Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 02/14/2003 09:02 AM PST

Jose---
Were the 600 people you auditioned this week for HAIR or were they for some different project?

BK---
Is the Bert I. Gordon of The Magic Sword any relation to our own Susan Must Use Middle Name Gordon?

In CD - I've listened so much to BB sings AJL tht I just put in his earlier Kander & Ebb CD. It's even better than I remembered. By the way, the date PBS has scheduled for BB in Kate is 2/26 but unlike the other networks it may be different dates in some cities.

In DVD - "My Big Fat Greek Wedding". This is a mostly charming, funny film which will probably not hold up as the sitcom it is scheduled to become later this month. It's certainly better that the romantic comedies the major studios have been producing lately.

In VHS - Waiting for "Music Man" Sunday. There is no way I can watch it without zapping some of the really bad parts --- which may mean I'll get through it in about fifteen minutes.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/14/2003 09:17 AM PST

Bad icy weather expected here any minute - here I sit at work - but hopefully I will leave a bit early...and hopefully I will make it home. If not - in a few days Mooresville Indiana will have the largest combination wake-garage sale in its history.

In my DVD player - Paradise Hawaiian Style - again...really enjoy the scenery & the music.

In my VCR - A Chorus Line - the Movie. Really a primer in how NOT to transfer a Broadway show, but on another viewing...the performances of Vickie Frederick (Sheila) and Cameron English (Paul) are still very good. And the number At The Ballet is good. Most of the rest is scary! I still like it when Sheila is moved to the back row during one combination and stops dancing. Famous choreographer Zack (Michael Zeta-Jones Douglas) asks: 'What's the matter, Sheila, don't you know the combination?' And she replies: 'I knew it when I was in front.'

CD Player: the just-acquired from EBAY London Cast Recording of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG which I am enjoying very much!!! Mr. Michael Ball is outstanding, and the arrangements are very clever - though a bit sparse.

Here comes the rain...here comes the sleet...here comes the snow!

Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/14/2003 09:19 AM PST

Bill - Mr Bert I Gordon is Miss Susan Gordon's father! Isn't that amazing? Not the fact that he is - but that we talk to her everyday!

I am still star struck.

By the way...Mr BIG will make an appearance at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana tomorrow night. The dept. of Entomology is have a BIG BUG night and showing three of his 1950's films. There will also be a question and answer session with the MAN himself. If you are in the area...GO! Only this terrible weather keeps me from being there in the front row!

Posted by jrand52 @ 02/14/2003 09:22 AM PST

Here is a link to information about Mr. Gordon's appearance.

What a great idea!

http://www.life.uiuc.edu/entomology/egsa/ifff2003.html

Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/14/2003 09:30 AM PST

Anyone planning anything special for Valentine's Day?

Posted by Cupid @ 02/14/2003 09:35 AM PST

The Hubby and I love B.I.G.'s films. He even directed a very young Susan in "Tormented," a psychological thriller (that happens to feature a disembodied talking head). Appropriately, considering his initials, B.I.G. usually made movies about Things Getting Really Really Big, but besides Tormented, he also departed from form to make the aforementioned The Magic Sword, a very entertaining fantasy starring Gary Lockwood (pre-2001) and Estelle Winwood (always a delight).

In the DVD player: the Criterion edition of Time Bandits. I was a bit surprised to find that the print was not exactly in pristine shape (since I saw it in the theater, that means it just came out yesterday, right? The alternative is just too icky to contemplate). But watching it was still great fun, and I think it was the only time I'd ever seen the trailer for Time Bandits, which was highly original and Pythonesque.

In the VCR: a Something Weird "Hey, Folks! It's Intermission Time!" tape featuring lots and lots of intermission clips: countdown clocks, ads for hot dogs, ice cream, Chilly Dillies, Pic bug coils, etc.

In the CD player: the soundtrack to Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Posted by Lulu @ 02/14/2003 09:43 AM PST

Aww. I was hoping that BK would post a love song by Meltz and Ernest today in honor of Valentines Day. No one writes loves songs like Meltz and Ernest.

Posted by Laura @ 02/14/2003 09:47 AM PST

Oh, my goodness. It is Valentine's Day and I didn't even mention it. We must break out the cheese slices and ham chunks, we must put on our colored tights and pantaloons, we must eat our chocolate hearts. For it is a time of love and merriment and mirth and laughter and legs. Love is in the air - fair warning - oh, a Sondheim reference. Love, love, love (that is three loves - does that mean we are aced?). We must skip around like happy lovers, blowing kisses to whoever wants and/or needs them. We must go up to strangers and say, "Won't you be my Valentine" and hope they don't kick us with mean feet. Let us feel romantic and gay, not necessarily in that order. Let us post our romantic thoughts all the live-long day and make this day one of the most popular we've ever had here at haineshisway.com

Posted by bk @ 02/14/2003 09:54 AM PST

Well.. under normal circumstances, BK - you could "put the blame on Mame" about forgetting about Valentine's Day.. but with a heavy hear I must announce that Doris Fisher, the composer of said song has passed away. Click on my name to read the article...

Posted by Craig @ 02/14/2003 10:04 AM PST

Lulu...what fun. Yes Mr. Bert I. Gordon made movies that are still great fun to watch.

TORMENTED of course with Miss Susan, EARTH vs THE SPIDER, and BEGINNING OF THE END are my three favorites - but leading the pack of course is ATTACK OF THE PUPPET PEOPLE!!

Also appearing in THE MAGIC SWORD is Miss Maila Nurmi, who was also featured in PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE!

It is easy for some of us to forget Valentine's Day. *sigh*

"So sad to be all alone in the world." Mrs. Meers

Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/14/2003 10:10 AM PST

Lulu - que es pic bug coil?

Posted by Juanita @ 02/14/2003 10:12 AM PST

So sad to hear, Craig.

Although Miss Rita Hayworth did the definitive Put the Blame on Mame, there are two others burned in my memory.

Miss Marjorie Lord as Kathy Williams auditioning for husband Danny's nightclub act in MAKE ROOM FOR DADDY and his patented spit take!

And Miss Lucille Ball in THE FULLER BRUSH GIRL being pursued by the police and the gang, winding up onstage at a Burlesque House, and losing most of her clothes but NOT her dignity!

Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/14/2003 10:41 AM PST

Well, to continue yesterday's Hairy discussion, after our own, our very own BK suggested that Dame Edna would be in his choice cast of Hair (hecky durn! I just can't figger out how to make my keyboard do one of those Lazy 8 infinity signs over the i of Hair!), it occurred to me that that wouldn't be bad casting. No indeed, that would be good casting, if she were to sing "My Conviction" that is, and not, say, "Going Down".

So what do you say, BK, to you your very self, if the occasion arises, putting together some of our more seasoned performers for an album of songs from the show, called "Greying Hair", of course?

If Dame Edna is not available for "My Conviction", there is always Harvey Feirstein. La Stritch doing "Frank Mills"?

Can you imagine Patrick Stuart (a dandy baritone he), Lee Wilkoff, and some other tonsorially challenged stars (our own Mr. Guy Haines?) singing, "Gimme a head with hair!"?

Whoopie Goldberg singing "White Boys". Oh yes! Miss Barbara Cook with "Eyes, Look Your Last". Please, BK. And your own inimitable arrangements.

Posted by William F. Orr @ 02/14/2003 10:47 AM PST

I'm not listening to anything at the moment and I'm heading out to Long Island after work so nothing is in the city VCR or CD player. Not sure what we'll watch this weekend. We'll play it by ear :-)

Jennifer and our other Canadian Dear Readers: Have you seen a cooking show called Loving Spoonfuls? My friend David Gale is the host. He goes to grandmothers houses and they cook and chat and make nice. David came to Minnesota for his undergrad degree in theatre and then went back to Canada to make it big. He just sent me the link for the transcript of the press conference he had yesterday to protest (in jest) the movie The Life of David Gale starring Kevin Spacey as a man convicted of murder and rape and about to be executed. Just wondered if any of you had seen his cooking show and what you thought of it? He brings tapes here when he visits, so I've seen a few episodes. I think it's fun. He can't seem to get a U.S. cable network interested. There are legal issues with Food Network, I guess (don't know what they are), so he can't get it on their schedule.

Oh, well, enough babbling. I have to get back to work and then off to LI for a nice long weekend. I probably won't be posting much this weekend so I am now offically declaring myself errant and truant.

Posted by Ben @ 02/14/2003 10:50 AM PST

According to Ken Mandelbaum, our very own Kerry Butler will be playing Ariel in a reading of Eisner's upcoming Broadway version of "The Little Mermaid". While I'm not really interested in seeing another animated-film-to-stage musical, I think it's a great part and a big break for Ms. Butler.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/14/2003 11:15 AM PST

We all know that kind of thing has been said before with the deal petering out as time goes on, but on Playbill On-line they have announced that Joel Schumacher, director of Batman and Robin will be "bringing Lloyd-Weber's Phantom of the Opera to the screen"

Link to the story is below

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/77915.html

Posted by Ben @ 02/14/2003 11:56 AM PST

WEL: The 600 auditions I played for were for the Unified Professional Theatre Auditions, UPTAs. It's basically a big cattle call. 600 auditionees, 92 companies, a theatre and a piano. GO! Each person gets 90 seconds to show how well they can act and/or sing. Really good turn out, and the talent level this year was pretty good. In a few weeks, I'll be doing the same thing for the Southeastern Theatre Conference (SETC). I love playing auditions.

*I'm wondering if the roller-blading Japanese woman will be there. Rather, I should say, hoping she'll be there.

As for HAIR, I'm currently MDing it for my alma mater, Virginia Commonwealth University, here in Richmond, Virginia. Two weeks, and we practically have the whole show done - well, roughed in all the way through. AND then we have almost two months(!) to tweak, shape and have fun with it!

Well, off to the laundromat - I want clean sheets for the inclement weather weekend coming up.

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 02/14/2003 12:14 PM PST

WEL: Addendum - The 600 people were over three days - 200 a day. Although I did play a true cattle call once, where we saw/heard 487 people - each person got 30 seconds(!) to show off their high notes. WHEW!

Posted by Jose C. Simbulan @ 02/14/2003 12:16 PM PST

CD Car - Ethel Merman Disco Album (a MUST for anyone that likes bad, but fun, concepts)

CD Computer- Jana Robbins (thanks Donald for that radio show back in December, she rocks)

CD bedroom - Claire Moore's "Child of the Earth"

CD Living Room - I can't remember, I think my cousin used it last

DVD Player - as soon as I finish posting "Hairspray"

Nothing in the VHS player.

Looking forward to the "Phantom of the Opera" movie, Playbill.com also mentioned ALW working on a movie of his latest show "The Beautiful Game" which is rather an odd choice IMHO. Those lyrics needs to be fixed, tweeked, and maybe even changed, some are so bad. In the last thing I read about the POTO movie was that they hadn't chosen the leads, so that leads us to believe that maybe Antonio Banderas WON'T be cast as the Phantom. One can only help. My apologies to Antonio fans for my opinion of your favorite actor.

Posted by Matthew @ 02/14/2003 12:34 PM PST

What's most amusing about the latest press release from the Lloyd Webber publicity machine (he announces the Phantom movie once a year, and has for the last ten years) is that Joel Schumacher was the FIRST director attached to it way back in 1991. You will notice, however, that there is no script, no studio and no date. So, go to your collective cupboards, get out your Morton salt, and pour a large grain.

Posted by bk @ 02/14/2003 12:42 PM PST

Matthew---
I think the Roundabout NINE will serve as a roundabout audition for Bandaris for the "Phantom" movie.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/14/2003 12:43 PM PST

WEL, nice pun.

I should think that EVITA should have served as an audition for NINE. And based on that audition, I would never have cast him as Guido. In fact, I would never cast him in *any* singing role, and yet I have spoken to people who thought he did a great job as Che. Some even felt that Madonna was suitable for Eva. So, go figure.

Posted by Dave @ 02/14/2003 12:50 PM PST

Dave---
He's certainly not one of my favorites and I still have not decided if Chita, Laura, Jane, et. al. are enough to make me forget who is playing Guido.

I just was surfing and discovered that our very own Mark Bakalor has his own web site.

http://www.hijinks.com/~mark/

Note it is very current and up-to-date.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/14/2003 12:55 PM PST

At least Che was hispanic. Guido is suppose to be Italian, correct? The Phantom (IMHO) should be ambiguious and show no nationality whatsoever, expecially if the other leads are English-sounding. Sorry, I just feel that Antonio is SO not right for the Phantom, a show that's very close to my heart. I could even handle Michael Crawford in the role, I hear he's visually stunning if not vocally so.

Posted by Matthew @ 02/14/2003 01:00 PM PST

I have made that same point about Antonio playing Guido. Is the show being re-written to accomodate Mr. Banderas' obvious ethnicity? Will Maury Yeston have to replace "Be Italian" with "Be Castilian"?

As for Phantom, I always assumed that since the show takes place in the Paris Opera House, that the characters would have French accents...but that's just me.

Posted by Dave @ 02/14/2003 01:06 PM PST

French Accents? How about Gerard Depardieu and Audrey Tatou?

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/14/2003 01:10 PM PST

DVD: LOTR FOTR (Yet again)
CD: Gangs Of New York
CD Broadway Through the Gramphone
(with thanks to a special Frenchman)
Record Player: Monty Python "I Like Chinese". A good friend who is 40 today has been in hospital after eating chines food - I thougt he deserved a laugh."Chinese Food In Bed" May well get a play too.
Video. An episode of "Frasier" - IMHO a gem of a show that never rates here in Australia.

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 02/14/2003 01:12 PM PST

WEL - I have to laugh because it's always a joke with my friends and I about accents and musicals. If Phantom takes place in France, how come every production I've seen and heard all have English accents. Same with Les Mis, even though it's sung. A lot of other shows are like that, too. It's like, "we're setting a show in a foreign country, so let's all use English accents!" It's quite humorous.

Posted by Matthew @ 02/14/2003 01:29 PM PST

Matthew, what is even more funny is how the type of accent will often reflect social standing. For example, in LES MISERABLES, the wealthier "French" people speak in upper-class accents, while the lower class (like the Thenardiers) often will speak in Cockney accents.

So if they can understand that accents reflect social standing, why can't they grasp that accents should reflect *nationality*?!

Posted by Dave @ 02/14/2003 01:48 PM PST

Ben: What channel is your friend's show on? I've never seen it.

Jrand: OMG when you said Mr. Big, I thought you meant Mr. Big from Sex and the City.

Happy Valentine's Day to all.

Jennifer, who happily had a big bouquet of flowers delivered to her today

Posted by Jennifer @ 02/14/2003 02:01 PM PST

Jennifer: How wonderful to get flowers! Loving Spoonfuls is on the W Network according to David. I also thought Mr. Big was a reference to Sex and the City

I am not on my way to Long Island as I should be. There is/was a track fire at Penn Station so all incoming and outgoing train service has been suspended until further notice. And then, when it's resumed, it will be a madhouse, I'm sure. I shall have to postpone my Valentines Day revelry until tomorrow morning.

Posted by Ben @ 02/14/2003 02:17 PM PST

Question for BK:

In your Tuesday notes, you
mentioned the panel for the
Disney/ASCAP workshop you
attended:

wasn't it Mr Peter Schneider,
rather than Peter Fleischer,
that was there too?

Now, I sing GREAT, I look
GREAT, I act GREAT and I'm
modest, cheap and ..... French
so I SHOULD play the
Phantom for the film version,
oh oui!

Posted by François @ 02/14/2003 03:16 PM PST

Yes, Peter Schneider. Pardon my senility.

Posted by bk @ 02/14/2003 03:26 PM PST

For Ben, W (the women's network - i just looked it up) is not a channel that most people in Canada get. I know I don't get it. I think people with a different cable system might get it. I'll ask my sister if she's heard of the show.

Posted by Jennifer @ 02/14/2003 03:44 PM PST

DVD: My Big Fat Greek Wedding, of course...and "there you go", for those of you who have seen this movie!
Did any of you know (I didn't, til I heard the commentary) that the short, bald cynical teacher friend of Ian's, is Nia's real-life husband, Ian Gomez?

Posted by KT @ 02/14/2003 04:01 PM PST

LOL Jennifer. Different kind of big - I think.

I saw PHANTOM on tour with a great actor/singer. His name is Thomas J. O'Leary. I think he played the part on Broadway for awhile...but anyway...he was the BEST Phantom I ever saw...well I only saw four...but he was terrific. I nominate him for the movie when...uh...if....

Sally Cato: I'm just gonna hold my breath 'til mornin'!
Mame: Do that, honey.

Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/14/2003 04:18 PM PST

DVD: My Big Fat Greek Wedding,
Did any of you know (I didn't, til I heard the commentary) that the short, bald cynical teacher friend of Ian's, is Nia's real-life husband, Ian Gomez?

Yes, and he used to play Javier on Felicity!

Posted by Jennifer @ 02/14/2003 04:35 PM PST

Bk, senile?

Ho no, not you!

hey, a Lerner reference!

Richard Fleischer tells in his
book that his father, Max
Fleischer, could never say
"Walt Disney" but would refer
to him as " that s.o.b!"
because of the competition he
always got from Walt.

Posted by François @ 02/14/2003 05:55 PM PST

I vote for Antony Warlow for
Phantom.... and I'm NOT
prejudiced....

Posted by François @ 02/14/2003 06:00 PM PST

Sorry, make that ANTHONY
WARLOW..

He, he... he gets mentioned
twice!!!

Gérard Depardieu would be
good for MONSTER of the
Opera, not Phantom ;-)

Posted by François @ 02/14/2003 06:02 PM PST

Poor Audrey, who gets her
name butchered all over the
web!!!

Wonder what would happen if
her first name was not
English!

It's not Toutou, Toto, Totou it's
TAUTOU....

"Toutou" means "doggie" in
French, and surely Audrey is
no French poodle.........

Much more difficult, I agree,
than Renée's name, of
Chicago fame, which I can
never spell, but then, I'm from
the....Old Europe!......

Posted by François @ 02/14/2003 06:18 PM PST

Fracnois! I'm stunned! Gerard Depardieu is A TREASURE! A treasure, I tell you!! The man is worth his weight in gold! (Which would certainly give Marlon Brando a run for the money)! What's with those two anyway, are they teaming up for a really B-I-G presentation of SIDE SHOW, or is someone just remaking Tod Browning's FREAKS?

Anyhoo, in the cd player:
LIVE AND LEARN, the arrangements for my upcoming cabaret, sans vocal, by my fantastic accompaninst, Mr. Matthew Brown.
also, a gift from yet another Dear Reader, THE COMPLETE BRIGADOON SOUNDTRACK.

My dvd player is quite backlogged at the moment, what with reviews due for Scarlet Street and for dvdlaunch, so, without my checking the player itself, the rotating deeveedees are:
LET'S MAKE LOVE
RIVER OF NO RETURN
MONKEY BUSINESS
NIAGRA
DON'T BOTHER TO KNOCK
(Collectively known as THE MARILYN MONROE DIAMOND COLLECTION, TWO).
ANGEL - THE COMPLETE FIRST SEASON: I had not seen a single episode of this BUFFY spin-off until Tuesday night when I got the set.
THE THIEF OF BAGDAD - if you really want to see TRUE Technicolor at its finest incarnation on dvd, look no further.
MILDRED PIERCE
THE BOURNE IDENTITY
SWEET HOME ALABAMA (nothing worth writing home about, though Reese is wonderful as always).
In the vcr:
THE UNIVERSAL STORY - a documentary taped from STARZ! yesterday.

Posted by td @ 02/14/2003 06:20 PM PST

And Mr Warlow does not sing with an English accent!

Posted by Tom from OZ @ 02/14/2003 07:18 PM PST

CD player: The Wild Party (Broadway)
Omara Portuondo (A wonderful Cuban singer from the Buena Vista Social Club)
Into the Woods (Revival)

VCR: Boogie Nights. I'm about halfway through. This is a very good movie. And the acting is really superb. A brief appearance by Joanna Gleason, The Baker's Wife, as Dirk Diggler's mother. I hope that I see more of her. I got to the end of the 70's. I think that bad things will happen in the 80's.

I always have found it strange that "French" characters in musicals have British accents. I will go see the Phantom movie whenever it happens. It might just be to laugh, though.

Posted by Hapgood @ 02/14/2003 07:34 PM PST

Mr Warlow can do ANY accent
and well....

This man is a treasure, td,
NOT Depardieu, even though
there is "god" in his name....

Posted by François @ 02/14/2003 07:56 PM PST

Mr Depardieu is planning to do
a biopic of Elvis Presley but
needs to have his nose fixed!!!

Just a joke, folks, just a joke!!

Posted by François @ 02/14/2003 08:01 PM PST

td,

You can call me names, but,
please, not fracnois!!

It hurts too much! ; -)

Posted by François @ 02/14/2003 10:23 PM PST

Sorry about that, Francois - - you just had me so riled up about Mr. Depardieu that my fingers slipped. . .am I "de trop?"

Posted by td @ 02/14/2003 10:30 PM PST

CD's:
-Alain Souchon
-Lerner, Loewe, Lane and friends,
-The Stephen Sondheim verson of the same fundraiser
-Sally Mayes "The Story Goes On"

No DVD's currently

Happy Valentine's Day, all of you

Posted by Kerry @ 02/14/2003 10:34 PM PST

Hey, everybody. Hope everyone had a fantastic Valentine's Day.

I had an interesting night, and not in the good way. It started out with a call to my mom to wish her a happy V-tine's day. Now, normally you'd think that was a good thing, but somehow that got her to talking about how she didn't like me living in New York, she'd been watching the news and she misses me and wishes I'd move home because she's scared. Then she started to cry. I just wanted to wish her a happy day...that's all. Unfortunately, my dad wasn't around to talk to. So now I feel guilty--for everything. That's what I get for being thoughtful.

After the guilt-ridden phone call, I was yelled at by a co-worker for something that was absolutely ridiculous, so I told him he needed to calm down and that he REALLY needed to stop yelling at me. All of this before we even started letting patrons into the house with their various and sundried foodstuffs that they argued with me about because I wouldn't allow them to eat in the theatre. Sometimes I hate people. Really I do. Well, their behaviour, at least.

Anyway, I just had to vent. I'm not sure why I feel so guilty about that phone call with my mother, but I know that I can't move home just to make her happy. Neither of us were happy when I lived at home. I guess I feel guilty cause I made her cry when I was just trying to make her happy, ya know? What is this, therapy?

And to top off the evening, I was getting on the seven train in Times Square and I saw 2 men in fatigues toting HUGE automatic rifles. It was quite surreal. I won't tell my mom about that.

So, now that I've brought the house WAY down, I think I'll go watch some mind-numbing TV for a bit.

Anyone know any good jokes?

Posted by Jason @ 02/14/2003 10:43 PM PST

We haven't added to the CD collection in the last week, or the DVD collection. We were out shopping today, however, and bought a motorboat.

Sorry, we bought a stick-blender, so der Brucer can make milkshakes and I can buzz sauces. But "motorboat" sure has a sexy sound to it, doesn't it!

Posted by S. Woody White @ 02/14/2003 11:58 PM PST

In my CD player at work (earlier today): "A New Brain." A local theater group is doing the show now. I saw it Wednesday and just got back from seeing it again tonight. I've loved the CD since it first came out (no pun intended) and had never seen the show. WOW! is all I have to say (almost a Dreamgirls reference). This is a wonderful show. I'm sorry I only get to see it twice.

In my VCR (but not yet watched): the first of a 3-tape (6 episode) set of the British TV series "Till Death Do Us Part." It's the series that "All in the Family" is based on.

In my DVD player: nothing.

Posted by George @ 02/15/2003 12:20 AM PST

Jason - welcome to the 21st Century.... Sounds like your biorhythms were way down yesterday! Those days are always followed by UP days...so cheer up!

Thanks for the card, Secret Admirer, I shared it with all the other residents here at the Priscilla Hotel, and Mrs. Meers says we shouldn't worry anyway...things will soon be looking up!

Oh my, td, all those DVD review assignments, and some of us with NONE. Guess someone did read my message. LOL. Oh well, there's still Epinions. De trop? Just a little, around the edges.
8-D

Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/15/2003 02:06 AM PST

Jason,

Tell your mom that NYC is as good a place as any to be right now. I was talking on the phone with my aunt last night, and she mentioned being worried about my brother and sister-in-law, who work in downtown Chicago and live in a nearby suburb. I said, "Well, we've got a nuclear facility down here..." "Oh, my!" she cried. Then I said, "Well, at least Fort Harrison closed up there, so you guys aren't in any danger--" to which she instantly replied with reassuring news of all the military installations they've got in central Indiana.

In other words...we will all go together when we go (oh, a Tom Lehrer reference).

So tell Mom to turn that frown upside down! ;)

Posted by Lulu @ 02/15/2003 02:24 AM PST

Jr: TMM on DVD 3/4/3!

Posted by Lulu @ 02/15/2003 02:28 AM PST

Thanks, LULU.

That news is terriff!

Posted by Jrand52 @ 02/15/2003 04:32 AM PST

All three of the "DearReader" names on my email account were spammed by someone named "Evans Zubulu." So I'm sure we each of us who post here got one. Scams like this must work, because they show up from time to time -- but how stupid do they think we are??

Posted by Laura @ 02/15/2003 06:09 AM PST

When the mayor of New York has to go on television and say that New York is safe and go on living your lives then you know the media has carried the whole terrorist scare too far. What people forget is that New York has been at "Code Orange" (whatever that means) since 9/11/01 and it is only the rest of the country that was just changed to that level. Since 9/11/01, the only difference I have noticed in NYC is that my 4th Ammendment right against unreasonable search and seizure (a nail clippers at a show!) have been violated on a regular basis.

Jason - tell your Mom that you are more concerned for her since she is now at Code Orange, something you've already been living with.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 02/15/2003 08:56 AM PST