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The setup for this season has us anticipating the sinking of The Amanda. From the wreckage, which includes an unidentified male corpse, we flash back three months to just before Memorial Day. Emanda is finishing up training in Japan with Takeda (Yes, that seemingly backstabbing Takeda) to try and unlock memories of her mother. When she's had somewhat of a breakthrough, she returns to the Hamptons. It's been almost a year since Emanda returned home for the first time. So what have all our favorite Hamptonites been up to?
Well... Jack is living a lie with our favorite pregnant stripper, having taken to drinking and spending his nights sleeping out in his boat. When Emanda returns, he gets up the nerve to explain to her he didn't know when they had their night together Amily was going to return and be pregnant. Emanda isn't playing around anymore with Ams, so she hints to Jack that he may want to look into a paternity test. He eventually confronts Amily to ask for one.
All of this Amily business has driven a huge wedge between Jack and Declan. He can see very clearly that Jack isn't happy, asking that Jack admit to himself that he doesn't love Amily. But Jack is Jack, and he's going to do the upstanding thing always. About that... the bar has also really suffered with Jack's neglect and Dec is resentful that he's had to pick up the slack. They fail a health inspection and are at risk of losing the bar.
Charlotte has been in rehab this whole time, and appears to be having a very positive experience. She's nearing the end of her treatment, and hopes to be released in time for what would've been her mother's annual Memorial Day art auction. Meanwhile, Daniel has been mostly despondent and drunk after his mother's death. He's now with Ashley, but obviously still pines for Emanda. And Conrad... is trying to get both of his children to invest their inheritances back into Grayson Global. Typical.
Nolan has responded to his near-death experience by taking up boxing at a gym in the city and selling the Fortress of Solitude because of its bad juju, but we could've easily predicted both of those things. Emanda seeks him out for the quirky, smart-assed assistance only he can provide. It's entirely natural that Nolan asks to be Ems' live-in, one-man IT team. We can look forward to many roommate misunderstandings. I can't wait for Nolan to walk in on Ems in the shower and the karate chop to the throat that will follow.
Our roomies' initial sleuthing triggers memories of Emanda's mother being committed to a psychiatric ward at a local hospital. The memories guide Ems to the hospital, which was mysteriously shut down the week David Clarke was arrested. It becomes clear that Victoria had a role in locking away Mrs. Clarke. The step in the plan is for Emanda to get close to the Graysons again so she can get more answers.
Ems visits Charlotte in rehab and gets an invite to the Memorial Day art auction. At the auction, Ems makes sure Daniel gets a good look at her, planting a seed of longing in his dim mind. While that may have been enough for Emanda's initial plan, she has the stroke of luck that Charlotte gets framed by her father and rehab counselor for failing her final drug test. Before she's taken away, Charlotte confides in Ems that Victoria is still alive, and whispers her whereabouts.
After Emanda pays Victoria a visit to verify Charlotte was telling the truth, she and Nolan decide to plant a surveillance camera in Victoria's humble, little witness protection cabin. She pays Victoria a second visit to do so, under the guise of providing an incriminating background check of Charlotte's rehab counselor so Victoria can free her daughter. Victoria sees through Emanda's fake kindness. After Ems leaves, Victoria summons the White-Haired Man to kill her. The surveillance video tips Emanda off that Victoria and WHM have been in cahoots all along, they were responsible for the disappearance and possible murder of her mother and that she must prepare for an imminent attack.
-- Pablo G. is some guy who lives in Austin, Texas. He used to co-host TWoP's original "Trailers Without Pity" with his brother Omar G. Check him out at The YES and NO and Pablog and follow him @PendejoJoe on Twitter.
Want more? The full recap starts right below!"Destiny has two ways of crushing us... by refusing our wishes... and by fulfilling them." -Henri Frederic Amiel
Season 2 begins underwater at night. A helicopter searches with its spotlight and drops a scuba diver into the black ocean. Emanda voice-over: "Destiny. To believe that life is meant for a single purpose one must also believe in a common fate. Father to daughter, brother to sister, mother to child... blood ties can be as unyielding as they are eternal." It's Labor Day weekend at Block Island Sound, Rhode Island. The diver finds wreckage and radios back to the helicopter that it looks like an explosion brought it down. He finds a photo of Jack, Declan and Carl... This isn't Victoria's plane. It's The Amanda. Ems VO: "But it is our bonds of choice that truly light the road we travel. Love versus hatred, loyalty against betrayal." Diver finds a golden compass and a man's dead body. Ems VO: "A persons' true destiny can only be revealed at the end of his journey... And the story I have to tell is far from over."
We pedestal up through the dark waters until they fade into the daytime waters of Oshima Island, Japan three months prior. Emanda is rope tied to a thick wooden post about thirty yards from the beach. The waves threaten to drown her. Takeda (now played by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa) and a younger man watch Emanda struggle. "It's not the ropes that bind her. It is her fear," new Takeda notes. His apprentice doesn't understand since it's obvious Emanda has no fear of death. Takeda switches to Japanese to say, "Mortal fear is not the only fear." Duh. That's why you're still an apprentice, Apprentice Man.
It's afternoon at Grayson Manor. Daniel stands in his mother's empty bedroom, throwing a cover off of a painting. It's the unfinished painting of Victoria by Dominik. Before he can even get a good look at it, the amazingly still-around Ashley comes barging in, apologizing for not knocking. She notices her boyfriend is in a malaise from being in his mother's sanctuary, and offers to make the room off limits to house staff. Daniel just wants to move forward, so Ash offers to give him some space, kisses him on the cheek and walks out. Dan steps out to his mother's balcony perch and looks down at Casa Emily with equal parts pain and longing.
Jack lies shirtless in his bunk on The Amanda, twirling his compass (the same one discovered by the scuba diver... oooooo). Declan comes down the steps to tell his brother the health inspector should be at the bar in half an hour. He notices Jack is hung over and comments on his pity party. They bicker about Jack having been distant ever since Amily returned. That is until, speak of the devil, Amily interrupts pregnantly by trying to waddle down the steps. Dec excuses himself so he can go delay the health inspector. Ams wants to know why Jack has slept out in the boat the last four nights. "BECAUSE YOU RUINED MY LIFE, YOU MURDEROUS STRIPPER! AND I DON'T WANT TO FATHER STRIPPER BABIES! I'M SUPPOSED TO BE IN HAITI!!!" does not come out of Jack's mouth, to his credit. Instead, he says, "Don't worry. Once the baby comes, things will be different." Whoa... Jack has become that guy? Is this what happens when women play games with a good man's heart? Or was Jack always this guy? Am I asking too many questions? Er... moving on. He backs up his claim by asking Amily if he's ever broken a promise to her. OK, fine. Benefit of the doubt.
We're at Cliffside Home Addiction Recovery Center, or as I've come to call it -- CHARC. Charlotte has been sober for 60 days her counselor, Dr. Thomas, tells Conrad. He thinks it might be time to recommend her for outpatient care starting week. Charlotte speaks up that she was hoping to be out by Memorial Day so she can attend her mother's art auction, may she rest in peace. Apparently, Charlie missed Victoria's funeral, and will not miss another chance to honor her mom. Dr. Thomas compromises, and says they'll stick with the timetable, but he'll personally escort Charlotte to the art auction. Glad that's settled.
So, Emanda's still tied to that wooden post underwater. A hallucination of a giggling, swimming Little Amanda passes in front of her eyes. FLASHBACK: Little Amanda plays Marco Polo in the ocean with her mother. /FLASHBACK. Drowning Emanda stares forward in paralyzed reverie. FLASHBACK: Rain beats down on a black angel statue on a gray day. A sad Little Amanda holds a man's hand under an umbrella. We enter a hospital room and Little Amanda calls out to her mother, who's lying in bed in a daze, to ask when she's coming home. /FLASHBACK. Emanda begins to lose consciousness. Apprentice Man swims up from behind and cuts through the rope with a knife, then helps Emanda to safety. She's not too pleased about that. She yells to Takeda as she stomps up the beach that she was very close to unlocking a memory about her mother. If Takeda had known this was what Emanda was doing, he wouldn't have welcomed her back for further training, he says. Apprentice Man continues unsuccessfully to restrain Emanda, so she spins around, gets a hold of his arm and his knife, pinning him up against a nearby cave wall while holding the knife to his throat. She won't make the mistake of trusting this guy again, and she makes it clear to Takeda that she's all about finding out what happened to her mother and holding the people who kept her away from Emanda responsible. That includes Takeda. Ems storms off the beach.
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Crane shot over NYC skyline in the daytime. We're in a dirty city gym. Nolan, who has cut his hair (we'll miss you, old Bieber cut), is sparring fiercely in the boxing ring, which holds a prominent place in the middle of the gym. He finishes his session and his coach says, "Good go around, Southpaw!" Nolan would totally be a southpaw... except he's decidedly fighting orthodox here. /Nitpick. Ems calls to him from out of nowhere, teasing him about his new nickname. Maybe "Southpaw" is really the name of Nolan's special sex move that we've yet to see (thankfully?). It's been eight weeks since Nolan's seen or heard from Emanda. In the meantime, Nolan has been boxing, taking karate and weight training. Shirtless, Nolan definitely shows he's in shape, but he'll always be lanky and awkward to us -- even if he can throw a right cross now. He's taken this training out of fear that the White-Haired Man could strike at any time. Nolan asks hopefully if Emanda's absence was because she was offing WHM. No such luck. Ems says her priorities have changed and invites Nolan for a drive back out to the Hamptons.
As they enter Casa Emily, Nolan asks for clarification about Takeda's role in Amily's return. Emanda says he claimed he was training Ams to be her ally. She's not trusting anyone until she finds out what happened to her mother. Nolan suddenly asks about Emanda's guest room situation. Turns out he sold the Fortress of Solitude, and Ems has an extra guestroom, so... Nolan: "If... I'm gonna be your wingman this summer..." Ems: "No." Emanda pulls up a newspaper article on her laptop about a hospital being shut down. The photograph with the article features the black angel statue from Emanda's memory. An investment group bought the hospital and shut it down two days after her father was arrested. Nolan: "And the plot curdles." Oh, I missed you, Nolan.
Stowaway. Declan hands Jack paperwork from the health inspector saying they failed their health inspection. What they thought were grease spots turned out to really be signs of water damage from 65-year-old pipes. "Gross!" shouts Amily. Declan snaps back without missing a beat, "Yeah, it's a pretty toxic place to raise a kid!" Remember when Declan was just a grease spot? Now, he's water damage. Owww! Jack's natural reflex is to say they'll figure out how to fix it. With what money? Is Jack going to sell his boat again, or is Dec going to have to pony up his money he saved for college? I am Jack's lack of an answer.
Ashley now has her own mini Ashley following her around Grayson Manor with an iPad. Ash throws out some supposedly brilliant ideas about hiring redecorators and Mini Ash throws out, "You're so boss-some!" Ashley: "Don't say that." Thank you, Ash, for the first good thing you've ever done. Ashley is planning to auction off the cheapest art piece the Graysons own, but Conrad steps in to say he's already arranged for a piece to be delivered to the auction. I'll give you two guesses which painting it is, but you'll only need one.
Conrad finds Daniel drinking in his study. Always looking for the silver lining, dad Grayson points out that Dan has reason to celebrate. He tells Daniel he will be lifting the contingencies on his trust fund... so long as he invests it all back into Grayson Global. Conrad is a really good dad, guys. He thinks they need to send a message to the community that they're confident enough to bet on themselves. Dan doesn't see it that way. He feels the responsibility for Victoria's death falls on the both of them. If that's true, Conrad would prefer to bear that burden while being rich. Hear, hear, evil father. Dan says he'll need to think about what he wants to do.
Angel of Mercy Hospital. Ems and Nolan enter the cobwebbed place, which is remarkably well-preserved considering it's been shuttered since 1993. Ems sends Nolan into the room of records to look for her mother's file -- Kara Wallace Clarke. FLASHBACK: Little Amanda enters the psychiatric ward with her father. Her mother doesn't want her to see her tied down by leather straps. She struggles and the hospital staff restrains her. /FLASHBACK. Ems follows her flashback to her mother's bed, cobwebbed leather straps and all. Upon inspection, one of the leather straps has an infinity symbol on it. Nolan brings in a clipboard he found, showing her father visited the week of his arrest, and before that a Charlotte Clarke visited. Ems says that's impossible since her aunt already was debilitated by Parkinson's. She deduces it must've really been Victoria. Nolan: "Great... Séance, anyone?"
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Casa Emily. Nolan and Ems compare "Charlotte Clarke's" sign-in to a sample of Victoria's handwriting. Match. What could Victoria have done with Kara? Ems reverts back to the surveillance video she has of Victoria meeting with Conrad and the White-Haired Man about David's wife situation. David was apparently there to visit Kara to ask for a divorce. WHM thought she could be a liability if David revealed the nature of his relationship with Victoria. Based on that, it appears WHM may have killed Kara. Emanda decides she needs to get close to the Graysons again to find out what happened. She tells Nolan to stay out of trouble while she's gone. Wait... stay? Like, stay-stay? Nolan and Emanda: roomies forever!
It's still afternoon out at the docks. Nolan finds Jack at his boat. They share a big hug that lasts a tiny bit longer than Jack's liking and not long enough for Nolan's. They catch up a little bit about Nolan's current homeless situation, and Jack is surprised to hear that Emanda's back in town. Amily struggles up into view on the boat and throws out a pregnant drumstick like she's Captain Morgan's angry old lady or some shit. She's miffed at not getting so much as a phone call from Ems. Nolan says he'll let her know and says his awkward goodbyes.
CHARC. Ems pays a visit to Charlotte with a big bouquet of flowers. Charlie's elated to see Ems and introduces her to Dr. Thomas as the girl who's been sending her all those postcards from around the world. She invites Emanda to the Memorial Day auction, and lets it slip that Daniel and Ashley are now dating before Dr. Thomas interrupts. They have one more blood test for Charlotte, and they don't want to delay her exit process, so he hurries her along. Ems agrees to go to the auction as they part ways.
Amily lounges back on Jack's bed watching TV. Ems knocks and enters, and coldly says they have a lot to talk about. Oblivious Amily says Takeda debriefed her, so she's ready for anything Emanda needs. That won't be necessary since Ems is on a different path now, she tells Amily. Rebuffed, Amily begins pouting that she's already being pushed away by her bestie. That's enough of that. Ems asks how real could her situation be with Jack since he thinks she's really Amanda Clarke. Ams reminds Emanda that if he finds out the truth about her, everyone finds out the truth about Ems. Jack walks in with food for Amily, and his jaw practically drops. He awkwardly asks if everything is OK, probably hoping Emanda hasn't said anything about their night together. Ems gives Amily the opportunity to explain what's going on to Jack, and she defers. Emanda: "Amanda just asked me to be the baby's godmother."
Apprentice Man informs Takeda, who is contemplatively standing on a rock overlooking the beach where Ems was training, that Emanda is gone. He wants to guide her back. Takeda takes exception that his apprentice believes he can succeed where he has not. Apprentice Man: "I won't allow her to make the same mistake I did. I've lived with those consequences for too long." Takeda replies, "If you fail, the mission is over for both of you." Apprentice Man bows and leaves. Cryptic.
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The dock full of yachts is bustling with music and the one percent. It's art auction time! A massive portrait of Victoria in memoriam sits on an easel on the dock. Ashley leads Mini Ash through a yacht, schmoozing the guests as she goes. Conrad stops her to ask where Daniel is. Brooding or drinking or both, she says. She's right. He's perched up against the railing of the boat, watching all the trust fund babies stroll up the dock. He spots Emanda in the crowd, which would be impossible not to do because she's smoking hot in a red dress. FLASHBACK: Daniel proposes to Emanda in the rain. /FLASHBACK. She waves to him. Conrad sidles over and notices the object of his son's attention. He suggests they reconcile, but Dan is supposedly happy having a girlfriend who doesn't cheat on him. Silly boy. Furthermore, he won't be investing back into the company. "You disappoint me," Conrad says before walking away.
Nolan walks up to the giant portrait of Victoria. Nolan to Emanda: "You think she's somewhere looking... up at us?" Ha! Ems enters the yacht and spots Ashley through a decorative indoor porthole window. This mirrors Emanda locking eyes with Victoria exactly a year ago in the exact same place. Clever show. Ash comes out to greet Ems, and before she can apologize for moving in on her fiancée, Daniel comes over to say hi. Emanda gives her condolences about Victoria and asks if he received a card she sent. Daniel asks his girlfriend if they got a card, and Ashley awkwardly says it was beautiful. Nolan brings over a drink for Emanda, and she jokes she won't be spilling it on Daniel's jacket this year. Shortly, she throws out a hypothetical invite for lunch and excuses herself. Daniel stares.
Wooden boards get pried back to reveal Jack getting to work on fixing the rusty pipes of the bar. Ams asks if he's really going to do this himself. He doesn't really have a choice. She asks if that's how he feels about her. Jack suppresses his "Oh shit! She's on to me" face. Their baby is going to need stability, Amily says, and for some reason saying this strikes a chord with Jack. He agrees to move his stuff back into the bar tonight. "What about Declan?" Ams asks. Dec appears from behind Amily, "Yeah, what about Declan?" She excuses herself and Jack timidly asks his brother if he wouldn't mind moving out to the boat for a while. Dec's of course ecstatic about getting the shaft yet again. He wants Jack to stop living a lie, but Jack insists he's just trying to do right by everyone. "Start with yourself," Dec zings.
Charlotte enjoys the fresh air of freedom on the yacht. Her father comes up to her, happy to see her, and asks if she's still on schedule for release week. Dr. Thomas is in tow, and points out they're just waiting for the results of her final blood panel. Charlie assures her father with a big smile that she's clean. Conrad takes this opportunity to tell his daughter that he's thinking of spending time in the city away from the bad memories of the beach house. That's perfect because Charlotte wants to sell it. If I'm understanding correctly, the Grayson children jointly inherited Grayson Manor from Victoria. Conrad tells Charlotte she'll have a hard time convincing her brother to give up his half. That's fine with Charlotte because she can be bought out, she says.
In yet another capacity she's inherited from Victoria, Ashley gives the big art auction speech on the yacht. She announces she wants to pay tribute to the late, great humanitarian, and believes that if Victoria saw the art they have on tap she'd say, "In a word, 'She approves.'" That's still not one word, guys. Charlotte is fuming alongside Conrad that Ash is giving this tribute... misusing the word "eulogy." Ash reveals the painting, and naturally it's Dominik's unfinished painting of Victoria. Charlotte's had enough, and hotly asks if she can say a few words. She wants to make it clear to everyone that there was more to Victoria than art auctions and fancy parties. This speech turns into the eulogy that Charlotte surely regrets not being able to give at her mother's funeral. It becomes about her realization of how much her mother loved her once she was gone, and all of the positive change she's recently made in her own life is now a tribute to her. As she finishes, Dr. Thomas' phone rings. He takes the call as Charlotte receives kudos from Conrad and Daniel. Dr. Thomas comes over to inform them that Charlotte's blood work has come back positive for hydrocodone. Charlie immediately goes into lunatic mode, exclaiming that's impossible and her father must've done this. He blew up that plane and now he's going to lock her up! Charlotte frees herself from Dr. Thomas' grasp and runs to Emanda, calling out to her with fear in her voice. Indistinctly, she whispers into Ems' ear. Whatever she just told Emanda was super shocking. Dr. Thomas leads Charlotte away. Nolan, who was off getting Emanda a drink, walks up to the shell-shocked Emanda and asks, "What did I miss?" Emanda just walks forward with a purpose. Cut to a front door swinging open to reveal Victoria. The Queen to Emanda: "What in the hell are you doing here?" Botox never dies.
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Victoria invites Emanda in. She's living in a rustic cabin. Victoria? Is that really you? This is surely some pod person living in such squalor. Ems tells her that Charlotte might be the victim of a conspiracy to lock her up. Victoria pulls out her phone and places a call. While she does this, Ems steals an ornamental clamshell from Victoria's cabin. Cut to Dr. Thomas leading a search by flashlight of Charlotte's bedroom. He follows the sound of vibrations to Charlotte's vanity where there's a cell phone duct taped underneath. He snatches it and answers. Victoria hangs up. She's already deduced that Conrad must have Dr. Thomas on his payroll and he's after Charlotte's inheritance. Ems asks for clarification on all of this since this whole inheritance thing could be sorted out if they knew Victoria is alive. She must stay "dead" while the government builds their case against Conrad. Ohhhhh... Makes sense. Charlotte was the only one who knew the truth. Cut to Charlotte entering her bedroom to find Dr. Thomas holding her only lifeline to her mother. She begs for it back, but Dr. Thomas assumes this phone, which has a record of many calls with a blocked number, must be her way of contacting her drug supplier. He'll be holding onto it. Cut to Conrad receiving a call from Dr. Thomas while he sits alone to Dominik's painting, which is still on the yacht. They're going to stick with the burner phone story to reinforce Charlotte's positive drug test. Conrad won't pay Dr. Thomas until a judge grants power of attorney to him over Charlotte's inheritance. Sounds like a plan.
Ems comes home to tell Nolan Victoria is alive. She fills him in on everything Victoria said, and decides she's going to play a hunch. She needs a camera in Victoria's cabin. She pulls out the clam she stole, and hands it to Nolan so he can install a camera in it. Clam cam! As exciting as that may be, it will never replace Shamu. Also, Emanda needs Nolan to run a background check on Dr. Thomas. It's a good thing Nolan suddenly has things to do because there's a knock at the door from Jack. Ems goes out to the porch to have her talk with the love of her life. They apparently haven't spoken since the night Sammy died. Jack tells her he had no idea at the time that Ams was coming back and pregnant. It doesn't matter because they can't go back in time. Jack makes small talk about how they're going to name the baby after their fathers. Carl David Porter. Remembering she's out for blood now, Emanda asks Jack if he's sure the baby is his. The look on Jack's super naive face suggests the thought never occurred to him.
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The Queen's Cabin. Victoria is surprised to have a visit from Emanda so soon after the last one. Emanda's there to hand over a folder with the background check of Dr. Thomas. He's been sued six times and operated under three different names. Ems says she figures Victoria's connections with the government can quickly dispose of him and free Charlotte. Considering the last time they saw each other Victoria was pretty much gloating over her son dumping Emanda, she asks why she deserves such kindness. Ems claims to just be happy Victoria's alive. She leaves.
In an empty Stowaway at night, Jack confronts Amily and asks where she went last summer when she disappeared. He wants to know who she stayed with. Ams reads between the lines and realizes he doesn't think the baby is his. She'll make an appointment for a paternity test. That was easy.
Ash finds Daniel brooding out on the balcony. Charlie is settling back into her rehab facility according to a phone call from Dr. Thomas... if that's his real name. Dan doesn't blame Charlotte for not trusting him; he's been a lousy brother lately. Trying to be the good girlfriend, Ash says Charlotte is sick and doesn't know what she's saying. Daniel declines an invite to come to bed and elects to stay out on the balcony a little longer.
"Into the Black" by Chromatics begins to play as we see Charlotte trying to force open her locked door. She sits at her vanity and stares at herself in the mirror. At that very moment, her mother is trying to call her phone. It goes to voicemail and Victoria hangs up. Cut to Jack and Amily lying wide awake in bed together, Jack staring up at the ceiling and Ams on her side facing away.
Ems stands out on the dock at night after a swim while Daniel watches from the balcony. She's holding her mother's leather strap and strokes the infinity symbol etched into it with care. Emanda voice-over: "Some say that to believe in destiny is to dismiss the role of free will... that self-determination cannot prevail in the presence of fate..." Emanda goes inside Casa Emily and finds Nolan sitting on the couch watching his laptop vigilantly. She jokes that he better be looking for a house. He's really watching surveillance of Victoria's cabin, and there's been nothing to report. Just then, WHM appears. Ems VO continued: "...When the truth is the only part of destiny we can control is the fate we choose for another." Victoria catches WHM up to speed about Emanda's visit and her knowing part of the truth. That makes her a liability, and we all know how Victoria and WHM handle liabilities. The Queen orders WHM to handle it. Watching this, Ems turns to Nolan with the realization that they must've done to her mother what they did to David. "Now they're coming for you," Nolan says. Emanda: "Good. Let them."
-- Pablo G. is some guy who lives in Austin, Texas. He used to co-host TWoP's original "Trailers Without Pity" with his brother Omar G. Check him out at The YES and NO and Pablog and follow him @PendejoJoe on Twitter.