SAY CHEEEESE !!!!!!

Hey kids, it's Camera Day today and as an amateur photographer, I usually have at least one camera with me, even if it's only my phone. I also like to shop for cameras, camera equipment, and film. Especially, vintage polaroids.

 Although I prefer to shoot in black and white I have taken some color photos (which My Tess says are "so much prettier than the gray ones") and so I thought I would share a few with you today.

A beautiful little beach that we hope to return to someday soon. I tried to get a picture of Tess in her swimsuit but she ran from me.  (I'll keep trying.)

The Brooklyn Bridge at sunset is gone. Are you happy NOW, Petra ???

Bluffers Park 

The Grand Floridian Resort

A little bird Tess wanted badly, but was content with a picture.

Old Montreal

Tower Bridge in London.

And this one is important because..................

And here are some photos of Brendan, who is also an amateur photographer  (I don't know why he calls himself that. If you've sold one photo, you can call yourself a professional photographer. I think he more than qualifies.) Happy Camera Day !!!

This was in my Christmas stocking last year from my favorite little elf.

And this one was under the tree.

Kodak No.1 Diodak  (for AussieGirl)

WELL, BLESS YOUR HEARTS! (UPDATED 1/28/2018)

Yesterday a "friend" ,or more accurately put, a person apparently hoping to be, sent us an "fyi"informing us that the little petition started some months ago by "fans"of Mr. Brendan Fraser had reached over forty-seven thousand signatures!!!!! Since my Darling Mr."C" has already had his say about the aforementioned petition, I thought that I would like to have mine.

Now as you may or may not know from visiting this blog, I was born and raised in the Old South and although I have lived in several other states, a couple of other countries and on one other continent, in my heart and soul, I am and always will be a Southerner. This being the case, I may from time to time use an expression that may be foreign to you, especially if you happen to be one of our foreign visitors. Or you may think that you know what I mean, when you do not. Here is an example:

                                               WELL BLESS YOUR HEART!
                                             ****************************
                               Northern Translation : Aren't you sweet, thank you, how kind of you, how thoughtful of you, what a nice thing to do (or say).

                               Southern Translation : Get ready for a whoopin'! ( verbal paddling, spanking, a talking to, that you brought upon yourself, Mister!)


I cannot fathom how over forty-seven thousand people could all be so naive, so gullible, so thoughtless, so insensitive, and I am sorry but I am going to have to say it......So dumb! Are you all cousins or something??? I spent part of my childhood and teenage years in California because my father worked for Metro Goldwyn Mayer. He taught me all about the inner workings of the film business and if he were alive today he would be appalled that anyone thought that a director, producer or film studio would be impressed by such childish tactics. TheChamCham with over thirty Year's experience in the entertainment industry agrees with me on this as you already know. Granted, that was another time. A time when talent, personality, looks, and your past accomplishments meant something and you were hired on your own merits. Now it is true that the present Hollywood is another place entirely where your connections (ie: nepotism) and your social media profile mean more than your training, versatility, and dedication to your chosen craft. I think that is very sad. 

And the audiences have clearly changed as well. There was a time when musicals ruled and films stood on their own. Now, bilge like "LaLaLand" gets away with calling itself a musical and is nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture and every other movie released is part of a trilogy, a sequel or a prequel. I may be old-fashioned (and proud of it) but I miss the way it used to be, when stars were stars and not paparazzi princesses, tabloid fodder and cartoonish professional wrestlers turned "actors". Yes, Mr. Johnson, I am looking at you.

Brendan Fraser is an actor of the "old school". Classically trained, multi-talented, versatile. He is capable of playing any role and his multi-faceted performances in Gods and Monsters, The Quiet American , School Ties and Trust have been some of his best and sadly, most overlooked in favor of his lighter comedic roles in George of the Jungle, the Mummy films and Blast from the Past. At least his Scrubs appearances are regularly praised, as they should be. 

My point is that you can all stop patting yourselves on the back because you truly accomplished nothing. Brendan's supposed "blacklisting" by Hollywood is a fantasy. He has worked regularly for twenty-six years in a cutthroat industry with only one year missing from his filmography and when he finally takes a well-deserved hiatus of his own choosing for personal reasons of his own (which TheChamCham tried to explain to you many times at IMDb and which I am confirming here) someone starts a rumor that Hollywood has turned their back on him! That could not be further from the truth.  

As you have seen in the past few months, he is as popular and in demand as he has always been and it is no thanks to you. He was ready to start working full time again, his agents made this known to The Powers That Be (which do not include any of you) ,the scripts came to him and he chose what he wanted to do, so please do not take credit for something you had nothing to do with. If anything, your interfering would have done more harm than good if Brendan's popularity and reputation did not precede him. He did not need your "help", He did not need "saving" and I am very pleased to be able to finally tell you!

The projects that he is currently involved in have been in the planning stages for far longer than the petition or any of the other schemes "to get him work" have been in motion. For example, TRUST has been planned for six months but casting announcements were not made until just before filming began. 

If you seriously want to do something for Brendan, simply go to his movies, watch his series' and show him the respect that he deserves.  That is what true fans do. Take down those silly and sarcastic subreddits, photo shopped pictures, and stop the memes. This should give you plenty of time to go to school or get a job, and accomplish something in your own lives instead of living vicariously through others. Brendan is a perfect example of a self-made man who worked his way up the ladder in a tough business with no connections and still remained the same sweet, kind, wonderful and honorable man that he is. You could learn a great deal from him.

One more thing I would like to address before I go (I have a beautiful roast chicken in the oven and I do not want it to overcook!)  As for your opinions regarding the former Mrs. Fraser. None of you know her, only what you have read which may or may not be true, so your comments are rather 
inappropriate and ill-informed. You need to be reminded that it was not she, but the Connecticut family court judges and our own United States court system that decided the amount of the alimony payments that they felt she was entitled to ($ 50,000 per month =$600,000 per year until January 31,2019. The child support is $25,000 per month = $300,000 per year and it was never, ever in dispute. There was a prenup.It was thrown out by the judge.) and not Miss Smith herself. So, while I am not defending her, I am simply pointing out that your complaints should be made to the court system and not to her. Perhaps a better waste of time and energy and precious brain cells would have been to petition the courts for a reduction of the alimony (see above)  which would be a waste of time, or better yet, why not petition Hollywood to get acting jobs for Miss Smith, who until her marriage to Mr.Fraser was a "working actress "(see IMDb)?

Oh my goodness that chicken smells delicious(!) and I hear TheChamCham coming downstairs for his lunch and I never like to keep him waiting, so I have to be going now. Try to remember what I have told you and when you tell the other forty-seven thousand, please try to get the facts straight. It really is not that difficult, if you try. Now, get on out of my kitchen, please. And bless your hearts!

                                                                                       Tess🌷


P.S. And if you think that Brendan is "pleased" about any of this, you would be sadly mistaken.


UPDATE: It appears that the petition has been removed. Apparently it's author (NOT TheChamCham) dropped the ball and never submitted it to those for which it was intended. Good!
It was one more misguided attempt to "help" a man who does not need help and to "save" a man not in need of saving. 

Volunteering at a hospital, animal shelter or an orphanage is a much better way to help those truly in need. 

UPDATE : A new article from ET CANADA by a GAVIN CRISP. While I am pleased that Mr. Crisp is able to spell BRENDAN FRASER correctly and has apparently seen twelve of his films (out of  48), I am dismayed that he left out The Quiet American. Now, was this done because he has not seen it or because he did not like it? Either way, it should have been included. I also did not appreciate the snarkiness. Is it too much to expect a "journalist" to be impartial these days? Apparently. 

It also puzzles me that we only have a few Canadian visitors to the blog. Considering that Brendan holds a Canadian passport (as well as an American one) , pays taxes in both countries and has made quite a few films and a TV series (VERY recently) north of the border, I would expect more support from the Great White North. Silly me.
Tess🌷