Okay, So I Liked the Answer to This One

You are Snoopy!


Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by Quizilla

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And leave it to my Snoopy-ness to be reminded by the IRS that I owed taxes from a couple of years ago that I completely spaced out. I was busy chasing the Red Baron, ya see....nah! They won't buy that. {LeSigh} Better send them the money....

Update Update and Yet Another Quiz

Good news on the sister front - Something told me to call the parental units at 6a.m. today; my mother picked up sounding chipper and relieved. She had just gotten off the phone with a business aquaintance of my sister's whom my mother had called a couple of hours earlier and begged him to go to where my sister's house was to check. (My nephew had tried to drive back to the Vero Beach area but there weren't any lights and the street/highway signs were all gone so he couldn't make it) Yes, that's how desparate my mother was, who was sure my sister and her family were lying dead and buried under the ruins of several houses and trailers - that's why I love her. Anyway, business aquaintance drove to the house and saw sister, partner, and kids checking out the damage.

Apparently, the roof had been ripped off the house while they were there so they immediately ran to the Red Cross shelter which, luckily, was nearby. Unfortunately, with no regular phone service and the cell phone signal was out completely or difficult to get she couldn't call out nor get any calls. This prevented sister from contacting the parental units. Long story short - Another happy ending.

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The Count's Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder


It started with a simple affection for counting and
the terror it induced in others, didn't it?
But now it's turned into a full-blown
life-consuming chaotic nightmare of order,
repetition, zealousness, and perfectionism.
You used to be so grand, but now you find
yourself obsessively worrying over the littlest
things--like, maybe if you don't check the
light switch at least once every two minutes,
the electricity will go out (and damnit, you're
a vampire--that shouldn't be a problem!), or
maybe if you don't wash your hands until your
seams are coming out, you'll get some fatal
disease. Get yourself some treatment.


Which Sesame Street Muppet's Dark Secret Are You?
brought to you by Quizilla


######

And here's one for the "Annoying Songs That Won't Leave My Brain" Dept:

Banana Phone!

Blame this one on Gregg as well.

Hurricane/Family Update

As I've mentioned before, my family now lives in Florida (the parental units near the Palm Beach area, my sister and her family north of Vero Beach and my nephew in the Tampa area). Well, as everyone knows by now (unless one's been living in a cave with no outside contact) Hurricane Jeanne went near Vero Beach yesterday.

I finally spoke to my parents a couple of hours ago and unfortunately, no one has heard from my sister, her partner and the two youngest kids since yesterday afternoon. They had evacuated to a house they own on the main land and everything was fine there. She told my mother she would call and check in later that day (last night) but so far nothing.

There's no land phone line there but my sister had her cell phone but nobody has been able to get through other than getting her voice mail. My mother tried to drive up there but with the roads closed, it was impossible to get to the house. Both my parents and I have left messages on her voice mail, we both contacted the Red Cross to get her and each other on a contact list, and my mother has my nephew driving in to the house very early tomorrow morning.

It could be that the cell signal is out in the area. The power's out and there could be cellphone tower damage which may have shut down the cell signal in the area. I called my cell company and they said that they've had signal problems in the area so it shouldn't be surprizing if other companies did as well.

I dunno...I hope they're okay and just prevented from calling out but I'm a bit scared. My mother is beside herself with worry to the point of barely being able to talk much and there's nothing to do to calm her, or anyone else's, worries. i guess it's justg a waiting game and keeping our fingers crossed.

From The "Now I've Seen Everything" Dept.

An actual music video based on Silence of the Lambs' Buffalo Bill character -

Lotion by the Greenskeepers

Thanx to Gregg for the tip.

As ZeitMark Would Say "A Mutt Post"

First off, I know that I'll probably go to hell for this since the story in itself is tragic but I found the headline a bit ironic:

Body of Missing Sara Lee Executive Found Frozen.

(Thanx to Famous Author Rob for the tip)


In other news, I attended the first meeting of the selection committee for Wingspan's 2005 Film Festival which will be the first weekend of next March. Can't believe it'll be the 10th one! I'm on the features selection team. Dunno what we've got in yet but I'll find out on Monday when I go in to pick up the first round of videos.

Class is coming along; even managed to get a little ahead, which is good since I need to start worrying about starting up the second class within the next couple of weeks and with the film selection process now in gear for the next month and a half, I need to try and keep on top of things. Hopefully, I'll keep my butt in gear.

Yet Another Quiz Part 20 or Why Do I Always Get Stuck In a Bottle?

Take the quiz: "Which Random Irish Gaelic Phrase Are You? "

Ta me air meisce
Ta me air meisce - 'I am drunk.'You enjoy a drink - or five - now and then. You can usually be found in a pub - it doesn't matter which one, because they all look the same after a few drinks - or hugging the porcelain.

Courtesy of him and a few others.

Especially since I rarely touch the stuff?

#####

While I'm at it and before I forget again...

- Happy birthday to Sexy Texan Mark
- Happy first day of Fall!

Kiki and Herb Get Search Engined

Since there's been a shitload of people landing up on my lil corner of the blogiverse, I figure I'll be a helpful person (gotta counteract that quiz from yesterday and hopefully calm someone's fears) and list a few bloggers' reviews of Kiki & Herb's final concert at Carnegie Hall the other night (the cd of which you can even pre-order here). Those very lucky bloggers who I know attended (and I'm very jealous of them!!) are:

UltraSparky
Andy's wonderful review at Culturebot.org
Sturtle's review
Moufaisbad's review
TinMan's review
Uffish Chris

It's times like this I do miss living in New York. There's so many things to do and see (as well as people to do and see) that the dear Old Pueblo lacks. For example, I also missed another installment of WYSIWYG's Talent Show: Bullies and Mean Girls . Ah! If I only had the money to fly back and forth and to pay for a hotel room as well. It's been 11 years since the last time I was there and there's been so many changes that hace happened since, I doubt I'll recognize the place anymore. One day.....

Helter Skelter

Which Evil Criminal are You?
A Rum and Monkey crime.


I just hope no one takes this seriously; otherwise, I won't let them on Spahn Ranch....

Thunderbolts and Lightning Very, Very Frightening....

Well, before more thunderstorms come through the area courtesy of the remnants of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Javier causing me to shut off my 'puter for safety reasons, I figured I'd grab the chance and throw a couple of things up...

- Happy birthday to Everlasting CharlieStalker and a slightly belated one to Tucson's Own Homer

- Still need to get tickets for John Waters.

- UltraSparkalicious posted a nifty passage by Lance Arthur whose therapist gsve an interesting reason for why a person might blog:

“Everyone needs to ask the universe a few questions now and again. Some people call that prayer, some people call that meditation, there are different words and different methods but the goal is the same. We come to places we can’t figure out on our own, and even our friends and family can’t really help. So we ask the universe — the larger power, God, what have you. And I think your Web page, that act, that place, that’s your larger power. You launch the questions out there and sometimes you get a response, sometimes not. It’s the act that’s important. You’ve just chosen a unique and very public God to question.”

Definitely an interesting perspective. Dunno if this applies to me in whole or in part but I understand it.

- Got this via e-mail. Dunno how much of it is factual but it's an interesting read on a trivial level.

LIFE IN THE 1500's

The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water
temperature isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be.
Here are some facts about the 1500s:

These are interesting... Most people got married in June because they took
their yearly bath in May, and s! till smelled pretty good by June. However,
some times they started to smell earlier, so brides carried a bouquet of
flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a
bouquet when getting married.

Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house
had the privilege of the nice clean water, then all the other sons and
men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By
then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence
the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water."

Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath.
It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other
small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became
slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence
the sayin! g "It's raining cats and dogs."

There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a
real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings could mess up
your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the
top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence.

The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence
the saying "dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get
slippery in the winter when wet , so they spread thresh (straw) on floor
to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they adding more thresh
until when you opened the door it would all start slipping outside. A
piece of wood was placed in the entranceway. Hence the saying a "thresh
hold." (Getting quite an education, aren't you?)

In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big! kettle that
always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to
the pot. They ate mostly vegetables and did not get much meat. They would
eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers in the pot to get cold
overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it
that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme, "Peas porridge
hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old."

Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When
visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a
sign of wealth that a man could "bring home the bacon." They would cut off
a little to share with guests and would all sit around and "chew the fat."

Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content
caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing l! ead poisoning
death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years
or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous.

Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the
loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or "upper crust."

Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would
sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking
along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They
were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family
would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake
up. Hence the custom of holding a "wake."

England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places
to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a
"bone-house" and reus! e the grave. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of
25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they
realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on
the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the
ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the
graveyard all night (the "graveyard shift") to listen for the bell; thus,
someone could be "saved by the bell" or was considered a "dead ringer."

- Okay, off to watch Serial Mom for the first time in ages.

R.I.P. Johnny Ramone

Johnny Ramone, Member of Legendary Punk Band 'The Ramones,' Dies at 55 After Battle With Cancer

LOS ANGELES Sept. 15, 2004 — Johnny Ramone, guitarist and co-founder of the seminal punk band "The Ramones," has died. He was 55.

Ramone died in his sleep Wednesday afternoon at his Los Angeles home surrounded by friends and family, his publicist said. He had battled prostate cancer for five years, and was hospitalized in June at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Ramone, born John Cummings, was one of the original members of the Ramones, whose hit songs "I Wanna be sedated" and "Blitzkrieg Bop," among others, earned the band induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

The band's singer, Joey Ramone, whose real name was Jeff Hyman, died in 2001 of lymphatic cancer. Bassist Dee Dee Ramone, who was born Douglas Colvin, died from a drug overdose in 2002.

Johnny Ramone founded "The Ramones" in 1974 with Joey Ramone, DeeDee Ramone and Tommy Ramone, the only surviving member of the original band.

A tribute concert and cancer research fund-raiser was held Sunday in Los Angeles to celebrate the band's 30th anniversary. It featured performances by Los Angeles punk band X, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Henry Rollins and others.

Along with his wife, Linda Cummings, Johnny Ramone was surrounded at his death by friends Eddie and Jill Vedder, and Rob and Sherrie Zombie. Other friends who gathered at his Los Angeles home included Lisa Marie Presley, Pete Yorn, Vincent Gallo and Talia Shire.

Oh, I Am SO Looking Forward To This!

6. JOHN WATERS IN PERSON AT THE LOFT ON OCTOBER 1ST!

The Tucson Film Society is pleased to announce that in conjunction with the
Tucson Premiere of A DIRTY SHAME, filmmaker extraordinaire, John Waters
will return to Tucson with a performance of SHOCK VALUE on October 1st at
the Loft.

In SHOCK VALUE, his new hilarious one-man show, John Waters speaks about his
him career especially highlighting his new film A DIRTY SHAME. The
evening, presented by Sun Mist -One Minute Tan and the Tucson Film Society,
will include the performance of SHOCK VALUE at 7:30pm, a screening of A
DIRTY SHAME at 8:30 with a Q&A to follow at 10:00pm. Tickets are $25.00
TCF Members, $30.00 Students and $40 General Admission.

Since 1964 John Waters has directed sixteen films including Pink Flamingos
(1972), Female Trouble (1974) , Polyester (1981), Hairspray ( 1988),
Cry-Baby (1990) and Cecil B. DeMented (2000). Rated NC-17, John Water¹s
latest film, A DIRTY SHAME, starring Tracy Ullman, Chris Isaak, Johnny
Knoxville, Selma Blair and Suzanne Shepherd, will open at the Loft with the
national release on September 24th.

The September Cinematheque Series will feature two Waters' films. Pink
Flamingos will be shown on Sept. 3 & 4 and 10 & 11 and Hairspray on Sept.
18
& 19 and 25 &26.
Tickets for Oct 1st will be available for advance purchase at the box
office starting this weekend.

For those interested, there will also be a private pre-event reception with
Mr. Waters from 5:00pm-7:00pm. For further information on this event or
additional information on the evening, please contact the Tucson Cinema
Foundation at info@loftcinema.com or call 322-LOFT. CONTACT: SANDE ZEIG 730-
9155.

Cooking's A Drag!

A friend passed along this article (from Phoenix's own Arizona Republic) about a cooking show (a "quirky" one, no less) featuring drag queens, celebrity guests and all on an Air Stream set! Well, the pilot show has William Shatner. I just hope he doesn't land up singing. At least something other than pollution problems and major urban sprawl has come outta the Valley of the Sun.

'Drag' cooks up a market

Erica Sagon
Arizona Business Gazette
Sept. 9, 2004 12:00 AM

Hanging on the wall in the offices of Green Couch Productions is a map of the United States with push pins pricking Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York City and roughly 130 other cities.

Each pin is a spot where the TV production and advertising company's quirky cooking show featuring drag queens and celebrity guests will be aired this fall. You won't find the show in Phoenix, though, where Green Couch is based and the show is produced.

That doesn't surprise, or bother, the show's creator, Scott Weiner. His only goal was to get it on the air, anywhere.

Set in a kitschy kitchen of an Airstream trailer home, Cooking's a Drag follows a sassy drag queen's quest to make cooking fun, funny and fashionable. Celebrity guests help whip up dishes like no-bake cheesecake and burgoo in front of a live audience.

Green Couch will film eight episodes later this month, but it will need to come up with $1.5 million to $3 million to cover a season's worth of shows, which is 26 episodes. For the first eight shows, Weiner has booked celebrities including Erik Estrada, Gena Lee Nolinand Dennis Rodman.

Weiner has already doled out $500,000 to cast and film a couple of pilot shows. He tapped private investors, venture capital firms, product placement sponsors and wealthy arts advocates.

A Phoenix-based syndication company has sold the show to stations reaching 65 percent of the country. That's not bad for getting the pilot - featuring William Shatner - in June, said Diana Foster, co-founder of Coyote TV in Phoenix, which is distributing the show. Still, 75 percent coverage is needed to hit the show's break-even point.

But Green Couch could rake in maybe millions of dollars if it sells its show to a cable network. That would be a big boon for the small company, which is made up of five people who work at a funky, urban building in downtown Phoenix. The building houses about a dozen creative companies - nearly all of which have had a hand in Cooking's a Drag.

But turning over Cooking's a Drag to VH1, the Food Network or A&E would force Weiner to give up more control of the show compared to going the syndication route.

"We're completely happy either way," Weiner said. "We're trying to retain the most control of the project creatively and keep our sanity."

Cooking's a Drag is company's most fun project, said Weiner, who runs Green Couch with his partner Troy Gregurich. But it has gobbled up the most of the small company's resources, and TV production is not all they do. Weiner transformed his business into an advertising agency while he waited for his cooking show to take off.

The chances seemed bleak 4 ½ years ago, when Weiner was armed with just a shoddy 5-minute pilot shot inside a Maytag store at Tatum Boulevard and Thunderbird Road.

"At that point, I was laughed at," Weiner said. "I was told no advertisers would want to be a part of this."

The turning point came at a national convention in Las Vegas where producers pitch their shows to TV executives. There, he learned that if the recipe for success calls for knowing someone in the industry, a good substitute is to do something crazy.

The company held a casting call for a host at the convention, and about 100 drag queens showed up to preen for Green Couch's cameras.

"The turnout was amazing, and we just stopped traffic at this convention," Weiner said.

The stunt caught the attention of network executives and The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, which taped the parade of drag queens for a later show.

Foster, who distributes the show, said Phoenix TV executives aren't interested in Cooking's a Drag, yet.

"Its not their cup of tea," Foster said. But if the show does take off, "somebody in this market is going to say, 'Why didn't I pick that up?'"

Weiner said the show's success could be a win for Phoenix.

"This is our opportunity to put us on the map as a city that has real national television production coming out of it," Weiner said. "It's time for Phoenix."


Reach the reporter at erica.sagon@arizonarepublic.com or (602) 444-7353.

John Waters Has A Dirty Blog

Apparently, Waters has launched a "A Dirty Shame" blog through the fab folks at Defamer. The addy is: this.

A Little More Info On John Waters and His Cunnilingus Concussion Comedy

While continuing to browse through the Playbill Online site, I spotted this blurb here:

Also opening Sept. 24 is “A Dirty Shame,” John Waters’ self-described “cunnilingus concussion comedy.” (No guarantees about where it’s opening: Waters is apparently having some difficulties squeaking past the ratings board with anything milder than an NC-17 rating, which severely restricts the number of theatres to show it and newspapers to advertise it.) Waters, who’s developing a Cry-Baby musical to go along with the smash Hairspray, has plucked Jackie Hoffman from her scene stealing duties in the latter musical to perform similar duties in “Dirty Shame.” The film also stars Tracey Ullman and Suzanne Shepherd, who has had several high-profile stints directing the works of Athol Fugard. Shepherd is best known these days for her work as Carmela’s mother on “The Sopranos”; her on-screen husband is Tom Aldredge, who’s about to start performances in Twelve Angry Men with Rebhorn and ten other angry guys.

I also saw a blurb in the same article that an old online friend, Rick McKay, will be part of The New York Musical Theatre Festival later this month:

The ubiquitous Rick McKay will screen “Broadway: The Golden Age” on Sept. 28. Look for some extra footage and, I suspect, a Q&A with a few legends from the film.

Congrats, Rick!

R.I.P. Fred Ebb

Didn't even hear about this till I was reading TowleRoad's blog and spotted the link to Playbill Online's article about his death at 71. For those who may not know of him, he was a lyricist to many well-known shows (Cabaret and Chicago for example) along with his collaborator John Kander.

Let's Just Pretend It's Still Sept. 11 For This Entry, Shall We?

Okay - First, a happy birthday to Josh back in NYC. FYI - Expect a small package sometime next week (at least it better be there next week!)

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For those Dead Can Dance fans, according to Lisa Gerrard's site, it looks like there maybe a DCD tour next year! Here's the entry about it:

"Lots of talk and at this moment it all looks extremely good. The lineup of musicians is absolutely phenomenal, actually it is better then that, this will without doubt be the Dead Can Dance concert to see and hear, it is hard to contain my excitement and anticipation, but sometime in 2005 and no locations set yet. This beats Lisa playing the Thermen, which was planed for the last unfinished DCD album & tour. This will be a once in a lifetime occasion, no matter when or where I be there 110%, suggest you do the same and don't tell me I did not warn you.
30 August 2004

I am SO psyched about that although, I highly doubt they'll show up in TooStoned.

######

I won't go into detail about the anniversary of the WTC tragedy but yes, it was a day of sad memories and still some tears being shed. I can't believe it's been 3 years now yet it still can seem like yesterday. Many things things have changed for this country and to many people on individual levels. Although the woulds heal, they never go away.

######

I've updated the "Blog Links" and "Other Links" lists over there on the right.

######

Okay...it's Sept. 12th again.

The Skipper's Little Buddy a Little Devil?

Is Gilligan the Devil?
===============

Years ago, CBS had a popular little series called "Gilligan's Island."
There is, however, a dark secret about this "comedy" you may never have realized.
The island is a direct representation of Hell.
Nobody on the island wants to be there, yet none are able to leave.
Each one of the characters represents one of the 7 deadly sins:

Ginger represents LUST - she wears skimpy outfits, is obsessed with
her looks, and is a borderline nymphomaniac.

Mary Ann represents ENVY - she is jealous of Ginger's beauty.

The Professor represents PRIDE - he is an annoying know-it-all.

Mr. Howell represents GREED - no explanation needed.

Mrs. Howell represents SLOTH - she has never lifted a finger to help
on any of their escape plans.

The Skipper represents two sins: GLUTTONY - again, no explanation
needed and ANGER - he violently hits Gilligan on each show.

This leaves Gilligan. Gilligan is the person who put them there. He
prevents them from leaving by foiling all of their escape plots.
Also, it is HIS island.

Therefore, Gilligan is SATAN.

Crazy? He does wear red in every episode.

Hey Comcast! Byte Me! Part 892

ARGH! They're really pissing me off, I mean REALLY! Last night (Wednesday) promptly at midnight WHAM! Comcast's cable modem service for the entire TooStoned area goes kerfluey. What's the problem? How long will it take? They dunno. I wait over 3 hours and try again....nothing. I cash it in for the night...till a couple of hours ago.

That incident was the second time in 24 hours that my cable modem service goes out. Tuesday night, it seems the signal to my place goes outta synch and after spending an hour on the phone with service tech person, we got the signal re-synched. But WAIT! there's MORE! Last week, they take modem service offline for 6 hours for routine maintanence. Cheez Whiz, dudes! Thanks for the advanced warning....schmucks! {LeSigh} If being online wasn't so entertaining, I wasn't so addicted to and loving the speed as compared to dial-up, I would gladly place their modem far up their collective anal orifice.

###############################################
On a happier note, congrats to ever-wonderful Chris for getting a non-verbal cameo on this week's Graham Norton Show. Alas, the ever-adorable Ultra Sparkalicious Dan was cut off (he was sitting right next to Chris) which was a horrid thing to do to a Birthday Boy!

The parental units finally regained electric power yesterday afternoon so they have a/c once again and don't have to depend on trying to bbq din-din. I still can imagine the 'rents actually roughing it. Too overwhelming to comprehend. My sister's place completely survived the storm and didn't even lose electricity and they're now back home. I heard from my friend in Palm Bay yesterday and he landed up heading to Tampa for the duration but is back home now. Thankfully, his place didn't suffer any damge save a few bedraggled looking pieces of shrubery.

And Speaking of Bettys!

Now that friggin' Bugsplat...er....Blogspot is working again and I can post entries, the absolutely fantabulous Miz Betty Bowers has the heavenly dish on Shrub!



Can Shrub really BE GAY?!? or trying to get a toaster oven when George Bush and Tony Blair want to take you to a gay bar?

Presenting Ms. Betty Butterfield!

She has done several films documenting her journeys from church to church trying to find one to call her spiritual home and they can be found here

Thanx to Zen Leo for mentioning her.

And thanx to Daniel for reminding me about Ms. Shirley Q. Liquor as well.

I SWEAR I Haven't Had Any Since New Year's Eve 2002

I must be reading Dennis' blog to often. He in turn spotted the test over at Daniel's


What Kind of Drunk Are You?
Brought to you by Rum and Monkey

Turn and Face the Strange Changes Part Deux

Obviously, I re-did the template. A certain transplanted Texan was having problems reading here and I had no idea what and where the problem was so being a bit impatient with spending ass-loads of time trying to figure it out, I figured I'd just redecorate instead as well as hoping the problem was solved for said Swanktuarily placed Texan.

Now, just to add onto the "Other Links" list.

Happy Labor Day and unofficial end of summer, all!

Hurricane Family Worry Update

Been in contact with my parents several times today (Saturday). Don't think I mentioned in my previous post that they live in the Palm Beach area and my sister and her family live between Vero Beach and Melbourne and Hurricane Frances went right in between these two areas. Needless to say, I was worried especially since my parents decided to remain in their apartment and ride the storm out.

Well, I'm happy to say they were still in one piece as of 10pm EDT as was my sister and family who are hunkered down in a hotel in St. Pete for the duration. Hopefully, they'll make it through the night.

Still haven't heard back from a friend in Palm Bay but I guess he went to safer grounds.

Hurricane Frances Farmer

As the end of the week gets closer, the more I worry. My entire family now lives on the east coast of Florida and, I'm sure most people are aware of by now, that's where Frances is heading.

I spoke to my parents earlier this evening to see what was going on with them and my sister and her family and the scoop is that my parents have decided to remain put at their place. They went shopping and got their place stocked with esentials. My sister and her family are further north on Florida's Gold Coast so they decided to high-tail it to St. Petersburg for the duration. My nephew is in Tampa for school so he'll just stay there.

Needless to say, I'm worried about them. I hope they'll pull through this. My parents especially since they both went through a rough year health-wise last year and they're both up there in age (81 and 78). Please keep yer fingers crossed for everyone in Florida.

Belated Birthday Wishes

To R Crumb who turned 61 on August 30. He created several characters that I recall fondly from my adolescence; the biggest ones were:


Mr. Natural



Fritz the Cat

and of course:


The Keep On Truckin' Guy



As well as to Yvonne De Carlo who turns 82 today....


who I recall fondly as Lily Munster obviously in The Munsters, as Charlton Heston's wife in The Ten Commandments, and in a nifty little 1949 film noir flick titled Criss Cross.