Ghosts of Bloggies Past 11

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

[written when I'd just brought a third cat into my home and all hell broke loose]

A cold peace has fallen across the Meowee East, pockmarked by occasional gun fire and border incidents. It is difficult to find the right balance of power between three states, and all day they have been cautiously testing each other... a bum sniff here... a whack attack there... Occasionally the UN has to intervene and either doll out the softie food, or lock someone in their territory.

O kitties, give peace a chance!

20:54 Posted in Crisis in the Meowee East | Permalink | Comments (1) | Email this

My Day: Part 2 - The Movies

Sherlock Holmes was exactly what I hoped for. Just a fun beat-em-up period piece with lots of Holmes deductions. I luuurv Downey Jr., so I can enjoy anything with him in it. Not the definitive Holmes, but durn sexy.

Jude Law's Watson was perfect. They recovered the original ex-military-man character, rather than the clichéd buffoon. He's got lots of sass.

The only part that annoyed me was this whole Holmes-trying-to-sabotage-Watson's-engagement storyline. There's nothing like it in Holmes that I recall, but more to the point it was more House than Holmes. I am soooo tired of House's assholitude, I didn't really want to watch it in Holmes too. (The show House is a modernization of Holmes, so their in-common assholeness isn't an accident. But in Doyle's stories Holmes didn't go out of his way to make other people's lives miserable, he was just very egotistical.)

Hans Zimmer did a great job with the soundtrack. And one of my fave bits was the CGI London. It was really cool to see the Thames with a half-built Tower bridge, and old cruddy looking sailing ships etc. Computer technology is allowing for more and more realism in historical movies and I'm mclovin it.


We enjoyed it so much, we thought It's Complicated might be a bit of a letdown. But not at all. Holy mother that was a funny movie. At first most of the laughing was coming from the other side of the theatah, where I assume the 50-something women were sitting. But about halfway through the movie is just HIlarious.

John Krasinski of the American Office plays Streep's son-in-law and he stole every scene he was in. There's no way his scenes would have been as funny with someone else. He was brilliant. I hope this gets him some great future comedies.

Streep was great--she says in Vanity Fair that Bette Davis would be rolling in her grave to see a 60 year old actress starring in a romantic comedy. Steve Martin was his usual genius self in the one scene where he was able to be a bit unrestrained (given that he's not one of the focus characters.) And I've loved Alec Baldwin ever since State and Main. He's so good at comedy.



I didn't know Nancy Meyers' name, but I gather she's one of the few powerful women in Hollywood, and she wrote/directed/and or produced this movie, plus The Holiday (which I recently enjoyed), Something's Gotta Give (another older-woman comedy), and Baby Boom. I'm pretty in for her romantic comedies, they're always original.

My day: Part 1 - The Costume

It's hard for Fernando to get me out of the house, especially in the winter. But I needed to go to Value Village which is next to the theatah. So we went to Village, then supper, then saw Sherlock Holmes and It's Complicated.

-1- Village des Valeurs

The upcoming staff party theme is "The Nightmare After Christmas." Dressing horror isn't usually my shtick, but I thought of the perfect costume for someone like moi. I will be a Pride and Prejudice zombie hunter. (Working at a bookstore, I assume everyone will get it.)




I bought a blouse at Reitman's that has an Empire waist,
but needed a floor length dress. I decided on all black so that it's easier to piece together (after all I'm sure to be in mourning because zombies killed some family members, right?)


I found a long enough black dress that will fit well under the blouse. I bought a black wrap around skirt so I can add a train or cape.

I also picked up a black handkerchief, and a purse which I can make look reticule-ish.There were no long gloves, so I'll just wear my semi-long fall gloves.

I can't wear my hair up cause I'll get a headache, but I bought curlers. I'll try to make ringlets, and then maybe tie a black scarf around, turban-style.

[The best I can do is Billie Piper in Mansfield Park.]

I bought a black flower-and-feather corsage, black plastic pearls, a broach, and I have the perfect earrings.

[Looking sad because my family's been eaten.]

I have to make a fan next, and a sword. (We used to have a foil, but I may have finally convinced my husband to part with it. Not that you could kill a zombie with a foil. You'd need a sword for decapitating, or a pistol.)


This is the first time I've ever had a chance to make up a Regency costume, so it's vair vair exciting. The only sad thing is that the black won't photograph well. But I'll keep you updated.

Ghosts of Bloggies Past 10

On the subject of certain closed circuit video cameras (like they have all over London) that have an audio function:

I would like to install CCTV voice cameras in my store.

"YOU! Do not bring that book into the bathroom. And YOU over there! Stop ogling that bookseller and move along. YOU with the Chomsky book! It's CRAP. Hand it over to the nearest Customer Experience Representative so we can return it."

You wouldn't have to pay anyone to man the cameras. You could just put the TV and the microphone in the staff room and let 'er rip.

Ghosts of Bloggies Past 9

The body of a missing US woman has been found by her family, wedged upside down behind a bookcase in her room.
Mariesa Weber, 38, is believed to have fallen over and become trapped as she tried to reach behind the bookcase to adjust the plug for a TV set.

Answering the questions

If the last year were a movie of your life, what would the genre be?
Oh heavens. Not anything you'd want to watch, it'd be so dull. Perhaps a comedy.

What were the two or three major themes that kept recurring? Jobs jobs jobs. I feel like everyone I know is either looking for a new job, or switching careers, or thinking about switching, or wishing to switch, or something. There's a lot of jobbiness on the minds of everyone.

What did you accomplish this past year that you are the most proud of?
Working consistently on my writing.
Getting back to consistent reading.
Consistently posting on my blog.
Finally going to Stratford.

What do you feel you should have been acknowledged for but weren’t?Nothing.

What disappointments or regrets did you experience this past year?
I was disappointed to discover that cats don't live forever!

What was missing from last year as you look back? A more goal-driven approach to my writing. You know... with due dates. That I kept.

What were the major life-lessons you learned this past year?
Whether or not I go through something shitty is, generally, in my own hands. Kind of obvious, and something I already knew... I've never been the type to blame others for my problems. But I think this year I became conscious of that moment right before one hits the SEND button (literally or figuratively) when one thinks: "Do I believe enough in what I'm about to do/say that I'm willing to weather the accompanying crapitude?"

That was sort of a boring questionnaire. I need a better one.

My books books books

Been doing some more web site building. Today I listed up a bunch of the stories I've written over the years.