My top couples who aren't couples

I don't know when, where, or why this thought came to me, but it happened and I wanted to share it with all of you. This is about my top couples who aren't couples. These are people who are so great together but they aren't together in a romantic or sexual way. I guess another way to put it would be examples of great friends. But that doesn't seem to do these people enough justice.


Alex Day and Charlie McDonnell

screen cap from one of their YouTube videos, capped by me

Despite how many times they have told people, neither of these men are gay, but it really doesn't matter. When you watch their videos you can see their affection for each other. They always joke around with each other, but they also help and encourage each other with their own musical pursuits. I would imaging it would be hard being friends with someone who is pursuing the same creative field as you. Art is hard enough without adding the pressure of success, and being friends with someone who could potentially be your competition (in terms of sales, etc) has to have it's hard points. Yet these two always seem to have each others back and are always keen to help. Plus, they're just great fun to watch, either singularly or as a duo.
Charlie's YouTube site: http://www.youtube.com/charlie
Alex: http://www.youtube.com/nerimon


Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies

Of course, being co-hosts of a breakfast television show you'd have to think that these two have great chemistry—otherwise the show wouldn't work. But Larry and Kylie have such a great friendship that I'm sure the producers never saw them coming. Larry has been in the TV business long enough to know a good thing when it comes around, the The Morning Show is a GREAT thing. This 2.5 hour show gives him the excuse to have fun, eat, and joke around. Oh, and occasionally he may read what's actually on the Teleprompter. My guess is that Kylie was chosen to be the voice of reason between the two. Coming from a background in news journalism, it seems that the producers thought she would be a mature, calming influence on the ex-game show host. They were wrong.
Nine times out of ten Kylie is egging Larry on, and when she says 'no' or tells him to stop, it just makes him to harder... oops, I mean it just spurs him on more. They laugh, they joke, they share stories, they congratulate and mock each other. They're just great fun to watch.
The Morning Show airs channel 7 9am-11:30am Monday to Friday. Website: http://au.tv.yahoo.com/the-morning-show/


Wil Wheaton and Felicia Day

Ah yes, geeks in love. But like I said, this post isn't about romantic couples. By watching anything involving Wil and Felecia (like Eureka or The Guild for example) you can see that they have real love and respect for each other. Their friendship is the stuff of dreams, two geeky people who have found camaraderie with one another. If you follow them on twitter you'll see them both mocking and congratulating each other. These two are so cute together, it's so adorable (or adorkable?)
Wil on twitter: @wilw
Felicia on twitter: @feliciaday

Amanda Tapping and Robin Dunne

While I've been going out of my way on this post to remind you that these people aren't really couples, Amanda and Robin love nothing else but to make people think that they are together. When they go out together for dinner or on a flight they pretend to be Mandy and Rob Bickerson, a married couple who fight all the time. In their scenarios "Rob" is a big drinker who made a fool of himself at "Mandy's" mother's birthday party, and Mandy is a constant nag and cryer. According to Robin, sometimes this act goes too far and the people on set want them to stop. The act is also so real that strangers will often come up to Amanda and tell her that she's too good for Robin!
It takes real friendship and a heck of a lot of trust to act this way with another person, let alone a person of the opposite sex, but friendship and trust is what these two have in spades.
A great video that shows the relationship between these two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fojrJ3EBL_w.


So what does everyone else think? Do you like my choices? Have I missed a couple? Let me know in the comments.


Kathy


Themes: Amanda Tapping, Robin Dunne, Wil Wheaton, Felicia Day, Alex Day, Charlie Day, Larry Emdur, Kylie Gillies, fun, funny, couples, relationships

Thoughts on The Hunger Games movie

I'm not that big of a fan of The Hunger Games books as I am of many others. Don't get me wrong; I have read the trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed all of the books, but I have only read them once and have too many others to read before I can even think about doing a reread. 
But I do love a good movie, and I was excited to see The Hunger Games at the movie. I watched the trailers four or five times in the week leading up to the film, and was determined to see it the first day it came out. Thursday night a big group of friends and I arrived at an aging theatre, loaded up on sugary foods, and entered the darkened room. 
I give The Hunger Games movie 8/10. I really liked it, but I didn't love it. I'd be alright to watch it again at the movies, but if I don't I'm okay with it. Compare this to Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part 2, which I saw twice, and Serenity which I saw three times. 
I think that the cast and crew did a great job of recreating the world of The Hunger Games. I was a bit worried how they would balance the horror of District 12 with the elaborate-ness of the Capitol but they did it well. If this doesn't win best costumes at the Oscars next year I will not only be surprised but deeply disappointed. 
In terms of sticking the to the truth of the book, I think they nailed it in most parts. The horror of the games and the twisted notions of sacrifice and war came across wonderfully. However, one thing that I felt didn't translate across was the relationship between Peeta and Katniss. In my opinion, in the book you could tell that Peeta was truly madly deeply in love with Katniss no questions asked, but you could also understand why Katniss thinks it all a ploy. In the movie you can see Peeta has love for Katniss but you don't know how deep it is. Likewise, I couldn't work out what Katniss thought about it all. 
I also felt they didn't do enough justice to the Katniss-Haymitch relationship while Kat was in the arena, but the movie did make me love Haymitch even more than before. I've always had a soft spot for the man, and I felt that  book 1 wasn't as generous to him as book 2. Woody Harrelson was amazing. 
The Hunger Games is a great movie and I recommend it to anyone who loves a bit of escapism. 
What did everyone else think of the film? Let me know in the comments. 
Kathy


Themes: katniss everdeen, peeta mellark, gale hawthorne, the hunger games, suzanne collins, young adult fictions, jennifer lawrence, josh hutcherson, liam hemsworth

A new way of thinking

Yesterday I had to wake up from a perfectly good sleep in order to go to work. Among the initial grouching and cussing at the alarm clock, I ventured out of my nice, warm bed and into the kitchen to make a coffee. While I was waiting for the water to heat up I was suddenly struck by how lucky I am. No, I wasn’t again musing on the fact that I won this awesome coffee machine (although that is an awesome story, click here if you haven’t read it), but I was thinking that I am lucky to HAVE to get up and go to work.

See, many people around the world aren’t in this same situation. While it’s true that some people are out of work because of choice, the overwhelming majority of unemployed people don’t want to be. They want to be out in the workforce making a difference or at least earning their own money. But because of the economy or other circumstances they are left trying to make ends meet on their limited savings and ultimately useless unemployment benefits. Some people are unemployed because they have a disability and they either cannot work or cannot be hired because someone is afraid they aren’t up to the tasks at hand.

I am not disabled (migraines aside), and I spent a great deal of time trying to find paid work in the writing industry. When everything I found was too short term or paid too little to cover the bills I decided to look elsewhere, and was fortunate enough not only to find a great job in the retail/finance sector, but also one where I work with great people.

I am also lucky enough that I can legally be employed. It wasn’t that long ago in the grand scheme of things that women weren’t allowed to hold jobs. Someone thought that women could only marry, run a household, and tend to children. I am lucky enough to live in a time and place where I can not only be given a job but it is downright encouraged for me to have one.

Now, I’m not saying that there is equality in the workplace when it comes to the gender gap, and women are still paid less than men to do the same job, but we have come quite a ways in a short time, and I can only see things getting better.

So while I hate the early mornings and having to commute through peak hour traffic to get to work, I am grateful that I have work at all.

Now please excuse me while I enjoy my day off. 

Kathy