Sunday, August 28, 2016

It's That Time Again

Time for updates!

-The 2016-17 school year is off to an interesting start. Teaching a new class on study skills. So far so good. Crazy schedule, but I have time to go to the restroom. #winning

-New allergy doctor. He is AMAZING. Is on my top 5 lists of awesome doctors. Took the time to listen to me. Respected my research and my medical records. Unfortunately my allergy tests came back that I am literally allergic to EVERYTHING. He thinks he can help me and I believe him.

-My Coda turned 11 this week! She's still acting like a puppy, but she is slowing down. I can't imagine my life without her. Totally grateful to my ex for bringing her into my life.

-I hired a professional to do my mulch this year. Incredibly glad I did and will budget to continue to do so from now on. Landscaping makes a house look like a home in my opinion. Plus he's a former student. We've come full circle :).

-A guy I dated briefly a few years ago looked me up. Take two is happening this week. We'll see what happens...

-This election year has brought out the worst in people. Ugh. No me gustan los políticos.

-As you know Big Brother is one of my favorite reality TV shows. This season has been sort of a nightmare until Paulie and Zakiyah (aka Zaulie). I LOVE them for many reasons. Now I know this is a showmance, but they are gorgeous together. Paulie has said and done some stupid things in the house, but if Zakiyah can forgive him who are we to judge? I love watching their tribute videos on YouTube and chatting about them online. #BB18


Besos y abrazos,
Monica 

*Photo courtesy of YouTube/Big Brother .


Wednesday, August 10, 2016

#WeddingWednesday - Backyard Beauty

If you are trying to reduce wedding costs, look no further than your own backyard! There are many seasonal flowers that can be used to enhance your reception tablescape or even your bridal bouquet. Research garden tips online or at your local library. Beautiful florals maybe grown just a few steps from your back door.


xxoo,
Monica 

Saturday, August 6, 2016

Mr. Robot Explained

Repost from the Mr . Robot IMDB message board...

KellyKeybored replied-
*Spoilers below for both season one and two*

Sorry this is so long, but I hope it's helpful in some way. It's my own interpretation, and I may have left out important details, it's not really meant to be absolutely accurate.

I'm confused too, but I believe we are supposed to be confused.

I also can't be sure what is really happening as opposed to just being Elliot's hallucinations, but I do believe that this is all very real to Elliot. So in that way, I do sympathize with him, that he is struggling for his very existence, and trying to make sense of it all.

Elliot has finally come to terms that he has been speaking to his deceased father, and did not have any memory of his father, or of his sister Darlene. Elliot is afraid that Mr. Robot is taking control of his life so he wants to get rid of him.

Last season, Elliot, Darlene, Trenton, Romero and Mobley (and Mr. Robot!) as members of fsociety prepare to launch an attack on Ecorp on 5/9. But it is Tyrell, (an upper level executive at Ecorp) that meets with Elliot at the arcade when that happens. The last time we see Tyrell, Elliot is getting a gun from the pop corn machine, and Tyrell has his back to him.

Elliot wakes up in Tyrell's SUV in a parking lot, where the attendant tells Elliot he has been asleep for 2 or 3 days. But Elliot can't remember what happened to Tyrell.

Elliot checks himself into a mental hospital, keeps a journal and a daily routine, takes his meds (Adderal), continues therapy with Krista, (his court ordered therapist) and talks with Ray (who may also be some sort of counselor or therapist at that facility where he is staying).

While he is at this facility, Darlene and Gideon visit him, he keeps a strict routine of eating all his meals with his friend Leon (Jerry Seinfield fan), writes down everything in a journal, and watches neighborhood basketball games (where he initially meets Ray).

There is a flashback of Darlene visiting Elliot at his apartment, and Elliot brings out his father's “Mr. Robot” coat from his old store, Darlene hands him a (anonymous) Mask. Darlene seems a little shaken, and wants Elliot to take off the mask, but Mr. Robot is born.

Tyrell's wife Joanna Wellick, has been paying the parking lot attendant (Kareem) to be quiet about what he knows. She says that her husband will be “returning soon,” and she needs the attendant to be quiet until then. Her driver/assistant/bodyguard (Mr. Sutherland) tells her that she is running out of money.

Joanna is also having an affair with a bartender who wants to get a better job so that he can take her anywhere she wants to go. She says he makes her happy, just being the man he is.

Elliot's friend Angela is now working for the company she blames for the death of her mother (Elliot's father also died after working for Ecorp). Even though she tried to sue them (and then dropped the case) she is hired by Phillip Price, the powerful CEO of Ecorp, who is giving her a great deal of attention (asks her to dinner).

Price gives her incriminating evidence that will implicate two high level executives (that are also at the dinner), who are to blame for her mother's death. Angela later makes demands of Price, for a better position and a better office, but he turns her down. Price: “But I'm sorry, my dear. This is all in your head. Now, don't take that as a slight. Always good to have dreams.”

WhiteRose is affiliated with the Dark Army (who helped Fsociety hack into Ecorp). But he/she also is an associate of Phillip Price, and seems to have a very close relationship with him. WhiteRose seems to have a great deal of influence over financial and economic policy perhaps for another large company, or perhaps for another country.

Whiterose knows all about fsociety, but Price does not know he/she knows. Price says that he knows who is responsible for the attack on ECorp, and he will handle it. Whiterose seems impatient for Price to take action.

Mobley, a member of fsociety is frightened when he finds Romero's body. Romero was the original member of fsociety that enlisted Mobley's help. Romero initially told Mobley that the guy in charge (we assume he meant Elliot) is crazy, that Mobley will probably hate him, but that he is a brilliant coder.

After Romero is murdered, the FBI calls in Dominique, a special agent interested in the case. She finds a flyer for the party that fsociety had, which leads her to the Coney Island Arcade.

Darlene feels as if someone is following her, but she goes to meet her boyfriend Cisco (who has a connection to the Dark Army). They talk about Romero's death, and he tells her to be careful.

Meanwhile, Elliot is struggling to keep Mr. Robot away. In Elliot's delusions, men kidnap him and make him swallow cement mix, so that he has to throw up his pills. (We assume without his meds, he will be forced to speak to Mr. Robot again.)

One of the men (that looks like Walter White from Breaking Bad) takes off his hat and glasses and becomes Mr. Robot.

Mr. Robot wants to have a chess game with Elliot, and the winner will take all, to be in control. The loser will become nothing, feel nothing, will not exist. Elliot agrees to the match, but as they play, they continue to come to a draw, stalemate... no winner, no loser.

After Leon advises Elliot to think about his future, Elliot dreams of his perfect future, with those that he loves, his friends and family, and even those we might not expect (Tyrell and his wife and his child), and those Elliot may have treated badly (Bill from Steel Mountain, the man whom Elliot insulted, telling him no one would care if he died). The ECorp building collapses in the background, as everyone applauds.
The people at the dinner:
Darlene
Lloyd (From Allsafe)
Lloyd's girlfriend or wife, or perhaps another Allsafe employee
Mobley
Trenton
Ray
(Qwerty)
Angela
Bill (the man that Elliot insulted at Steel Mountain)
Leon
Tyrell Wellick
Joanna Wellick
Wellick's child (as a toddler)
And a chair for us, Elliot's imaginary friend.

Meanwhile, Ray is running some kind of illegal business on the side, and needs Elliot's help because someone has accessed his site and taken his bitcoins.

When Elliot goes online, he reads Darlene's message about the FBI finding the arcade, and about Romero being dead. Mr. Robot is with him, and they both agree that Elliot has to save Darlene, that she is in trouble, so Elliot is going to hack into the FBI.

Last episode:

Elliot hacks into the FBI (but I'm not sure what exactly he accomplished, I may have missed it.)

Darlene goes to Angela and asks for her help, to go into the Ecorp building (where the FBI has taken a whole floor for their investigation). Angela turns her down, and tells her to leave.
Darlene goes to see Elliot to ask him to ask Angela for her help, but he says no, not to involve Angela.

Angela finally goes to see Elliot, and says that she didn't want to see him again until he stopped “seeing” his father, Mr. Robot. But she missed him, and cared about him. Elliot tells Angela that Mr. Robot is standing right behind her.

Angela eventually agrees to help Darlene (perhaps because she feels that Elliot is not able to help himself), and she meets Darlene at the Ecorp building at night, to drop something off that is supposed to delete the FBI's data and evidence that may lead back to Elliot (and fsociety).

Mr. Sutherland, Joanna Wellick's bodyguard/assistant, goes to Kareem's apartment, kills him and makes it look like a burglary. When he returns to the Wellick apartment, Joanna calmly thanks Sutherland for everything, and continues to sing to her baby.

Joanna gets another mysterious phone call, she believes it is Tyrell, hears a passing ambulance and realizes that the caller was just outside her building.

Elliot asks for help with the previous computer tech (that had been beating up for failing to protect Ray's business interests properly (someone stole Ray's bitcoins).

Elliot wants to know why the tech has bruises all over his face, if Ray did it and why. The tech eventually allows Elliot to access Ray's disturbing online business interests: drugs, weapons, hitmen, and kidnapped teenagers sold into prostitution.

Elliot is abducted and badly beaten by Ray's thugs. Ray tells Elliot that he warned him not to look, to mind his own business. He throws a small piece of hair (and bloody scalp?) onto the ground, implying that the tech talked and told Ray everything. It's possible that the tech has been beaten again, or is dead. (Again I think I may have missed that part and haven't rewatched yet.)

Meanwhile Dominique, the FBI agent, goes to China to investigate the Ecorp hack, but she foolishly speaks up and makes it sound like the FBI believes that the Dark Army was responsible for the hack. Whiterose does not look pleased by Dominque's brazen comments.

Whiterose is revealed to be a government official for China. The FBI agents are invited to his elegant mansion for dinner where Dom sneaks off in search of a restroom, but instead finds a small room filled with clocks.

Whiterose catches her, but then takes her to a closet and shows her very beautiful and valuable dresses that he/she claims to belong to his sister.

The next morning, the FBI agents are enjoying their breakfast buffet in the lobby of their hotel, and they are brutally attacked by gunman (does not appear that many survive).
 
*Reposted from the Mr. Robot IMDB message board.

This is the best explanation of Mr. Robot I have ever seen. 

Thank you user KellyKeybored. You ROCK!

Monica