Daisy and the dog show...

Daisy really got a kick watching last month's Fifth Annual AKC/Eukanuba National Championship Dog Show.

How am I defined in the dictionary?

Stolen from Hal:

Elizabeth -- [noun]: A poltergeist sent back in time to change the course of history forever 'How will you be defined in the dictionary?' at QuizGalaxy.com

Who was I in a past life?

In a Past Life...

You Were: A Happy Go Lucky Belly Dancer. Where You Lived: Tibet. How You Died: Natural causes.

Who Were You In a Past Life?

Mmmmmm... donuts!

Oh, goody, my favourite kind!

You Are a Glazed Donut

Okay, you know that you're plain - and you're cool with that. You prefer not to let anything distract from your sweetness. Your appeal is understated yet universal. Everyone dig you. And in a pinch, you'll probably get eaten.

What Donut Are You?

Larry the lounging lizard?

This little fellow was sunning on a sickly azalea.

Golden arches tarnished

Would you like fries with that tummy ache?

McDonald's has announced that it doesn't just have potatoes, vegetable oil, and various secret chemicals in its yummy French fries. The recipe for the crispy treats, formerly advertised as being gluten free, also includes wheat and milk products.

Those with milk or gluten tolerance issues, such as celiac disease, may want to keep an eye out for various class action suits taking aim towards the greasy fast food giant.

Look mommy, my fries have sodium acid pyrophosphate! How yummy!

Eagles soar once again

Word is that the federal Fish and Wildlife Service of the United States is taking steps to remove the American Bald Eagle from the endangered species list again.

In the continental United States, there was a total of 413 breeding pairs in 1963. Today the number of breeding pairs has risen to between 7,066 and 9,100 pairs.

The pesticide DDT, which was the chief environmental threat to the eagles, was banned by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1972. DDT made the eagle's eggshells brittle and doomed generations of young birds before birth.


Once again, American hearts will be able to take flight at the glorious sight of the majestic Bald Eagle swooping down and snatching small children off the streets of cities and towns everywhere.

Never schtup a killer bunny

An image on the facade of a Broadway theater, used to promote the hit musical "Monty Python's Spamalot," has been removed after a model filed a lawsuit claiming it showed her in a foolish and undignified manner. She further claimed that her image was used without her permission.

Producers of the show believe they have the proper rights to the image, but removed it after learning that model Carla Collins objected.

The image showed a flirty woman in an old fashioned dress playing with her hair. She was placed in one of a row of faux windows between images of two of "Spamalot's" characters: a killer rabbit and a cow.


Now, I have to say that I think she could have used this to her advantage rather than suing. Her face is on Broadway! darnit. She could have milked this for all it's worth. Heck, I'm picturing bumper stickers with her image saying, "My breasts: Appearing daily on Broadway"

Foolish and undignified?

This is Monty Python, chick. They could have had you schtupping the killer rabbit. Now THAT would be foolish and undignified!

What does your candy heart say?

Bon posted this quiz on her page a couple of days ago. I decided to swipe it for that day of ultimate romance. ;)

Your Candy Heart Says "Marry Me"

For you, love is serious business. You don't take dating lightly. And even if you haven't met the right person, getting married is something you expect to do soon. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a romantic picnic in the park Your flirting style: subtle and calculating What turns you off: short term flings Why you're hot: you're a hopeless romantic with each new relationship

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

I got an early Valentine's Day Surprise!!!

An autographed copy of Self Management For Actors by Bonnie Gillespie arrived today in the mail! I'm so excited, I could hardly wait to thumb through it.

I see so many familiar names in the index.

What?

You don't browse through the index first?

Anyway, I see so many familiar names -- not only names of the rich and famous but names I recognize from around the net. Many of the names in the book are of entertainment industry professionals who post or lurk as Cellmates Behind the Celluloid Curtain or were, likewise, Denizens of Wolfesden Actor Exchange.

I was delighted to see a forward by the divine character actor Bob Clendenin. Bob has a great, unforgetable face. :)

Heh, there's Bill Lippincott, Phil Brock, Brad Blaisdell, Billy DaMota, Bob Brody, Gary Marsh, Stephon Fuller, Kathryn Johnston, Kathryn Joosten, Steve Tom, Pamela Newlands, Karen Sewell, Anne Henry, Rob Kendt, Thomas Mills, Mark Sikes, Frances Uku, Shon Little, Jonathan Walker Spencer, Rob Ashe, Kris Burtt, Shelley Delayne, and the late Lawrence Parke, who was a darling, darling man.

This would indeed be a great gift for any actor in your life.

Be careful surfing the world wide web...

You might find a spider!

This is an orchard spider who posed for me in my back yard. Other than the scary spider quotient, orchard spiders aren't harmful to humans.

What Star Trek character are you?

I believe my friend Christine would probably concur with this analysis, before asking where I've hidden my Time Warping Counseling Couch:

Your results:
You are Deanna Troi
You are a caring and loving individual.
You understand people's emotions and you
are able to comfort and counsel them.

Deanna Troi - 70%
Geordi LaForge - 60%
Uhura - 50%
Will Riker - 50%
An Expendable Character (Redshirt) - 50%
Jean-Luc Picard - 45%
Spock - 44%
Data - 42%
Chekov - 35%
Beverly Crusher - 35%
Leonard McCoy (Bones) - 30%
James T. Kirk (Captain) - 30%
Mr. Scott - 25%
Mr. Sulu - 20%
Worf - 20%

Click here to take the "Which Star Trek character are you?" quiz...

Congrats to Hal and TheSpyAnts!

TheSpyAnts were Nominated for two LA Weekly Theater Awards.
Hal Perry posted over on his blog:

TheSpyAnts were received two nominations for The Birds for the 27th LA Weekly Theater Awards - as a cast for Comedy Ensemble, and for Kelly Ann Ford for Comedy Direction.

Congrats to all involved with that production!

Let's go cruisin' with Lee Tamahori!

Yes, boys and girls, it's time to go Cruisin' with Lee Tamahori...

no comment...

just...

no comment!

Have fun. :)

Buy this book or the actor gets it.

Actually, Self Management For Actors by Bonnie Gillespie would be a great gift for any actor in your life. This book was so popular the first time around, it's now in its Second Revised Printing!

Don't miss Bonnie's other books either: Casting Qs and Acting Qs co-authored by Blake Robbins.

AdJab watched the Super Bowl commercials, so you don't have to.

In case you missed The Game, or, you know, had to use the ad breaks for potty breaks, snack breaks, letting the dog in/out, or checking what was on the other channels, AdJab has taken care of you.

They sat down and blogged throughout the game to document and comment on all the commercials. They even have links to places you can see the commercials (if available online) or official websites.

Enjoy!

Cabin in the early morning mist

This is the place where all the paternal-side-of-the-family parties happen. :)

Ah, it's Super Bowl weekend...

For whom shall I root?

I have high hopes that the commercials will be fun, but I always find it makes the game more interesting if I have a team to urge on. :)

SuitSat is now orbiting the Earth

I subscribe to a couple of NASA emails. I enjoy getting updates on what's going on with NASA and with the greater world outside our atmosphere.

This comes from SpaceWeather and is tres cool:

SUITSAT: There's a new satellite orbiting Earth, and it's a weird one. On Friday, Feb. 3rd, at 6:02 pm EST, astronauts threw an old Russian spacesuit overboard from the International Space Station. The disembodied suit, nicknamed SuitSat, is now circling Earth and transmitting a radio message which you can hear using a police scanner or ham radio tuned to 145.990 MHz (FM). Please visit http://spaceweather.com for more information about SuitSat and how to tune into it.

Olbermann taunts O'Reilly

I wasn't going to post again today, but I keep running across links to this video of Keith Olbermann taunting Bill O'Reilly. It's too good not to share.

The Ted Baxter impersonation makes it gold. :)

I knew it ...

I keep telling everyone I was born in the wrong decade. :)

You should have grown up during the twenties You are cool, sophisticated and hip - even by today's standards. You like things before they are considered cool, and you like them long afterwards. Take this quiz at QuizGalaxy.com

My kinda kitsch

I'm a sucker for old 40's and 50's sci-fi and horror movies.

You know those films, back when they were (usually) in glorious black and white and often demonstrated American concern about the nuclear age and the possible annihilation of humankind if the cold war heated up (much as the Godzilla films demonstrated Japanese concerns over possible mutations occurring from the fallout from the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs). Wow, buzzkill.

There was something sweet, innocent, and fun in those old morality shows. Goodness generally triumphed over an apparently insurmountable opponent. The cute fellow got to kiss the cute gal in the end. There were monsters who yearned for the heroine. There were creepy haunted houses with acid pits in the basement. Scary aliens wandered around waving zap guns. Even scarier aliens replaced humans with pod people who looked just like us. Giant mutant insects walked the earth. What's not for a girl to love?

Sadly, those films were replaced by and remade into gore-fests that were less thrilling and more stomach churning. (your mileage may vary, of course)

However, there has sprung up a tiny new genre. A tiny new genre created by people who love those old films as much (or more) than I. People who love them and want to introduce them to new audiences by combining them with another virtually extinct movie art form.

That's right, I'm talking about 50's style sci-fi musicals!

Michael Rennie was ill
The Day the Earth Stood Still
But he told us where we stand
And Flash Gordon was there
In silver underwear
Claude Rains was The Invisible Man

Rocky Horror Picture Show is, perhaps, the most obvious example of this genre.

Now, I have gotten word, that Dea Vise, a friend of mine from Behind the Celluloid Curtain, is one of the stars of a new 50's style sci-fi musical short film which will be premiering in a few days.

I'm very excited about this because it's my kind of kitsch. I'm looking forward to seeing it when it plays at an art house near me. :)

Film Adaptation Of Lesser Known 'Zombie Prom' - Starring RuPaul - To Premiere At Big Shorts 2

February 1, 2006 - by Andrew Hartman

The premiere of the independent film adaptation of the hit off-Broadway musical 'Zombie Prom' will take place February 9 at the Big Shorts 2 film festival in Hollywood, California.

'Zombie Prom' started as a 1950's horror comic book turned stage musical in 1993. In 1996, it premiered off-Broadway at the Variety Arts Theatre; a cast recording is available from this production.

'Zombie Prom' stars RuPaul Charles, Darren Robertson, Candice Nicole, David Engel, Katherine Von Til, April Malina, Katy Mixon, Brenden R. Murphy, Russell Taylor, Dominic Nolfi, Michael West, Greg Zerkle, and Dea Vise.

The film is directed by Vince Marcello and mentored/executive produced by Wes Craven ('A Nightmare On Elm Street' and 'Scream'). Choreography is by Lance Macdonald. Film score by Patrick Kirst. Original score by Dana Rowe. Lyrics and script by John Dempsey.

A trailer for the film can be seen by clicking here. Visit the official 'Zombie Prom Movie' website at http://www.zombiepromthemovie.com. Below are some images from the film. Click to open in a larger view. (they kinda forgot to add these -- ET)

Stay tuned for additional film showing locations. By Andrew Hartman, MovieMusicals.net

Here's Dea in the photograph from her website that I thought looked most like her "kitschy mom in a 50's style musical zombie movie." Either that or I just liked the title.

And now for a musical interlude ...

It's extraordinary the things that will float up from the depths of the subconscious.

I used to listen fairly regularly to a Beach Music show on the radio. Beach Music being music you can Shag to ...

Now, for my British visitors, please get your minds up out of the gutter. Shag in the Carolinas is a music form, a dance, and what you do to golf balls.

Occasionally, the D.J.'s would pull out this record and play it:

Big Ten Inch Record

Written by: F. Weismantel
Performed by: Bull Moose Jackson

Got me the strangest woman
Believe me this trick's no cinch
But I really get her going
When I whip out my big 10 inch

Record of a band that plays the blues
Well a band that plays its blues
She just love my big 10 inch
Record of her favorite blues

Last night I tried to tease her
I gave my love a little pinch
She said now stop that jivin'
Now whip out your big 10 inch

Record of a band that plays those blues
Well a band that plays the blues
She just loves my big 10 inch
Record of her favorite blues

I, I, I cover her with kisses
And when we're in a lover's clinch
She gets all excited
When she begs for my big 10 inch

Record of a band that plays those blues
Well a band that plays the blues
She just love my big 10 inch
Record of her favorite blues

My girl don't go for smokin'
And liquor just make her flinch
Seems she don't go for nothin'
'Cept for my big 10 inch

Record of a band that plays the blues
Band that play the blues
She just love my big 10 inch
Record of her favorite blues

Okay, I guess you may now return your minds to the gutters. ;)