let me get it out of my system. Sometimes, all we need is a friend to say, “How are you, really?” and mean it. Even if it’s just on a Blog.
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote.
Help me to reach my funding goal before February 1st!
Just click on the photo below and click “BACK THIS PROJECT” to pre-order YOUR copy of The Unemployment Cookbook, Second Edition!
Jan 16, 2013 |
It happened. I didn’t want it to. Many of us saw the writing on the Wall. We knew this day would come. And yet, we’re still unprepared.
My beloved TV Show, FLASHPOINT, has begun to end.
Tonight was Part I of the two-part series finale. Yes. That’s right. Series finale. It won’t be back after next week.
[Courtesy Angelo Barovier/FLASHPOINT Team One, Used By Permission]
I’m in shambles. The show, as always, leaves me with a “what-the-heck-just-happened-I-need-to-learn-to-breathe-again” experience. It literally takes my breath away, and I’m consciously surprised during commercials when I find myself exhaling.
It’s impossible for me to write about FLASHPOINT without making it personal. I had absolutely nothing to do with the show. I wasn’t even one of the Lucky Ones to visit the set, cast and crew in Toronto. I’m okay with that (not really, but, you know, what can ya do…) Even so, this is a deeply personal experience for me.
As melodramatic as it reads, this show has, in some ways, changed my life. “But it’s just a TV show!” you say. “Get a life!” you tell me.
Let me tell you… in the five seasons that FLASHPOINT has been on the air:
*I became a licensed insurance agent.
*I went through two periods of unemployment. The last one lasting nearly 18 months.
*I bought a house.
*I was in a car accident.
*I reconnected with childhood friends via Facebook.
*I published my Cookbook.
*I learned to trust people I’ve never met.
*I found courage. Courage to reach for goals. Courage to think about change instead of comfort. Courage to let strangers in and let go of being intimidated.
And because of FLASHPOINT, I have many new friends. I’ve met people I otherwise would not have the privilege to know. People who have influenced me, tolerated me, cheered me on, and lifted me up.
FLASHPOINT opened up my world to possibilities. The highly interactive Facebook Page has been instrumental in making me feel connected to a world I otherwise didn’t know: the fan-based community that introduced me to others who understand: this is so much more than “just” a TV show. The producers that personally chat with me. Me. Like I’m a Somebody. Holy Reality, Batman… did Sharon just message me? Really?! Really!
When I needed a break from the Outside World, I could escape by watching FLASHPOINT on TV, on the DVR or one of the DVD sets. I always knew Team One would KEEP THE PEACE and make it better.
For my long-time readers, you’ll remember nearly three years ago when I began to really get involved with the FTPO Community online. Facebook. Twitter. I was so easily intimidated. I fluctuated between opening up and protecting my privacy. I soon realized the Community I was diving into was one of honest friendship. And it’s based on so much more than a show.
This group has supported my writing. Seen me through tragedies and celebrations. Encouraged me, and even called me on the carpet when I needed it.
I count my FPTO peeps as some of the most reliable people I know. And I’m thrilled to know that even though the show is ending, the Community is not.
So yes. When I talk about FLASHPOINT, it’s personal. And when it ends, I take it personally.
Dear FPTO,
You’ll never really know how you’ve inspired me and, cheesily, changed my life.
I wouldn’t trade it for all the chocolate in the world.
Sincerely,
Me
And Frankly, My Dear… that’s all she wrote!
You may also enjoy reading:
Hello/Goodbye: How Flashpoint Keeps Hitting the Mark
Do You Know FPTO?
The Long Goodbye: Flashpoint to End After Season Five
The Long Goodbye: What FLASHPOINT Means to Me
#FlashpointFinalDays
