"Rika, you clever girl....here's looking at *you* kid, instead of me for once."

Cheers! Hope you are having a great birthday! We're obviously having one for you. But shhhh....try not to wake Dorine on that sofa there..... perhaps a tad too much chardonnay and champagne

Cutting up on your birthday, are we? Have a good one, Rika!

Tress, thanks for the wishes. I have to say, it's all too easy to capture a knocking-one-out-of-one's-chair image of ODB - almost any random frame from one of his films will do the job! Rupert, you should listen to Colin. Those socks are a crime against nature, and we are excessively attentive to such matters here on Drool. I'm glad Edward Pettigrew was able to stop by as well, especially since I just saw Moira yesterday at the theater (he must have come over here with her). He's over in the corner now explaining the moss factory to Moxie and Lady Marshwood. Peter escaped from their group, though, and is presently working his way across the room in Rupert's direction. Lisa, thanks for the Lattology lesson! Matthew's going to stay on after the party and we're going to investigate this latte whip in more detail. Elizabeth, keep an eye on Ross for me, okay? I don't want him dropping any of my birthday gifts down the disposal. But he's welcome to take turns at the piano with Peter, and I do hope he'll find time to take a shower.... or two. Thank you all!!

Happy Birthday Rika! Hope it was a good one!

And no celebration is complete without the cake: I hope you've had a happy one, Rika!

Ah, Foolish Antelope, its been a wonderful day, hasn't it? Come, I think it's time we explored the latte whip.

Just a quick note for those who might check the news between two glasses of bubbly in Rika's honor. After last week's 6.7 earthquake, we've just had a 7.9 one in Interior Alaska. Stuff fell off the shelves here but nothing from my Colin collection is injured... :) As I'm writing this, we're still getting aftershocks every 5-10 minutes although my knees are the ones doing most of the shaking right now.

Oh, gosh! Be careful! Where is it that one can stand safely (and put their Colin collection) in an earthquake? How far is the epicenter from you?

(Odile) Stuff fell off the shelves here but nothing from my Colin collection is injured... :) Thank heavens! Surely it's time to invest in an earthquake-proof vault for the Colin collection!! Maybe you could make it a big one (like a bomb shelter of old) and stock it with a generator, TV & VCR. Just in case.

Wow, hope everything will be ok, Odile. Keep yourself in a safe place.

Thanks Dorine! Epicenter was 70 miles from us but it's a shallow one (1 mile deep) so it's felt more. Fortunately, virtually no one lives where it happened; early reports give some cracked roads and mudslides but no injuries. Most of my neighbors and myself and the kids got our coats on and went outside because the swaying house was too scary. As I'm typing we're getting more aftershocks, maybe I'll have a whole bottle in Rika's honor. My poor nerves!

Happy Birthday Rika. BTW The magazine is on it's way! - Another birthday treat. Check this out - Nessie has been found!!! http://groups.msn.com/ColinFirthFantasyWomen/wow.msnw

I propose a toast.... To Rika! You didn't play naked in my paddling pool, but you have captured my heart....and hands....and my luscious curls and waves....and *other areas* of notable distinction, for all to enjoy. Quite pervy really....thank you!

But of course I like you just the way you are (it had to be said)...... Hope you enjoyed your party!

Odile, be careful!!! I lived through my first quake about two years ago and it is an awful feeling...the pit of your stomach just drops out...(and whatever you do, protect that Colin collection)! Will be thinking of you and hoping you are safe. Oooohhhh Rika, Janet just gave you a nice birthday present!

'Ummmmm', clearing throat and finding my cowgirl voice.... Happy Trails to You....until...we meet...again! Oh well, now I can see that does not apply at all to ODB. Thanks Janet, excellent BD choice! Odile, hang in there.

Rika, my birthday present to you is a round of chardonnay and champagne at the Hudson Bar when you're in NY. :-) Hope you had a great birthday! and (thanks Elizabeth)

Trying to compose myself, here, It may take awhile. At long last, nessie! Geeze, what a way to end the day, Thank you, Janet

De nada, Dorine, I never get tired of that one... ;)

Oh, and thank you Dorine, Now, look how good the top of the head looks here. Dorine's pic, ladies not Janet's...although that looks pretty darn good, too

And Linda, in anticipation of your birthday, you too will have a round of c & c on me! ;-D

HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY RIKA AND MANY MANY MORE!!!! Thank you so much for all the wonderful pictures you have given us. Ladies, you are all so talented. And Janet words of appreciation falter here. What a Birthday Present. Odile, please be careful. We'll have to send ODB your way to make sure you're all right and to help preserve his collection of work, of course.

Thank you Barb and Pam for the birthday wishes, Karen for the cake, and Dorine for the yummy MD and CF pictures (you picked some of my favorites). And Janet - oh, dear me!!!! Nessie appears at last! If there's anyone I've forgotten to thank as I went along, please accept my apologies. This was my first Drool birthday party and I had a wonderful time! And look who finally arrived.... better late than never, and all dressed up for the occasion. He said it took him a while to remove the make-up he was wearing in the Halloween photo on Drool:

Saw the picture of the dress cutting. Why is he using his left hand, and why is the scissor upside-down?

(Leah) Saw the picture of the dress cutting. Why is he using his left hand, and why is the scissor upside-down? Poor planning and direction. Haven't seen it? Not a film with the highest budget. :-)

What a great Birthday Party. So many very very clever well-wishers. And Rika, thank you for my present, Richard H.

Yeah, I know, I'm late.. I forgot to check this thread again yesterday. (banging head on desk repeatedly) However, I'll be seeing "Our Birthday Girly" this weekend, and I plan to take her to dinner, or whatever it is she wants to do.. (knowing that it's Rika we're talking about, it might not be pertinent for me to have such a broad range of possibilities for her to choose from.. hmmm.. ) ;)

OOO'mGAWD, is that a real nessie picture or simply a touchup someone has done? Oh, I can't decide whether to be extremely turned on or completely disgusted and embarassed! What a quandry.. yikes! I'm thinking it would be best if someone found out who posted that and, I dunno... I don't think our sweetypie would be happy about it, you know? =/

Jeanie, make that one Worthing to go! That shot is a great bookend with the Richard Herncastle one - both in white tie and looking to die for. But Richard has that youthful look of wide-eyed fascination, while Jack has just a hint of mischief in his eyes. Do I have to choose or can I pick both of them??? On Nessie, I think it's an undoctored snappie from PM. It had been pointed out to me once that if you pause PM at just the right moment, the shot was a tad more revealing than it seems when you run the movie.

Haven't been in O&E in a while; so sorry I missed the party! Happy belated b-day Rika! Odile, your poor nerves! Keep yourself (and your CF collection) safe! So many yummy captures! Of the tuxedoed CFs I think I prefer Jack to Richard; it's that mischievous look that gets me. Where did you find it? TIOBE won't be released til next week.

lalala lalalalalala lalalala.. (trying to uncenter this thingie)

is it fixed yet?

(Moon)Where did you find it? TIOBE won't be released til next week It's a secret and I ain'ta tellin'! =P Help, Boss! I've broken the boards again!

(Leah) Saw the picture of the dress cutting. Why is he using his left hand, and why is the scissor upside-down? To lay out the shot using the grand piano *and* the wall of windows while still cutting from the hem up? The full scene would be much less dramatic if he undressed her from the top down, IMO. Flipping the scissors for safety, perhaps. That said, they could have turned the piano around...those things do come on wheels, but then other scenes would change too. Go figure.

(Elizabeth) That said, they could have turned the piano around...those things do come on wheels, but then other scenes would change too. Go figure I repeat...poor planning and direction. :)

Jeanie, it's fixed. You just can't see it.

Rika, I'm late for your BD, but please allow me to wish you a HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY! Hope you had a wonderful time! I had a very good time just reading and admiring the many BD greetings :-) I may have told you before how much I liked your snappies. Well, I'll just like to say it again: I love them! Esp all your generous ones on the Darcy boys more please! Thank you so much!

This article gave me a few laughs. Enjoy! Sympathetic spouse can actually intensify the pain, study reveals BY ROBERT LEE HOTZ Los Angeles Times Service ORLANDO - Scientists have proved what so many have long suspected: The very presence of your solicitous spouse can be a pain. By eavesdropping on electrical activity in the most private precincts of the mind, researchers investigating the effects of chronic pain discovered that a husband or wife can make the ache feel three times worse simply by being in the room. All they had to do to make their spouses feel better, the neural probes revealed, was leave. The new research, made public here Sunday at a meeting of 24,000 neuroscientists, offers the first clear neural evidence that social experiences can directly alter the way the brain responds to the kind of chronic pain experienced by more than 97 million people in the United States. Chronic pain, the researchers concluded, can become embedded in the give-and-take of a relationship, even at the fundamental level of brain anatomy. ''For the first time, we have discovered that a social variable, namely the presence of a spouse, can influence the brain's response to pain,'' said neuropsychologist Herta Flor of the University of Heidelberg's Central Institute of Mental Health, who led the study team. Presented during the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, the work is part of a cascade of provocative insights into how experience can alter the structure and responses of the human brain. CHANGING CIRCUITRY Neurons and neural circuits are constantly remodeling themselves to accommodate the influence of experience, whether it is the stimulation of computer games, too much stress or the actions of an overly sympathetic helpmate, new research shows. Indeed, the experience of surgery during infancy can alter the body's pain responses for a lifetime, researchers said Sunday. Experimenting with laboratory mice, scientists at Haverford College in Pennsylvania determined that untreated pain at birth lessens sensitivity to pain later in life. ''Our research in mice suggests that an adult's pain sensitivity may be linked to past experiences with painful or stressful experiences, including those that occur very early in life,'' said Wendy Sternberg, whose laboratory conducted the experiments. To better understand the interplay between chronic pain and the brain, Flor and her colleagues in Germany studied 20 couples in which one partner suffered from severe chronic back pain. The researchers monitored the patient's brain activity with an array of electrodes that recorded the involuntary, physiological responses of nerve cells and synapses. They then gave the patients painful electric shocks to their aching backs and studied the brain's responses. They found that some spouses measurably boosted the patient's neural pain responses just by sitting near them in the laboratory. The sensors detected the heightened activity in a part of the brain called the anterior cingulate cortex, which is associated with the processing of pain. The effect occurred only when the spouse was in the room and only when the shock was applied to the sore back, not to other parts of the body. Surprisingly, perhaps, it was the most-solicitous husbands and wives -- those who clucked most lovingly over the spouses' discomfort -- who triggered the pain. The more the husbands or wives dwelt on their partners' pain, the worse it felt, the neural monitors showed. ''We found basically that when their spouses were in the room, they had an almost threefold increase in their response to pain. These patients also showed more overt signs of feeling pain, such as moaning,'' Flor said. Those spouses, however, who responded to complaints by changing the subject, by suggesting helpful but distracting activity, or by not dwelling too long on the pain, did not elevate the neural responses. Through the feedback loops of a marriage or long partnership, the patient's pain has shaped the helping behavior of the solicitous spouse, who in turn has become a stimulus to provoke the pain. `MORE INTENSE' ''The solicitous spouse has become a cue for a more intense pain experience,'' Flora said. ``When people pay too much attention to another's pain, it tends to reinforce that pain. We forget to reinforce those things that are not pain-related, like when a person smiles.'' She suggested that treatment of chronic pain, therefore, ought to involve husband and wife together, so they can focus on things that counteract the pain. ''I am fascinated by this,'' said Allan Basbaum, an expert on the neurobiology of pain at the University of California, San Francisco. ''It points out why persistent pain is so difficult to treat,'' Basbaum said. ``The psychological environment in which you live can influence the experience of pain.''

Those spouses, however, who responded to complaints by changing the subject, by suggesting helpful but distracting activity, or by not dwelling too long on the pain, did not elevate the neural responses. I see. So when my ex would say, "I'm sorry your back hurts. What's for dinner?" he was actually HELPING me. And all the time I thought he was just an unfeeling pain in the...

Thanks Moon... In the old days they used to say that about ulcers. Now ulcers are supposed to be caused by a virus. Yeah, sure...;-) (Kathy)So when my ex would say, "I'm sorry your back hurts. What's for dinner?" he was actually HELPING me Hey, Kathy...even the devoted DH's say that.Wives aren't supposed to get sick.

(Kathy) Still, a very small complaint for almost six hours of extreme viewing pleasure! If this is the case my ex must really have loved me. He never asked me how I was if I was sick. Just ignored it. Thanks for the interesting article, moon.

Sorry, glitching here for some reason. (Kathy) So when my ex would say, "I'm sorry your back hurts. What's for dinner?" he was actually HELPING me. is correct quote for above post.

RIKA! I was telling Colin that I could just hurl myself over this railing for missing your birthday. Sort of like what people do when I speak: hurl. Hope it was a happy one. Glad you enjoyed my performance in Man of LaMancha. I hear an associate of yours is coming up to B'Way next month to wish me a warm Wilkommen.

LOL Mari... I'll join you;-)

Giuliani Film's Location Protested By KAREN MATTHEWS, Associated Press Writer NEW YORK (AP) - With a movie about former Mayor Rudolph Giuliani (news - web sites) set to start shooting in Montreal on Thursday, a Brooklyn congressman called for tax credits to offset the Canadian film industry's competitive advantage. "Today, somewhere in Canada, a network called USA Network is making a movie about the mayor of the city of New York," Rep. Anthony Weiner said Wednesday. "I guess they're going to show him watching baseball games at the SkyDome or eating pommes frites rather than eating at Patsy's." Members of the Screen Actors Guild (news - web sites) and other film industry unions joined Weiner, a Democrat, in front of City Hall to urge federal legislation that would provide producers with a 25 percent tax credit for wages if they film in the United States. "What we have to do is level the playing field between ourselves and these other countries," said former SAG president Richard Masur. Canada offers wage-based incentives that can cover 35 percent of labor expenses. Entertainment industry executives estimate that those credits have cost the United States 25,000 jobs and $10 billion annually for each of the past three years. The two-hour Giuliani movie, "Rudy!," is the latest example of the trend. It's based on Wayne Barrett's biography and stars James Woods (news) in the title role. A spokeswoman for USA Network had no comment on the protest. Sunny Mindel, a spokeswoman for Giuliani, also declined comment. Weiner, who is co-sponsoring the U.S. Independent Film and Television Production Incentive Act, said New York's film industry has been particularly hard hit since Canada implemented tax credits in 1998. He said total gross budgets for feature films in New York state dropped from $695 million in 1999 to $167 million in 2001. California legislators also have discussed ways to offer filmmakers wage-based tax credits for filming in that state.

Mari, thanks for passing on MEM's birthday wishes. I'm sure she'd be pleased to know that I did not spend it consulting with my decorator or sifting through wallpaper books.

(Rika) I'm sure she'd be pleased to know that I did not spend it consulting with my decorator or sifting through wallpaper books. Heehee, that one's never going away, is it?

Sorry to be so late Rika but Happy Birthday.

Great pic Mari. Thanks. For those of you who like Motown Music heard a very interesting interview today about a movie coming out on November 15 called "Standing in the Shadow of Motown". It spotlights the studio musicians who played backup on all the big hits. Those who saw it said it was fantastic and it was given an 8 minute standing ovation at Toronto Film Festival. This might be a good one. A different type of movie, no doubt.

Well at least they're filming the Alamo movie in Texas but, I'm serious, Canada was given strong consideration at the locale for this movie.

(Pam) For those of you who like Motown Music...."Standing in the Shadow of Motown" Those who saw it said it was fantastic Pam! Thanks for mentioning this. I saw it Tues night in my movie class and it was *fantastic*!! It's a documentary about The Funk Brothers, the session band for a majority of the Motown hits. Throughout the movie, interspersed with interviews with the remaining members, they showed concert footage of a variety of R&B artists singing Motown songs with the Funk Brothers playing around them at a concert last year or the year before. They don't really all play together now, but got together for that project. Everyone seemed very excited about it as we all started clapping and cheering when the credits started. The really fun part is 3 of the band members and the producer came out afterwards as the guests for the night. They all got a standing ovation (not 8 mins though). They were funny and v. v. nice. Afterward I spoke to a couple of them and they said they would be getting back together to play some dates. The producer said it opens in 22 major markets initially and will expand from there. They also said that the DVD version (in the Spring) will be close to 4 hours long with all the footage they cut for the theatrical version. And the soundtrack is out now. It was a wonderful film! I'm surprised I didn't post about this as soon as I got home as I was really hyped over it.

Saw Pierce Brosnan on E this morning ..Apparently he was just asked to do another Bond after the current one...So that takes care of the next couple of years anyway...

Thanks for the birthday wishes, Lucie! I had a great day.

Thanks for exuberant report Dorine. Will definitely plan to see this movie as it sounds so very very good. A nice change of pace as well. How lucky to have seen the Funk Brothers in person. The interview I listened to was with them and their producer. Very interesting. Glad you enjoyed the movie, that means I will as well.

There was a great show about the "Bond" girls on AMC last night. did anyone else watch it. I loved Judi Dench's comment about the litle boy asking her if she was in James Bond.

Oh Rika - Belated happy birthday! I just noted that the last time I was here was Oct 1 - so I missed what seemed to have been a great bday celebration for you by the clever Ladies of Drool. Hope you had much fun!!! On the BJD thread Dorine wrote Thanks, Minkee. Hey, don't be a stranger! :-) I am assuming that Dorine is referring to my intermittent participation on the board (although I do try to lurk regularly). There were many reasons for this absence - mostly work-related...including a change of work-setting. Which leads me to announce my little piece of news : "minkeeland" may be no more. No - Oz is not about to sink, nor (I hope) not a target for WOMD...but simply because Minkee is leaving minkeeland for a while. I have accepted a position in Africa. Does that make me the inaugural member of the African chapter of Drool (need the Boss to verify this, please!). I'd like to think that this has an upside for Drool - any touted scripts with an African setting? - as I could be an intrepid reporter for you all. But I am quite sure it's all downside from here - as I do not think I will be lining up behind potted palms at any premieres nor will there be any cinemas showing all these much anticipated ODB films - so more than ever I would be hanging out to catch any bit of news I can from Dro l. Long live Drool! (I think that is the queue to reach for my chequebook eh Boss?)

l. Long live Drool! (I think that is the queue to reach for my chequebook eh Boss?) Karen's away for a few days but I know she is still collecting. How soon do you leave for Africa, Minkee? And which country?

(Minkee) any touted scripts with an African setting? It isn't a sure-thing project, but isn't "The Dead Wait" set in South Africa?

Moon, thought I'd let you know that I purchased a very good Italian wine from the Umbria region. V. tasty (and v. gone!)

"minkeeland" may be no more NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Since I dubbed the place as Minkeeland, I can similarly name your new abode, Mink, but you have the final say. Choices are: 1. Minkeeland 2 2. Minkeeland: The Two Towers 3. Minkee and the Chamber of Secrets ;-) Best of luck in your new venture, Minkee--what a change! I hope once you're settled, you'll be able to spend more time with us. Would love to hear more about your plans.

Exciting times Minkee...Happy for you. Where in Africa? (Minkee)nor will there be any cinemas showing all these much anticipated ODB films - Unless you'll be out in the bush country, good reviews of ODB's films have come in from that part of the world. The Guardian in Nigeria recently had a good review of "Possession" (one of the few!) Besides there's hope ODB will some day go back to visit the land of his youth.

Good Luck Minkee. How exciting. What part of Africa. Please let us know your plans.

Best of luck Minkee. Yes, please let us know where in Africa. How long will you be there?

Wow, Minkee! How exciting! Yes, please do tell us all about it.

Yes, Minkee! We want to know. I can't imagine saying "I've accepted a position in Africa." How can you be so matter-of-fact? I mean, even if I were moving to the next state, I'd cough up more info than that! We need details, PLEASE!

Minkee - welcome to Africa. I live in South Africa, (Mandela land) and yes, one or two problems exist - only two cinemas in Southern Africa (below the equator) are showing TIOBE - so you will have to learn to become VERY patient, and release dates are sooo far behind the rest of the world, but as always, the rewards are there!

release dates are sooo far behind same thing here in Finland. Usually movies get here quite fast, but still no sign of TIOBE. there seems to be a delay problem with CF movies...

Minkee - How exciting for you! Such a big move...it makes my life seem oooohhh so boring. Please let us all know where you are going and when you are settled. LeahP and odessa, after hearing about how long it takes for you to get CF movies, I will have to quit complaining (I complain if I get it a week after NY or LA). I'm very spoiled! ;-)

(Kathy) We need details, PLEASE! Yes, please do tell us, Minkee, unless, of course, it's something you'd rather keep private. How exciting, though! We've missed your posts, and I'm hoping we'll be seeing more of you once you're settled. =)

Minkee, I hate to just sound like a parrot after everybody else has already asked the question, but please do tell us more if you're willing to online. As to CF movies related to Africa, SLOW isn't set there but there is at least a Nigerian connection.

Golly gosh! I suppose I can tell you but I'd have to kill you and all that jazz. ;-) But then again - maybe I won't. Happy to tell you offline. LeahP - you've just wrecked my ambition to be the inaugural member of the African chapter but I sure am glad that there's someone to go with when those CF movies finally get to Africa.

From today's Miami Herald: Clooney's cheeky controversy There's no butts about it. Because of George Clooney's rump, an R rating has been slapped on his holiday release Solaris. Twentieth Century Fox plans to appeal, Newsday reports. The film, directed by Steven Soderbergh, is about a psychologist who discovers that the commander of an expedition to an ocean world has mysteriously died. Clooney's bare backside is featured in a dancing scene, which apparently prompted the rating. ''There are many movies where you see female rear ends that get a PG-13 rating,'' one industry source said on condition of anonymity. An R rating is considered prohibitive to bringing in coveted younger moviegoers. A Motion Picture Association of America spokesman said the organization does not comment on pending appeals. According to e!online, a movie insider said: ``We trimmed down most of the sex scenes, and we are not taking out George's butt, which is actually pretty nice.'' Solaris is slated for release Nov. 27. ``We trimmed down most of the sex scenes, and we are not taking out George's butt, which is actually pretty nice.'' LOL! Too bad they trimmed the sex scenes. ;-)

Whew! I don't know where to begin. Rika, I'm so sorry that I missed your birthday celebration. I've been very busy and have only been checking into drool once a week and trying to check up on posts. I seemed to have totally missed your birthday celebration and am so sorry for it... So to make up for that I would like to wish the Queen of Firth Screen Captures a very happy belated birthday! Happy birthday, Rika! Nobody screen captures better! So here's a nice head tilt for you (I hope) and a belated happy birthday wish: "Rika, you capture me!"

Minkee, just wanted to tell you that I wish you lots of good luck in your new endeavor and location! One never knows when there might be a Firth movie on location in Africa. Like Evelyn says, he could go back to his roots! Odile, hope you and your family stay safe. Watch some of your intact Firth collection to keep your mind stress free!

Clooney's bare backside is featured in a dancing scene, which apparently prompted the rating. Whoa...how low (no pun) can you get.Those ratings are sooo political. ''There are many movies where you see female rear ends that get a PG-13 rating,'' one industry source said on condition of anonymity "Possession" [PG13] had a lot more than just a rear end....

(Moon) My fantasy is to be sitting next to him on a long transatlantic flight. Has anyone seen "L'Histoire D'O"? ;-) Okay, here is something for Moon...I was sent this joke on Friday and it reminded me of her CF fantasy encounter. I posted it here because I didn't think it belonged on topic 166 (I apologize for the unPC nature of the joke, but I thought it was very amusing anyway): Make Me Feel Like A Woman On a recent transatlantic flight, a plane passes through a severe storm. The turbulence is awful, and things go from bad to worse when one wing is struck by lightning. One woman in particular loses it. Screaming, she stands up in the rear of the plane. "I'm too young to die," she wails. Then she yells, "Well, if I'm going to die, I want my last minutes on earth to be memorable! Is there ANYONE on this plane who can make me feel like a WOMAN?" There's silence for a moment. Everyone has forgotten his or her own peril. They all stare, riveted, at the desperate woman in the rear of the plane. Then a man stands up in the front of the plane. He's gorgeous, tall, well-built, with brown hair and brown eyes, he starts to walk slowly up the aisle, unbuttoning his shirt��.......one button at a time. No one moves. He removes his shirt. Muscles ripple across his chest������ He leans over her and whispers: "Iron this." Okay, Moon, I hope it made you smile... ;-)

LOL, Tress! Two points: 1. I never sit in the rear of the plane. 2. I don't iron. (I know, I'm spoiled) ;-D

``We trimmed down most of the sex scenes, and we are not taking out George's butt, which is actually pretty nice.'' (Moon) LOL! Too bad they trimmed the sex scenes. ;-) Ah, but just wait for the DVD! Maybe they'll put them all in ;-) This is all excellent PR though, to draw in the women (or gay men I suppose) who may like him but are not psychological sci-fi thriller fans and who might have stayed away. Who would stay away knowing there's a glimpse of his derriere on a screen as large as a small house. ;-) Tress, LOL! Thanks! Psst! Hey Moon, I don't iron either. ;-)

Thanks, Lora! A nice head tilt indeed..... and a nice smile on my face in response.

(Lora)Odile, hope you and your family stay safe. Watch some of your intact Firth collection to keep your mind stress free! Thanks Lora! I did watch BJD last night! :) Government has declared area natural disaster so we'll get federal funding to rebuild roads and airways (some village is still completely cut off and with the winter being long to come the rivers are not usable as roadways yet); in the final count the fault moved sideways by 2 meters (6 feet); and the earthquake was the biggest one recorded for this year in the world. we're still getting at least one magnitude 4-5 aftershock each day and lots of smaller ones... Unrelated, I will be in the Atlanta area for a couple of days at the end of the month. Any Firthette who wants to meet, just email me!

It's me again... who should be correcting homeworks... For those interested, here is a link to the Geophysical Institute located in Fairbanks, AK which records all AK earthquakes; this particular page shows the recent earthquakes (note: we get over 50% of all US earthquakes): http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/Seis/recenteqs/index.html (hope this works)

Thanks to all for the expressions of support for me on my dad. He is still in the hospital. While they've not yet confirmed a stroke, he is not regaining any of his abilities and may be deteriorating. He's a mean old cuss (I come by it natural) but I love his dr. who gave me the ultimate bargaining chip..."If you're good, your daughter can wheel you down for a smoke." Yeehaw! Got him now. And if you pray for nothing else, pray that I don't start smoking again, I have NEVER wanted one so bad in the last year.

(Moon) Two points: 1. I never sit in the rear of the plane. 2. I don't iron. (Dorine) Psst! Hey Moon, I don't iron either. ;-) Sounds as if we could all be related! I don't do ironing either...when my mom sent me off to college (in '84)...she sent me out the door with an iron. Had no idea what this piece of equipment was used for, but here is an excerpt from a conversation from a year ago: DH: Do we have an iron? Me: Yeah, it's in the laundry room. DH: **walks into room holding iron out in front of him with a funny look on his face** What's on the bottom of it? Me: Oh Gawd! Looks like its remnants of waxpaper! DH:

Sorry...managed to hit enter by mistake! DH: **bewildered look** Waxpaper? Me: Yeah, from the grilled cheese sandwiches....isn't that what irons are used for? Needless to say, we have just recently purchased a new iron...I have yet to use it! ;-)

Iron? What's an iron? ;-)

You can clean most anything off the sole plate of an iron with acetone-based nail polish remover when the iron is cold. Comes in handy when the menfolk burn starch onto the surface, or when the fusible interfacing has slipped! (How's that for an odd end? )

(Elizabeth S) You can clean most anything off the sole plate of an iron with acetone-based nail polish remover when the iron is cold. I needed you about a year ago! I threw away my 16...17 year old iron. I didn't want to give it to GoodWill because I thought that any iron only used in food preparation was sure to leave a stain on someone's clothes. BTW, it works really well (for any dorm dwellers w/o access to a stove)...Butane lighters also make good marshmellow roasters. Which reminds me! Barb!!! Don't do it! I quit 10 years ago and it is the best thing I did. I often crave a ciggie when I see ODB light up, it was a hard thing to stop, and if I started again, I'd regret it. Hang tough! I'm sending good thoughts your way....

Did anyone notice that there was a plane crash in Luxemborg about a week ago? It was briefly on our news, and my first thought was 'I wonder at what stage cast and crew fly to locations?'

(BarbS) Thanks to all for the expressions of support for me on my dad. He is still in the hospital. While they've not yet confirmed a stroke, he is not regaining any of his abilities and may be deteriorating. He's a mean old cuss (I come by it natural) but I love his dr. who gave me the ultimate bargaining chip..."If you're good, your daughter can wheel you down for a smoke." Yeehaw! Got him now. And if you pray for nothing else, pray that I don't start smoking again, I have NEVER wanted one so bad in the last year. Barb, I am sorry to hear about your father. It sounds like his Dr. knows just how to handle him though...Stay strong, avoid ODB movies where he smokes, we are all thinking of you...

(Tress) Which reminds me! Barb!!! Don't do it! I quit 10 years ago and it is the best thing I did. I often crave a ciggie when I see ODB light up, it was a hard thing to stop, and if I started again, I'd regret it. Hang tough! (MariaT) Stay strong, avoid ODB movies where he smokes, we are all thinking of you... Barb, just keep reminding yourself that you don't smoke anymore. I quit 19 years ago (after getting up to almost 3 packs a day!) and though it was very difficult, it's definitely one of the best things I've ever done. I must admit that watching ODB smoke onscreen makes me almost want a ciggie, but I know I must never, ever allow myself even one puff because that would be breaking down the mental barrier I've put up against smoking.

Getting caught up... Barb--hope your dad (and you!) is doing ok. How scary to have bad weather move in while he's in the hospital! It's bad enough to be there under the best of circumstances, but with tornadoes, too? Sheesh! Oh, and DON'T SMOKE!! It'll just be a temporary tranquilizer, and after all the work you've done to quit, it would be a shame to start up again. (Tress) Me: Yeah, from the grilled cheese sandwiches....isn't that what irons are used for? LOL, Tress!!! Never thought of using an iron for that (or butane lighters for marshmellows!). Actually, I never use my iron, period. I discovered a long time ago that if you have anything that's wrinkled you can put it in the dryer with a damp towel and tumble dry for a few minutes and those wrinkles will come right out. Moonstar's little tip for the day (to go with ElizabethS's tip) :) (LeahP) Did anyone notice that there was a plane crash in Luxemborg about a week ago? I do vaguely remember hearing about that, but I didn't even connect it with the beginning of the GWAPE shooting. Anyone else kinda worry about ODB flying so much? I do...

(LeahP) Did anyone notice that there was a plane crash in Luxemborg about a week ago? It was briefly on our news, and my first thought was 'I wonder at what stage cast and crew fly to locations?' I heard about this...I believe it was a business commuter plane coming from Germany (Berlin?)...very sad. Most of those who died were German or French I think.

(Elizabeth) Comes in handy when the MENFOLK burn starch onto the surface,.. The who? I just wanted to make sure I read this correctly. I haven't ironed since the advent of permanent press. That's what it's for, isn't it? LOL Tress. What's sad is that jokes like that are still going around and sadder yet that men feel that way. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY KATHNESS.

(Pam) I haven't ironed since the advent of permanent press. That's what it's for, isn't it? The first thing I check when clothes shopping (after the size, of course) is the care instructions. If the word "iron" so much as appears on the tag, back it goes on the rack! I absolutely do not iron. Horrible at it. By the time I finish, the place I started is already wrinkled again, so why bother?! Actually, my brother is the best ironer (is that a word?) in the family. He actually seems to like it! Must be recessive genes. Thanks for the B'day greetings! At my age, I should ignore it altogether.

(KathyF) Thanks for the B'day greetings! At my age, I should ignore it altogether. KathyF, Did not realize it was your B-day! Happy Belated! Hope it was a good one! (KathyF) If the word "iron" so much as appears on the tag, back it goes on the rack! I absolutely do not iron. Horrible at it. By the time I finish, the place I started is already wrinkled again, so why bother?! Same here...my wardrobe consists of either jeans/sweatshirts or dry clean only. No in-between for me! So, everywhere I go I am either terribly underdressed or overdressed...keeps life interesting. ;-)

Barb, hang in there, but don't start smoking again - you'll just wind up anxious about your dad AND worried about the fact that you're smoking.