Arrogantly Shabby Lounge

How Irish am I?

2006-03-17T04:32:00.000-08:00

You're 55% Irish

You're very Irish, and most likely from Ireland.
(And if you're not, you should be!)

Wow!

Imagine how Irish I'd be if I actually drank! LOL

Picture yourself as a South Park character

2006-03-15T23:56:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wondered how you would look as a South Park character?

Now that Isaac Hayes has left the show, perhaps there's now an opening for a new character ...

A new South Park you!

The sexy name decoder...

2006-03-13T07:52:00.000-08:00

Suzer made me do it!

Spring has sprung

2006-03-12T01:36:00.000-08:00

Although it won't be officially Spring for a couple more weeks, you can't point out things like that on a calendar to Mother Nature. She makes up her own mind! The yellow snow is falling and Benedryl sales are rising.

Here, the wild Azaleas are blooming.

Annie Proulx bashes the Oscars.

2006-03-11T03:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, Annie Proulx, the author of Brokeback Mountain, is upset that the film based upon her short story was not the recipient of the Best Picture Oscar. Neither is she happy that the acting awards went elsewhere.

Hollywood loves mimicry, the conversion of a film actor into the spittin' image of a once-living celeb. But which takes more skill, acting a person who strolled the boulevard a few decades ago and who left behind tapes, film, photographs, voice recordings and friends with strong memories, or the construction of characters from imagination and a few cold words on the page? I don't know. The subject never comes up.

She critiques the show in an article for the Guardian Unlimited:

There were montages, artfully meshed clips of films of yesteryear, live acts by Famous Talent, smart-ass jokes by Jon Stewart who was witty and quick, too witty, too quick, too eastern perhaps for the somewhat dim LA crowd.

I find it rather amusing that while middle-America fusses about Hollywood being too edgy and too out of touch with American values, Annie Proulx calls Hollywood "provincial" for not selecting "her" film as the top film.

Despite the technical expertise and flawlessly sleek set evocative of 1930s musicals, despite Dolly Parton whooping it up and Itzhak Perlman blending all the theme music into a single performance ... there was a kind of provincial flavour to the proceedings reminiscent of a small-town talent-show night.

Annie also describes protesters she saw as her limo approached the theatre. I don't know why I'm surprised that protesters would show up to decry gays in movies. The Episcopal church is undergoing a schism over a gay Bishop who was ordained last year. Why shouldn't the closed minded also protest at the Oscars over the presumed win of Brokeback Mountain?

Hells Angels sue Disney... no, really!

2006-03-10T04:20:00.000-08:00

The Hells Angels "motorcycle club" is suing Walt Disney Co.. The Hells Angels suit claims that a planned movie, called "Wild Hogs", about a group of motorcycle riders infringes on its trademark name and skull logo.

Think about it... outlaw bikers sue one of the most litigious and trademark protecting companies over... trademark infringement.

You gotta laugh. :)

Have you ever seen a yeti?

2006-03-08T04:48:00.000-08:00

Betcha didn't know that yeti existed, didja?

Well, this yeti lives deep in the Pacific and it's a crab! or a lobster thingee!

It's a furry crustacean at any rate. :)

It's called Kiwa hirsute which basically means "furry goddess of shellfish."

Out of touch and proud of it...

2006-03-06T03:07:00.000-08:00

This, from his Oscar acceptance speech, is one of the reasons that George Clooney is my pretend movie boyfriend:

"And finally, I would say that, you know, we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood every once in a while. I think it's probably a good thing. We're the ones who talk about AIDS when it was just being whispered, and we talked about civil rights when it wasn't really popular. And we, you know, we bring up subjects. This Academy, this group of people gave Hattie McDaniel an Oscar in 1939 when blacks were still sitting in the backs of theaters. I'm proud to be a part of this Academy. Proud to be part of this community, and proud to be out of touch."

Not, of course, that I agree unreservedly with his assessment. I do think Hollywood is largely out of touch with the sensibilities of a significant portion of their audience. I think there is a fundamental lack of respect and an underestimation of both the audience's intelligence and its desires.

No, what I like about Clooney's statement is the heartfelt belief that Hollywood can change things for the better; that it can be the leading edge of the nation's opinions about social and societal issues. This is optimism about what can be good about the arts and the art of filmmaking.

The bride

2006-03-05T15:21:00.000-08:00

My cousin, Holly, the lady of the hour.

Bells will be ringing...

2006-03-03T01:08:00.000-08:00

I'm going to be out of town this weekend to see my cousin and her fiance wed and blend their families together. My best wishes to Holly, Keven, Ashley, Kristen, and Bailey!

Daisy and the dog show...

2006-02-26T03:32:00.000-08:00

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

How am I defined in the dictionary?

2006-02-24T02:50:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-02-23T03:03:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-02-22T03:35:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-02-19T03:16:00.000-08:00

This little fellow was sunning on a sickly azalea.

Golden arches tarnished

2006-02-17T07:51:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-16T02:25:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-15T18:55:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-02-14T01:58:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2006-02-13T03:00:00.000-08:00

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...

2006-02-12T23:51:00.000-08:00

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?

2006-02-11T21:24:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-02-10T03:55:00.000-08:00

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!

2006-02-09T23:26:00.000-08:00

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.

2006-02-07T16:46:00.000-08:00

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.

2006-02-06T03:45:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-05T04:41:00.000-08:00

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

Ah, it's Super Bowl weekend...

2006-02-04T17:02:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-03T16:02:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-02T07:39:00.000-08:00

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 ...

2006-02-02T06:41:00.000-08:00

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

2006-02-02T02:00:00.000-08:00

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 ...

2006-02-01T05:43:00.000-08:00

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. ;)

Well, my pretend movie boyfriend was nominated for 3 Oscars.

2006-01-31T17:11:00.000-08:00

That's right, George Clooney was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Supporting Actor (Syriana), Best Original Screenplay and Best Director (both for Good Night and Good Luck)

I'm so proud of him. ;)

Newsweek currently has a nice roundtable discussion between directors Steven Spielberg, George Clooney, Ang Lee and Paul Haggis. It's interesting to hear the interaction among the five directors, all nominated this year for the Best Director Oscar.

Acceptable Level of Truthiness

2006-01-31T01:11:00.000-08:00

Billy Mernit, of Living the Romantic Comedy, has come up with an interesting phrase "Acceptable Level of Manipulation," a corollary to "Suspension of Disbelief," to describe what degree of manipulation we as the audience will expect and accept from any specific medium or genre.

He then projects the ALM concept onto society and asks what we, as citizens, will accept from those from whom we receive information. Will we demand Truth or settle for Truthiness?

Entering the new millennium... finally...

2006-01-30T17:44:00.000-08:00

For a very long time now, nigh on a decade, I have resisted the siren call of the cell phone.

Even my mother, who is not exactly known for being on the cutting edge of technology, is on her third cell phone by now... not to mention the clunky car phone she had for a couple of years.

I simply haven't wanted to be all that accessible to the random whims and desires of others who want to talk. Now, I don't want to sound anti-social. After all, I have a landline and an answering machine and I'm not afraid to use them!

In the last couple of weeks, however, I've had someone close to me going through a very difficult patch, and I realized just how anxious I was when getting away from the landline. What if I was really needed right at that moment and I wasn't reachable?

A friend of mine, author Barry Carver, had offered, over a month ago, to send his old cell phone to anyone on Behind the Celluloid Curtain who wanted or needed a cell phone. He was upgrading and wanted to share the joy.

Now, I know Barry well enough to know that if he owns something, it's the best deal out there that he can find. I knew I couldn't do any better if I tried.

So, I took the plunge. I'm now in possession of a cute little phone that lights up blue in the dark. I can play Tetris on it or even use it as a flashlight. It's a handy little thing.

Sometimes, I might even turn it on and use it as a phone!

Sunrise over the cow pasture

2006-01-29T02:55:00.000-08:00

This is the next-door (non-family member) neighbor's pasture.

Don't those cows have a nice place? :)

Not tall enough for a Rockette (still)

2006-01-28T03:04:00.000-08:00

Oddly enough, I haven't known how tall I am for years. Oh, I've known approximately, but not accurately.

You know, there's only so much you can do with a wall, a yardstick, and a pencil, if you don't have a level.

See, a few years back, I was in an automobile accident that totaled both my beloved Datsun and me. I was left with compression fractures of three vertebrae (T7-9). I was told by my doctor that one of the side effects would be that I'd be a little shorter.

Well, I knew what my approximate height was at the time of the accident. As I was curious about shrinkage, I asked my regular doctor to measure me on his handy scale with the measuring thingee. Well, it was broken.

When I was in grad school, I had to go to a rassafrackin' doc in a box. While there, I asked him to measure me on his handy scale with the measuring thingee. Well, according to it, I was over an inch taller than I previously thought. Obviously, it was broken.

My regular doctor retired a couple of years later and I got a new regular doctor. When I finally went into see him (I avoid doctors like the plague), I asked him to measure me on his handy scale with the measuring thingee. Well, it was (yes, you got it) broken.

What was this? A medical conspiracy of measurable proportions?

Anyway, today I took my mother for a fairly routine medical test (she's fine, thanks for asking). While in the medical place, I saw a handy scale with a measuring thingee. I asked a nurse if she could check out my height real quick ... if it's not broken.

Sure.

So I took off my shoes and did the deed.

I'm now officially a shade over 5' 2".

I am Catwoman, hear me purr!

2006-01-25T02:45:00.000-08:00

You may not know this, but, in a previous cyber-life, I was Catwoman.

This was long after Julie Newmar, Eartha Kitt, and even Lee Meriwether all put their stamps on the role. But also well before Michelle Pfeiffer, Adrienne Barbeau (who knew?), and Halle Berry.

My incarnation began even before Sean Young tried to win the role by stalking around the Warner Brothers studio lot in a homemade catsuit in pursuit of Tim Burton, Michael Keaton, and the producers of Batman Returns.

I became Catwoman while I was playing Hollywood Stock Exchange.

Being that I'm obsessively private, I continued this persona even when I helped as webmistress and moderatrix of the late, lamented Wolfesden Actor Exchange. Eventually, I was nagged into revealing a first and, much later, a last name. *pokes CSW*

Of course, a gal never actually stops being Catwoman.

Because of these ties to the clan of Catwomen, I'm always quick to notice any mention of our tribe. Since I'm also interested in the entertainment industry, anything that encompasses both these things, tickles my whiskers.

Imagine my delight at seeing John Rogers' Catwoman Notes post on his Kung Fu Monkey blog. It's an interesting insight into a writer trying to keep the train from wrecking, but only being armed with a feather.

Oh! I think I love him. He showed up at the Razzies to get his award! Should I ever be honoured with a Razzie, I hope I have the grace and good humour to show up and collect it in person.

Monkeys! Catwomen! What more could you ask?

*cough*

Hairball.

^^~

Rockstar!

2006-01-24T23:12:00.000-08:00

Well, since the other female rockstars of BCC (I'm looking at you Bonnie and Suzer) are doing it, I'll join the diva dance:

Which Rock Chick Are You?
I'm not sure about that ambitious part.

To boldly go where no stone has gone before...

2006-01-20T03:20:00.000-08:00

I'm speechless.

Ok, not really, but I'm pretty well stunned.

I wonder how much William Shatner could get for an appendix? a bunion? a wisdom tooth? toenails?

Heck, I might even be willing to scrape up some money to buy his ego!

From the Associated Press:

Shatner Sells Kidney Stone for Charity
Tue Jan 17, 10:43 PM ET

LOS ANGELES - An online casino has a piece of Capt. Kirk. Actor
William Shatner has sold his kidney stone for $25,000, with the money going to a housing charity, it was announced Tuesday. Shatner reached agreement Monday to sell the stone to GoldenPalace.com.

What an appropriate location for an item harvested during golden showers!

This explains a lot about my friend Sterling:

2006-01-19T05:10:00.000-08:00

Heh!

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Sterling Wolfe!

Ancient Greeks believed earthquakes were caused by Sterling Wolfe fighting underground.
Koalas sleep for 22 hours a day, two hours more than Sterling Wolfe!
Sterling Wolfe is the world's smallest mammal!
The Aztec Indians of Mexico believed Sterling Wolfe would protect them from physical harm, and so warriors used him to decorate their battle shields!
Sterling Wolfeocracy is government by Sterling Wolfe.
The condom - originally made from Sterling Wolfe - was invented in the early 1500s!
About 100 people choke to death on Sterling Wolfe each year!
Sterling Wolfe is born white; his pink feathers are caused by pigments in his typical diet of shrimp!
Until the 1960s, Sterling Wolfe was not allowed to enter Disneyland.
Sterling Wolfe can't sweat!

10 Things you really need to know about Elizabeth:

2006-01-19T05:07:00.000-08:00

Blame Hal for this one:

Ten Top Trivia Tips about Elizabeth Tindal!

Research indicates that Elizabeth Tindal will be attracted to people who have recently eaten bananas!
Ancient Greeks believed earthquakes were caused by Elizabeth Tindal fighting underground.
Elizabeth Tindal is actually a vegetable, not a fruit.
An average beaver can cut down Elizabeth Tindal every year!
Wearing headphones for an hour will increase the amount of Elizabeth Tindal in your ear 700 times!
Elizabeth Tindalicide is the killing of Elizabeth Tindal.
The international dialling code for Elizabeth Tindal is 672.
Banging your head against Elizabeth Tindal uses 150 calories an hour.
Half a cup of Elizabeth Tindal contains only seventeen calories.
Elizabeth Tindal can be found on a Cluedo board between the Library and the Conservatory.

I am the moon. Worship me.

2006-01-18T02:02:00.001-08:00

Heh!

I saw this quiz over on Hal's blog and decided to try it out:

You are the Moon card. Entering the Moon we enter the intuitive and psychic realms. This is the stuff dreams are made on. And like dreams the imagery we find here may inspire us or torment us. Understanding the moon requires looking within. Our own bodily rhythms are echoed in this luminary that circles the earth every month and reflects the sun in its progress. Listening to those rhythms may produce visions and lead you towards insight. The Moon is a force that has legends attached to it. It carries with it both romance and insanity. Moonlight reveals itself as an illusion and it is only those willing to work with the force of dreams that are able to withstand this reflective light.

Image from: Stevee Postman.

Which Tarot Card Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Screenwriting exercise

2006-01-17T02:49:00.000-08:00

I was reading this post, 2006 Movie Sneaks, over on Ken Levine's blog, and it got me to thinking about just how correct Ken is about similar sounding projects turning out very differently.

Then my mind turned to how we could use this as an experiment in screenwriting.

As a screenwriting exercise, I thought I might place a logline on my blog in a few weeks (after Matthijs Hollemans' Screenwriting Fortnight) and let writers throughout the scribosphere write a short (a page or less) summary of the plot they'd make from that logline.

We could each post up our summaries on our own blogs by a certain deadline (we'd have to be careful not to peek at other people's efforts first though).

Alternatively, everyone who is participating could email me their page, and I could post them all up on a page on Behind the Celluloid Curtain (properly credited to author, of course) so we could compare them side by side.

I think it would be an interesting experiment to find the infinite variety of ideas, plots, and genres we'd get from the same logline.

Rojo: website of the day ...

2006-01-16T15:27:00.000-08:00

Nah, probably the month.

I was spending a lot of time going from one blog, website, news site, etc. to another, so I looked into finding a place where I could check out all the feeds from the above and only visit the new stuff.

One stop shopping, as it were.

I have had My Yahoo since it came out, but I'm not overly impressed. It has gotten more versatile since it first came out, but it also has some clunky, anti-intuitive aspects. My Yahoo has also not very diligent at updating the address of feeds when they change.

I checked out many of them, but finally decided to give Rojo a shot.

So far, I'm pretty impressed with it. It's very user friendly and quite easy to use. In fact, it is so easy that you don't even have to know the feed address of a blog. If you put in the URL of the blog, Rojo will find the feed information (if available) for you.

I haven't compared enough of these news/blog reader services to know if Rojo is the best out there, but I'm finding it to be simple and convenient.

Meme swiped from the fabulous Übermilf

2006-01-15T14:34:00.000-08:00

Übermilf can be found here in all her Milfiness.

Alphabet Meme:

A is for age: Over the age of majority

B is for booze of choice: Midori

C is for career: Screenwriter, Webmistress, and Moderatrix

D is for your dog's name: D is for Daisy!

E is for essential items you use everyday: Computer, microwave

F is for favorite song(s) at the moment: That's Amore

G is for favorite games: Clue

H is for hometown: Middle of Nowhere

I is for instruments you play: None, really. I used to play piano (badly) and flute (worse).

J is for jam or jelly you like: Fig preserves

K is for kids? Did I mention I have a dog?

L is for last kiss?: About 15 minutes ago. Did I mention I have a dog?

M is for most admired trait: Intelligence.

N is for name of your crush: George Clooney

O is for overnight hospital stays: Never. Ok, never since birth.

P is for phobias: Heights, crowds, being trapped, fame -- yeah, the usual stuff.

Q is for quotes you like: While visiting his agent, Cary Grant intercepted a telegram from a journalist who was writing a profile on him. The reporter asked, "How Old Cary Grant?" Grant sent a reply saying, "Old Cary Grant fine, how you?"

R is for biggest regret: That my Grandparents are no longer with us.

S is for sweets of your choice: Chocolate: Hershey bar, Hershey Kisses, and M&M's please. You may keep the expensive stuff.

T is for time you wake up: Varies

U is for underwear: Yes, thank you. A gal can't have too many undies.

V is for vegetables you love: Can't say that I love any, but I like broccoli, sweet potato, black beans, green beans, black eyed peas, green peas, and asparagus -- all well cooked.

W is for worst habit: Procrastination and avoidance

X is for x-rays you've had: Dental, head, back, toes

Y is for a yummy food you make: Frozen pizza

Z is for zodiac sign: Gemini

Screenwriting Fortnight

2006-01-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

Many screenwriters have as their New Year resolution to "finish that darn script" or "start that darn script." It's one (or two) of mine, though couched in very broad terms. heh!

Well, if you're needing something to inspire you, how about consider the Screenwriting Fortnight -- two weeks from nothing to a full-length script.

I first saw this over on Adam Renfro's One Slack Martian's blog and it led me to Matthijs Hollemans' This Autumn Evening blog.

Matthijs Hollemans is starting this "contest" which is modeled loosely on the NaNoWriMo for novelists.

The first (perhaps annual) Screenwriting Fortnight starts Saturday, February 4th, and runs until Friday, February 17th, 2006.

The Screenwriting Fortnight is really only a competition against yourself. You don't have to submit your project. However, it might just be the impetus to get you going ... or finishing on that project you've been stewing over for a while.

Screenwriting Fortnight FAQ
Screenwriting Fortnight Sign-up
Screenwriting Fortnight Introduce Yourself

someone's been watching just a little too much Psycho...

2006-01-13T02:46:00.000-08:00

The mummy of a 61-year-old woman was found in Madisonville, Ohio, last week.

"Mummy?" you ask.

Yes, Johannas Pope died 2 1/2 years ago on Aug. 29, 2003, during a heat wave when temperatures in greater Cincinnati reached 87 degrees..

Reportedly, she had told her live-in caregiver that she would prefer not to be buried as she was fully intending to come back to life. Well, the caregiver, Pope's 37-year -old daughter, and her 3-year-old granddaughter, who all lived downstairs, took her at her word.

The air conditioner was kept running and delayed decay enough that it allowed the body to slowly mummify. The air conditioner had broken down about a month ago and police said there were able to smell the scent of decay from the front yard.

Police entered the house where they found a staircase behind a door blocked by a laundry basket. They climbed to the second floor, where they found the body.

Mrs. Pope was found dressed in a white night gown and propped up in an easy chair in her converted attic bedroom. Every day, her caregiver would go up and turn on the television for her.

When other family members would visit the house, they would yell greetings upstairs, but weren't too concerned about there being no answer.

The caregiver reported to police that Mrs. Pope's nose and ears had disappeared and then reappeared. She claimed this is one of the reasons she believed her employer was going to return. The coroner said that maggots around the nose and ears may have given the appearance that they were missing.

Mrs. Pope's strange absence was finally reported to police by a sister with whom she hadn't spoken in years. The sister had gone to the house and demanded to be allowed in to see her sister. The caregiver turned her away.

A neighbor had apparently called the police months before, but at that time there wasn't enough evidence to enter the residence.

Hamilton County Coroner O'Dell Owens said that it could take weeks to find out the cause of death as there is little soft tissue left to analyze.

He added that he did not believe, at this time, that foul play was involved.

The coroner's office also reported that Mrs. Pope received no income at the time of her death, she received no state or federal assistance checks, so the motives did not appear to involve financial gain.

my clucking beagle...

2006-01-11T22:37:00.000-08:00

I just had to retrieve my beagle from the neighbor's back yard. It was the middle of the night and she was on the trail of something that had been lurking in the trees that border between their yard and the field behind the house. We live in the country, so there is plenty of wildlife in the area that she could be tracking.

She'd been missing for two hours, and I went driving the dirt road to find her.

She's just 8 months old and I've only had her a little over a month. I'm paranoid about her running off and getting lost or hit by a car on the paved road that's over a quarter of a mile from my home. When she's older, she'll be more adjusted to this being her home and I can relax some.

Mind you, she's mostly a house or kennel dog, but is allowed to go out unsupervised some at night. She's usually stayed right in the lighted area of the yard or just outside the yard where I can see or hear her.

Anyway, I went driving along hoping to lure her into the car for a ride. I found her circling in the underbrush beneath this tree.

I stopped the car and waded a short distance into the weeds. I called her name softly so as not to wake the neighbor's dogs. She was so intent on her quarry that she totally ignored me. I'm not even sure she realized I was there.

She zigged away from me as she followed the trail away from the tree into deeper brush. Her tail was just whipping back and forth and she was making these sounds... As she sniffed, she was clucking. Yes, clucking. Clucking and yipping. Yipping like something was biting her tail when she got exited about the trail.

It's been unseasonably warm around here, despite being January, and there's a danger of snakes around, so I didn't want to enter the brush any further without a light. I went back to the car and fetched a light.

I was able to follow her quite well as she was not quiet with all the clucking going on. Fortunately, the trail led her back to the area of the tree and after a few minutes of trying to get in the way of the trail, I managed to snag her and slip the leash on her.

Little does she know that she's being put on restriction indefinitely until she forgets where that darn trail is!

Congrats go out to Brad Slaight

2006-01-10T22:32:00.000-08:00

It's neat the things that Google News Alerts deliver on my virtual doorstep.

I received an alert the other day that let me know that the writings of Brad Slaight, a very funny and talented friend of mine from Behind the Celluloid Curtain, are being performed starting tomorrow and continuing through the weekend at an Oregon High School.

Congrats to Brad. This is really kinda coool!

excerpted from the Newport News Times:

Posted: Jan 06, 2006 - 08:04:10 PST

Newport High School Drama Club performs Jan. 11-14
Newport High School Drama Club students will perform "An Evening of One Acts" Wednesday through Saturday, Jan. 11-14, featuring a series of four, one-act plays presented in the Little Theater, located in the school's west campus building.

Showtimes are 5:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, with doors opening at 5 p.m.; and 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $4 for students and $5 for adults and will be available at the door only. Early arrival is recommended, as shows may sell out.

The evening of entertainment will open with three short plays relating to modern-life situations faced by young adults, all written by author Brad Slaight under the cover title, "The Road Taken."

Seriously. How cool is that?

Karma is a rat...

2006-01-09T15:24:00.000-08:00

... well, actually, it's a mouse.

From the Associated Press:

Man sets mouse on fire, mouse sets house on fire
FORT SUMNER, N.M. - A mouse got its revenge against a homeowner who tried to dispose of it in a pile of burning leaves. The blazing creature ran back to the man's house and set it on fire.

Luciano Mares, 81, of Fort Sumner said he caught the mouse inside his house and wanted to get rid of it.

"I had some leaves burning outside, so I threw it in the fire, and the mouse was on fire and ran back at the house," Mares said from a motel room Saturday.

Village Fire Chief Juan Chavez said the burning mouse ran to just beneath a window, and the flames spread up from there and throughout the house.

No was hurt inside, but the home and everything in it was destroyed.

Unseasonably dry and windy conditions have charred more than 53,000 acres and destroyed 10 homes in southeastern New Mexico in recent weeks.

"I've seen numerous house fires," village Fire Department Capt. Jim Lyssy said, "but nothing as unique as this one."

I have to say, my sympathies lie with the mouse.

Is Harry Potter making the world safer?

2006-01-08T02:21:00.000-08:00

I know of a lot of adults who didn't get hurt reading Harry Potter either ...

... not even a paper cut!

01.03.06

Safety: With Harry Potter, Injuries Dip Like Magic
By ERIC NAGOURNEY
New York Times

Is Harry Potter making the world safer for children?

British researchers report that on the weekends when the last two books of the series came out, young people made far fewer visits to an Oxford emergency room. The study, led by Dr. Stephen Gwilym of John Radcliffe Hospital, appears in the final 2005 issue of the journal BMJ, which tends toward the tongue-in-cheek in its year-ender.

The books, by J. K. Rowling, sell millions of copies in the days after their release, leading the researchers to compare them to other popular pursuits like skating and riding motor scooters. But the similarities go only so far, the authors wrote.

?Given the lack of horizontal velocity, height, wheels or sharp edges associated with this particular craze,? they said, ?we were interested to investigate the impact the Harry Potter books had on children?s traumatic injuries during the peak of their use.?

(In fact, one of the study?s authors ?conjured up the original idea,? after a quiet on-call weekend, ?then witnessing three of his children ?petrified? on the sofa.?)

The effect, it turns out, was significant. The researchers looked at how many children ages 7 to 15 went to the E.R. with musculoskeletal injuries on the 2003 weekend after ?The Order of the Phoenix? was published, and on the 2005 weekend of ?The Half-Blood Prince.? They compared these numbers with admissions in a three-year period.

On the Harry Potter weekends, they found, the admission rates went down by almost half - even though each was a pleasant summer weekend when business in the E.R. would ordinarily be good.

The authors see the possibility of broadening the benefit. ?It may therefore be hypothesized,? they wrote, ?that there is a place for a committee of safety-conscious, talented writers who could produce high-quality books for the purpose of injury prevention.?

How do you eat your M&M's?

2006-01-07T16:03:00.000-08:00

In the "How Monk-ish Are You?" quiz, one of the questions was:

How do you eat your M&M's?
A handful at a time. They taste the same regardless of color, and they're oh so good.

The reds first, two by two, then the oranges, two by two, and so on.

Leave all the blue ones until the end, but gobble up all the other colors as they come out of the package.

Pour the package out onto a plate. Arrange all the M&Ms in rows by color. Eat until there's exactly two of each color left. Then eat them by row, one by one.

I was just relieved that it was assumed that people (other than me) actually had a system for eating their M&M's.

First I find a private spot, away from mockers and people who will mess up my system.

I pour out the bag and sort my M&M's by colour -- not by rows. That's just a little *too* obsessive for me. I just make little clumps shaped sorta like flowers. Ok, I never said I wasn't at all obsessive.

I eat the dark brown ones first. Yes, generally two by two. I let the candy coating melt, until the M&M's collapse under their own weight into a mass of chocolaty goodness. I then eat, in order, the orange ones, then yellow, red, green, and, finally, the blue.

So, how do you eat your M&M's?

yuuuummy

2006-01-06T04:26:00.000-08:00

There are reports that producers are moving toward production on Ocean's Thirteen, or, as I like to call it, Ocean's Baker's Dozen.

This makes me un-naturally happy as it means more of George Clooney in a lighter role.

Mind you, I think his predilection of doing one big studio film interspersed with smaller, more personal films is a smart way of doing business. The former give him the funding and, more importantly perhaps, the power to do the latter.

He gets to have his message films; and I get to drool over him in a tuxedo. It's all good.

Searching for Cary Grant

2006-01-05T22:38:00.000-08:00

I have said many times if I could clone anyone, it would be Cary Grant.

You'd be surprised how often that comes up in conversation!

I'm also a sucker for old black and white films and screwball comedies.

If you too are a lover of the old screwball comedies, you're in luck this weekend. Turner Classic Movies is showing the 1937 Cary Grant film The Awful Truth Saturday and Sunday nights on its The Essentials program hosted by Peter Bogdanovich.

The Awful Truth was directed by Leo McCarey and also stars the luminous Irene Dunne, the best boy pal to make your husband jealous Ralph Bellamy, and the magnificently furry Asta, who was the biggest dog star at the time.

The scene to look for: Cary Grant does a pratfall that leaves Irene Dunne laughing through the final notes of her classical vocal recital.

Saturday, The Awful Truth will be followed by four other classic Cary Grant Comedies:

The Awful Truth (1937)
His Girl Friday (1940)
My Favorite Wife (1940)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Topper (1937)

Sunday, The Awful Truth will follow a Doris Day / Cary Grant romantic comedy.

That Touch of Mink (1962)
The Awful Truth (1937)

Please check your local listings for the correct times.

Hayao Miyazaki is a genius

2006-01-04T01:52:00.000-08:00

I don't say that lightly.

I own four of Hayao Miyazaki's animated films on DVD and each is magnificent.

Turner Classic Movies is featuring nine of Hayao Miyazaki's films each Thursday this month. If you haven't seen them, I highly recommend them.

January 5th
Spirited Away
Princess Mononoke

January 12th
Nausicaa of the Valley
Castle in the Sky

January 19th
My Neighbor Totoro
Porco Rosso
Whisper of the Heart

January 26th
Only Yesterday
Pom Poko

I believe they are being shown twice with the first showing dubbed in English and the second showing in Japanese with English sub-titles.

how Monk-ish are you?

2006-01-03T23:51:00.000-08:00

USA's been running loads of commercials asking "How Monk-ish are you?" and directing viewers to a quiz online to see how they stack up to Adrian Monk. Now, I know I have my own idiosyncrasies, but one doesn't always want to know just how much so. Right?

Ok, this was best two out of three...

Lord of the Kings: The Return of the Kong

2006-01-02T01:16:00.000-08:00

Kong IS king.

If you've ever doubted that, please go see Peter Jackson's new King Kong film.

I took my father on a "date" to see King Kong yesterday and it was terrific.

It will erase memories of the terrible Disco era disaster, that made Jessica Lange a star, from your mind.

It is generally faithful to the original while expanding on the characters. Where the original has become terribly dated looking due to our becoming accustomed to the advances in special effects made in the last 40 years, this film looks quite a bit more realistic.

Jackson gets it. Kong isn't a monster, he's a misplaced romantic, a tragic hero.

The film is an epic adventure and a romantic tragedy.

As a very good friend said:

You'll laugh.
You'll cry.
You'll smack your dad
upside the head
with a mug of chai.

(Ain't that poetic?)

I don't recommend the smacking with chai thing, though. Just go out and drink some after the movie and deconstruct the film with your friends or family.

Toast the great ape, while you're at it.

New Year's Resolutions

2006-01-01T22:16:00.000-08:00

Every year, millions of people see the start of a New Year as the chance to make a new start, a chance to better themselves. At least, I suppose their goal is to better themselves. I can't say that I've seen too many lists that show a desire to increase vices.

Hmmmmm...

I think I'm beginning to see a way that New Years Resolutions might actually be met...

er... no.

Better stick with the self improvement ones. Gonna try and keep 'em simple too. Simple and broad.

1. More veggies and less crap. Blah, blah, blah dietcakes. Yes, like (probably) 95% of Americans making these lists, I want to lose some weight, but, more importantly, I want to improve my overall heath. So eat better.

2. Avoid dinosaur stampedes down steep canyons. Seriously.

3. Play more. Ok, this is really the exercise resolution, but I hate to exercise. Maybe if I disguise it as play, it will actually get done.

4. Never accept Turkish Delight from strange ladies in sleighs.

5. Focus on the career. Career, not job. Where I want to be for the long haul, not where I might be short term. Make some realistic goals and work towards them.

6. When my giant ape boyfriend wants to show me the town, suggest Coney Island rather than the Empire State Building.

7. Be Happy.

how Daisy brought in the New Year

2006-01-01T02:44:00.000-08:00

Daisy brought in the New Year with Monty Python and a doggie biscuit!

surprises

2005-12-31T15:05:00.000-08:00

When I was in grad school, I was in author James Dickey's last poetry class.

Jim is a difficult person to describe in moderate terms. He was a bastard. He was charismatic. He was a force of nature. When he walked into a room, he sucked out all the air and left people gasping and gaping in his direction.

Writer Reynolds Price described him for The New York Times thus:

James Dickey was a member of that puzzling and self-punishing tribe of American writers -- a tribe that included Hemingway, Faulkner and Robert Frost -- who wanted the public to think they were anything but artists. As Hemingway was the big-game hunter, Faulkner the gentleman farmer and rider to hounds, and Frost the cracker-barrel codger, so Jim Dickey worked hard to be taken for an archer, a country guitarist, a lady-killer or a Viking berserker stoked with mead. Anyone who spent more than two consecutive days in the Dickey presence, however, knew that -- at least as much as Hemingway, whose sensibility was as delicate as eggshell -- Dickey was an artist, a poet to the utter bone.

James Dickey, Size XL

When I first saw Jim, I was an underclassman and he scared me silly. I was standing at a window in one of the countless little bureaucratic offices that a university has, shuffling some paperwork back and forth with the clerk. Suddenly, this presence loomed up behind me. I looked out of the corner of my eye ... and up and up.

Jim was dressed in a white cowboy suit, complete with white boots and a snowy Stetson, which made his massive 6'4" frame look even more intimidating. Ignoring those waiting in line to be served, he boomed out instructions to the clerks who scurried to do his bidding.

After he stalked out, the clerk who was helping me leaned over the counter and asked in a quiet voice, "Do you know who that was?"

I shook my head no.

"That was James Dickey, the Great Man."

Yes, the Great Man. Always spoken in capital letters and hushed tones.

Later, in grad school, my media arts advisor, a Dickey scholar, kept encouraging me to take a class with Jim. After he (rightly) pointed out that any aspiring writer should take a class with the most famous and successful writer available, I relented.

My first day in class found Jim Dickey a greatly reduced man. He was in a wheelchair and on oxygen. His body was a shell of itself. However, he was still an awesome presence -- mind sharp and tongue sharper.

Toward the end of that first class, Jim was giving a brief biography of his life -- fighting in WWII and the Korean conflict, growing up a hillbilly in Georgia...

It was here that I started to laugh.

No one else in the class was laughing. They just looked at me in horror.

"What is funny, young lady?" Jim asked coldly.

"Sir, in just that moment, you reminded me of my Grandmother who recently passed away. She grew up in a small college town in the foothills of North Carolina. Everyone in that town worked at the college, was family of someone who worked at the college, or attended the college. She always claimed to be "just a hillbilly," but she was no more a hillbilly than you are."

That proved to be a moment of bonding for us.

The whole hillbilly thing was one of his good ol' boy exaggerations to establish a more exotic persona. Jim felt that a poor hillbilly pulling himself up by his worn bootstraps to high literary echelons sounded a lot better than a middle-class kid from the suburbs of Atlanta getting to that same level.

Jim attracted but hated sycophants, or, rather, he had no respect for sycophants. The fact that I'd both noticed and pointed out to him that his story was a bit of a fabrication, earned me some small amount of respect.

For me, it was an "emperor has no clothes" moment. I'd seen through a bit of the facade and it was less scary back there after that point.

Though much of Jim's public persona was fictional, his knowledge of literature, poetry, and other subjects was extraordinary and quite real. He was a talented and exacting teacher who suffered no fools.

During the short time that I knew Jim, his health continued to deteriorate. At the start of the spring semester of 1997, his health was so frail that we were told that we would be having classes at his home.

One day, he asked us to go around and recite the first lines of our favourite poem and he'd tell us who wrote it. He did just that until he got to me:

He would declare and could himself believe
That the birds there in all the garden round
From having heard the daylong voice of Eve
Had added to their own an oversound,
Her tone of meaning but without the words.

Jim frowned and thought. "I don't recognize that," he admitted. "Who wrote that?"

"Robert Frost."

A look of amazement crossed his face. "Frost? It doesn't sound like Frost. He usually had an ironic tone to his poetry, but that seems romantic."

A few of us stayed after class that day to talk with Jim. He confided in me that I'd surprised him with the Frost poem. He didn't know he could still be surprised by poetry at his time of life.

He may have been being kind to tell me that, but it made me happy that I'd given Jim the gift of a happy surprise when he wasn't expecting one.

Four days later, he passed away.

Never Again Would Bird's Song Be the Same

He would declare and could himself believe
That the birds there in all the garden round
From having heard the daylong voice of Eve
Had added to their own an oversound,
Her tone of meaning but without the words.
Admittedly an eloquence so soft
Could only have had an influence on birds
When call or laughter carried it aloft.
Be that as may be, she was in their song.
Moreover her voice upon their voices crossed
Had now persisted in the woods so long
That probably it never would be lost.
Never again would birds' song be the same.
And to do that to birds was why she came.

For the coming year, I wish nothing but happy surprises for all my friends and family.