Novel Eye

Now Sir John Mortimer, creator of Rumpole of the Bailey and author of one of the best little books of essays I've ever read. I realize that all of these men were over 80 (Wyeth over 90), but really

So, I'm talking to my Japanese friend about Patrick McGoohan's death because her husband, like my husband, is a big Prisoner fan, and I mention that PM was in some of the Colombo films of the 70's and she says she loved those. So, I'm trying to imagine Peter Falk speaking in Japanese. And we talk about more shows that crossed the ocean and she tells me that she saw Mr. Ed as a child--subbed in Japanese. And I say: Ed-u San? And then I think about the show for a moment and say: Actually it should have been Ed-u Sensai or at least Ed-u Sempai . Of all the shows to take over...I wonder how close the translations were--HA!

And now Andrew Wyeth, RIP.

We have lost both Patrick McGoohan and Ricardo Montalban. :(

Since I usually make my avatar into things I don't get to be during the day, I decided to make her look like I really look at my desk every day.

seed by ~ N-Dr01d on deviant ART

Bernie Mac died. Bernie Mac was in Ocean's 11-13. I enjoyed his comedy. Didn't love, love it, but thought he was good. Damn.

Came across this in a newsletter that was sent to me. I'd have stopped a) because I stop for people who play well and b) for people who play music that I like and play it well, but I probably would not have recognized him, and I probably wouldn't have given money. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/04/AR2007040401721.html I am not at all surprised at the results.

Your past life diagnosis: I don't know how you feel about it, but you were female in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Portugal around the year 1325. Your profession was that of a jeweler or watch-maker. Your brief psychological profile in your past life:Inquisitive, inventive, you liked to get to the very bottom of things and to rummage in books. Talent for drama, natural born actor. The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation:The world is full of ill and lonely people. You should help those, who are less fortunate than you are. Do you remember now? Amusing. Though I am wondering how a female could have become a jeweler or watch-maker in 1325. Thanks to Musing for this .

...except that I finally confirmed that I had the correct spelling and usage from a Japanese friend, I opened a CafePress shop . I have done absolutely nothing to promote it yet. My husband hopes to add some Dr. Whovian related items and I have a few more ideas. Two thoughts on that--one, should I report the people who are blatantly stealing copyrighted work and passing it off as their own, or leave it alone? And two, and this will only be funny to half of my tiny readership. There's a shirt that I covet there that says, "I wanted to learn Alchemy, but it costs and arm and a leg." Bwa -ha-ha, ROFL, snort. Oh, and even more one more thing--should I add "Nan dai yo, ne ?" to the back, just to be more clear?

I'm only happy when it rains I'm only happy when it's complicated And though I know you can't appreciate it I'm only happy when it rains You know I love it when the news is bad Why it feels so good to feel so sad I'm only happy when it rains Pour your misery down Pour your misery down on me Pour your misery down Pour your misery down on me I'm only happy when it rains I feel good when things are going wrong I only listen to the sad, sad songs I'm only happy when it rains I only smile in the dark My only comfort is the night gone black I didn't accidentally tell you that I'm only happy when it rains You'll get the message by the time I'm through When I complain about me and you I'm only happy when it rains Pour your misery down (Pour your misery down) Pour your misery down on me (Pour your misery down) You can keep it over me As long as you don't care I'm only happy when it rains You wanna hear about my new obsession? I'm r...

Tama Janowitz is a very good writer. She just doesn't write about a world I'm interested in--because it seems so horrible and conspicuous in its consumption in the world in which I live. The conspicuous consumption of Lily Bart's world is so distant that it is easier to be entertained, but perhaps one grew out of the other and if so, what is growing out of this?

I stupidly read a one-page interview with Paris Hilton today, and it actually made my teeth hurt as though I'd been sucking on sugar or ice. I really, really wish I could erase it from my mind.

Added B's new blog. She's funny and I love her. I've referred to her often and now you can see why. Removed Susan's--I think she's lost interest, being busy in New York auditioning and stuff. Removed Musing's --because she moved blog addresses and is taking a break from blogging. It will come back whenever she wants.

Time for me to make some short fast posts. Nine to get in between tonight and tomorrow. To find topic, inclination and time. I generally have one of the three. Sometimes I think I should split the long posts into separate posts, or break the ones that ramble into different posts, but I always think I shall have enough for the month.

Two things: One, Angell was recently completely refurbished, so the waiting area was completely different from the night we went there for an emergency. Bizarrely it looked quite a bit like the human hospital in my dream , even down to the vending machines at one end, the curved wooden benches, the big automatic doors (which Guinness nearly crashed into). The only difference was that the one in my dream was brightly colored and this one was monochrome. Almost disturbingly similar. Two, Angell has an adoption center, which we foolishly walked through. My husband fell in love with several cats, including one who was so fat he looked like a pillow with a head. The dogs' stories were just heartbreaking--owners got to old, owners died, owner's abandoned, didn't deal with newborn baby. They were such sweet dogs who had no idea why their happy home wasn't there anymore. Some of them were huge--they're going to be hard to place. I kept tearing up and had to leave. ...

There is also the possibility re: Harry Potter and TDH: to not read it. To leave the ending forever in the state of Schrodinger's cat . Unknown (to us) and therefore neither good nor bad/satisfying nor frustrating. We (husband and I) actually discussed this re: Doctor Who. More along the lines of how long we would put off knowing (opening the box--thus entering the experiment--just to keep the metaphor going XP ) since this would be our last new Doctor Who until Christmas. Interestingly, there is a race, in one of the Doctor Who novels that powers everything on the power of uncertainty. Like the fact that a book balanced on the edge of a table has potential energy. Can you channel that kinetic energy elsewhere than in the book falling? Of course, both of these things are enormously in the world and will therefore be enormously known to many people. Avoiding knowing ourselves would prove (I suspect) impossible. I went to a wedding last night (for friend who's shower I attende...

1. I was born in Bien Hoa in the Republic of South Vietnam (a country which, stupid INS officer to the contrary, no longer exists). 2. I spent the first year of my life in an orphanage. The official story was that I was found on the street, but I've since heard that that is often the "official" story. 3. I lived briefly in St. Louis and then spent my childhood and youth in Grandview , MO, a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri. 4. I don't say Missourah . 5. My father opened a bookstore when I was five--it closed when I was 9. It was fun while it lasted. 6. I wanted to act when I was 4. 7. I love to read. I like books better than most people and I read eclectically. I don't read "chick lit" but I do read classics, science-fiction (but I'm very picky), mystery (even pickier) and children's /young adult. 8. My first job was in the local library. 9. I was valedictorian of my high school, but my high school didn't have the valedictorian ...

Don't you hate it when I'm down to the end of the month and creating filler posts? I really do have legitimate posts on: Castle in the Sky-- Miyazaki (It's about a spunky girl who finds inner reserves of strength while battling the power mad and discovering that crazy old ladies are not as crazy or bad as they seem--but the power mad always are-- Miyazaki fans know that I just described most of his films) Notes on a Scandal--not as good as I would have liked and how come we were never told about the lesbian overtone in America? Total trivia--Cate, Dame Judy and Anne-Marie Duff (cameo at end) have all played Queen Elizabeth I--deliberate? On Chesil Beach--Ian McEwan . Wow, he just keeps getting better and better and he started out pretty good. Maybe by noting them I'll make myself pick them up and run with them--esp. now that the TV season is over.

I used to comment after people's comments, but I don't think people go back to look at comments they've made on other people's pages (well, sites with large readerships perhaps). So thank you, Matt for the words of encouragement. I remember when I was young and really thin ('93 or so--see L'Arc blog) when I could eat a steak dinner, be five pounds heavier when I went to bed than when I got up. Skipping a meal could lose me five pounds then. Happily it looks like those four pounds are pretty solidly lost, when I checked yesterday and today. That's why I was only looking at the scale once a week so I wouldn't get discouraged. I'm hoping it's not just water. Back on the treadmill yesterday and today. I now understand baseball marginally more (about .001, as a matter of fact :P). I hope your ultimate games are going as well, Matt! I am reminded of the explanation of Blurnball in Futurama --which unfortunately does not seem to be on YouTube . MULTIB...