Back from Commercial Break JL: In 1991, you appeared with Sir Anthony Hopkins in Harold Pinter�s �The Caretaker.� Could you tell us what that was like? CF: Nothing terribly out of the ordinary. He�s a regular sort of guy. We had a job to do. JL: During your time in Canada, however, you traveled to Los Angeles to work in movies, making the memorable Femme Fatale, the first in your series of films about artists. Did you realize that you�ve portrayed artists in four films? CF: Have I? Really? I hadn�t realized that, possibly because those early �90s are times I�d prefer people forget. My West Coast work was pure rubbish. I mean, have you actually seen Femme Fatale? JL: Returning to London, you appeared on stage in Chatsky, where you �discovered� that fine actress Minnie Driver with whom you later co-starred in two little film gems. One was the acclaimed Circle of Friends, which launched her career, and brought her to the attention of every single male in Hollywood, and the other was a real slice of New England life called Hope Springs. One of your next film projects turned out to be very controversial. I�m speaking of The Hour of the Pig. CF: The American market is so very different from what I�ve been told. Certain scenes in the movie caused it to receive the �dreaded NC-17� rating, and Harvey Weinstein, in his early Miramax days, chose to publicly fight it. He�s much more well-mannered and subtle these days, but then he was rather crude. JL: You developed a very close relationship with the pig in the movie, Sally, didn�t you? CF: Yes. I don�t want to sound vain but that pig loved me. She really did. I could ride her all day. Most of the time, she would just come over, this ferocious creature and lay down across my feet and go to sleep. There was this extraordinary bond we had. Maybe it was the riding. She just had this passion for me and every time I walked into a room full of people, she would leave everybody else and come over to me for me to scratch her. And we did a photo shoot together a year later, at which we had a brief, wonderful encounter. But I�ve heard nothing for her for about 7 or 8 years, so I have to conclude that she�s shallow. JL: Then you starred in the erotic thriller Playmaker, with the incomparable actress Jennifer Rubin, whose performance has been compared to Meryl Streep in her prime. Here�s a clip of your character Ross Talbert on the verge of a climactic scene: Tell us how you prepared for this scene in particular: CF: My director, I forget his name, told me that I should cut off Jamie�s dress slowly and carefully and with great trepidation, and then do the same with her panties. JL: How many takes did that critical scene take? CF: I believe only one. We had to get it right the first time as they didn�t have much extra money. In fact, we had to do our own makeup. * * * * * JL: In 1994, you focused on British television productions. One of them was Master of the Moor, which would bring you into contact with a director that you would later collaborate with again and become close friends. CF: Yes, Marc Evans and I recently completed work on another project. He�s probably one of Britain�s and the world�s most underrated and underappreciated directors. I�d been wanting to work with him again for years. JL: After Circle of Friends, the BBC provided the vehicle to bring you to the attention of people all over the globe. You were cast as Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice. You didn�t want to play that role, did you? CF: I�d done that costume thing before in Camille. I don�t consider myself the leading man type, but more a character actor, and had to be convinced that the character of Darcy had something to it. Evidently Sue saw something in me key to the character and her wishes ultimately prevailed. JL: What do you think that was? CF: I�ve been told I have the ability to convey a wide range of emotions with my face. There�s a very famous scene in Pride and Prejudice, which I�ve heard is considered legendary. It occurs while I am watching Elizabeth play the piano. Not the one where I am looking down the bodice of her dress, but another at Pemberly. Also, there seems to be a conspiracy to put me in situations where I will be wet or bathing. Pride and Prejudice had two such scenes. I don�t mind them all that much, as the marketing types say it good for business. * * * * * Commercial Break

OMG!!! That was soooo funny! I nearly peed my pants! Not a good thing to do at work! ...and has won for four years running the Best British Actor to Have Never Appeared in a Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings Movie But Should Have According to Some. Now...who would think such a silly thing... [audience gives standing O; three women need to be restrained from rushing the stage] Linda...was that you??? ;-) CF: Well, everybody�s got to do Hamlet, don�t they? Besides, how else could I be called a classically trained Shakespearean actor? Publicists seem rather impressed with all that. Totally agree! Every actor needs Hamlet! To be a char-monkey, or not to be a char-monkey: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of crap scripts, 'iffy' co-stars, odd wardrobe and loads of cash, Or to take arms against a sea of troubles, And by opposing end them? To act: to choose good directors, interesting....dramatic roles! BRAVO!!!!Every bit of it BRILLIANT!!! Will wait patiently for commercial break to end...

(Tress)Linda...was that you??? ;-) I'm sure, but you never know about these things;-)

I don�t want to sound vain but that pig loved me. She really did. I could ride her all day. ROTFLMAO...are we talking about an animal here??

Karen, great job. Just love ;-)

Whoops, what I was trying so inarticulately to say was -- Just love "the look". Could have sworn I typed it in, but it disappeared;-)

(Tress) To be a char-monkey, or not to be a char-monkey: that is the question:

Well, certainly not Shakespeare, but..... Birthday Thoughts At 44, the way is clear, Unless the monkey lingers near. A simple rule when meeting press, Hide monkey glasses in your vest. And if those glasses should appear, Why ask the question: Are paws still near? Just give a smile and be erudite While giving out a long sound bite A birthday wish for 44 Kick that monkey out the door. Here�s a potion tried and true Drink up, old boy..your time is due!!

LOL at that "to be or not to be"!! Oooh! I had that monkey in glasses tucked away. But I love what you did with it Andrea! Hide monkey glasses in your vest. ;-)) Wonderful wonderful! (back to the salt mines...)

A few of Colin's co-stars (past, present and future) have decided to pop on by for some sushi, cake and drinks! The Original Char-monkey:"Thanks for inviting me mate! Was hoping you weren't too upset by my "bloody Colin" remark in NYC....or that bit where I called you a wanker in BJD...or that bit where I asked if the house had burned down with you in it during my LA commentary...or that bit...well, anyway, you're alright, I guess. I mean, we char-monkeys have to stick together, right?" A Bacon bit:"Hey there Colin! Looking forward to getting to know you better....a lot better!!" Lovely Alice..."Quit trying to look up my skirt!" The "It" Girl:"He says he is afraid of elevators...I don't think I really understand him at all. I keep hoping he'll get over that..." The "Wobbly Bit" Girl:"He likes me! Just as I am! Wobbly bits and all!!" Hunk Daddy's Daughter:"Ohhhh!! Happy Birthday!!! Now that I'm your daughter, I don't feel badly asking you for some money, college is rough! 'Specially Oxford! Can you buy me some new shoes too??" The Nanny:"Will you ever forgive me? I know you felt silly in that hat, but you've worn worse!" Happy Birthday (again) ODCM!!

Back from Commercial Break JL: Did you learn anything from playing Fitzwilliam Darcy in Pride and Prejudice? CF: Yes, I began to question myself. I mean, what�s wrong with mainstream acclaim?� Why be snobby and elitist when you can get upgrades on airplanes? JL: At this point, you came to the attention of another Anthony, this time Anthony Minghella, who was casting for The English Patient. How did you feel about doing that film? CF: I would�ve much rather done Rafe Fiennes role, but Anthony said I had better dance moves. It would seem my lot in life is to lose out to the Fiennes brothers. JL: Anthony Minghella has said, "Colin is delicate." Is that the same as subtle? I ask. "Subtlety is nothing to do with acting - it's how you put your fingers down on the piano keys - he's delicate." How do you react to that type of characterization of your work? CF: I�ve never really thought about it. Again, all I had to do was look forlorn in the rear windscreen of a car, do a very silly banana dance, and then pretend to crash a plane. Work�s work, especially if you don�t have big dramatic scenes to do most of the time. JL: After being in an Oscar-winning film like that, did Hollywood beckon? CF: Yes, I was summoned to meet with Steven Spielberg who was doing one of his Jurassic Park movies. Nothing happened as a result of that. I don�t make the best of impressions of some people and I�m rubbish at auditioning. * * * * * JL: Your next part represented a departure of sorts for you because you weren�t playing an upper class, refined British gentleman or public school callow youth. CF: True. All that poshing up was rather ridiculous, wasn�t it? Here I could pretty much be myself. I mean I did wind up wearing many of my own clothes in the film because the costume designer had difficulty finding the proper togs from that particular period. Funnily enough, my cupboard was full of just the right clothing. Fever Pitch marked an important point in my life, as I became friends with Nick Hornby, who has stepped up into the role as an ad hoc career advisor and football pal. JL: Your association with Nick Hornby also led to your writing a well-received short story, entitled �The Department of Nothing,� in an anthology called �Speaking With the Angel.� (shows picture of Colin at work) You then followed up with a big Hollywood movie, starring Jessica Lange, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Jason Robards. Tell me about that experience. CF: It had all the important and big names attached to it, so it seemed a great role to accept. Big book. Big name actresses. An acclaimed director of something else, whose name escapes me at present. Of course, there was Jason Robards, a fantastic actor, but I would rarely work with him. I believe my best bits were left on the cutting room floor. JL: Shakespeare in Love (audience claps loudly) was a rare film, one that celebrated poetry, romance and humor, all things you�ve said your character Lord Wessex lacked. CF: Again, it was another one of those films where I received the short end from a Fiennes brother. Thankfully there are no more acting Fiennes brothers, but I got paid to be the butt of the jokes and the focus groups couldn�t see me as Shakespeare. I�m not sure Shakespeare looked anymore like Joe than I but you cannot argue with the marketing types. JL: After appearing in this Oscar-winning film, you entered a rather prolific period of your life, appearing in no less than five movies in quick succession. First up was the lead role in My Life So Far for Hugh Hudson, Oscar-winning director of Chariots of Fire. Your character was rather eccentric, a Scottish inventor with about a dozen children. What led you take that role? CF: Scotland seemed a good place to go for a vacation at that time of year. JL: Then you took on the role of Matthew Field in The Secret Laughter of Women, where your character, a womanizing British comic book writer befriends a young boy and you get involved with his mother, much to the consternation of her family and their tight-knit culture. What, in particular, caused you to choose this script? CF: I had just gotten married and I thought the south of France would be a great place for a honeymoon. It was. The work didn�t take much of my time. * * * * * JL: In a complete turnabout, you joined in a production of Relative Values, one of Noel Coward�s lesser works. What attracted you to doing the campy Peter Ingleton? CF: Julie Andrews. I had a crush on her and Doris Day when I was young. And it was great fun being able to flit about the set in the lightest pair of loafers imaginable. JL: At about this time, you joined the ensemble cast of Londinium for the Hollywood auteur Mike Binder. What was that experience like? CF: One of the best in my life. I�ve admired Mike for a long, long while and it took years to find the perfect material, you know, the perfect script where we could work together and where we both available at the same time. He�s much in demand in Hollywood. JL: So, there was mutual respect and admiration? CF: Plus I�d lost quite a bit to him at a poker game a few years previous to that. JL: Has he ever had a film in theatrical release? Oh never mind, let�s move along... * * * * * JL: Doing the equivalent of an Escher painting, you next appeared as Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones�s Diary, in which you were another bona fide romantic lead underneath a dour exterior. Did the depth Helen Fielding added to the character make it irresistible for you? CF: No, it allowed me to become a bona fide action star. Kicking Hugh Grant�s ass was clinched the deal. JL: Were you concerned about doing another character named Darcy? About being typecast? CF: No, I�ve rarely cared about things like that. As long as they pay me enough, I�m not lofty about such things. Commercial Break

Oh, Karen, I'm dying here. You have definitely taken the cake! Watching the Actor's Studio will never be the same....

Hey boss...you missed your calling. Brilliant, and we're the lucky recipients. Hey, everybody thanks for another wonderful birthday for ODB *waving to guest- lurkers* Bye-eee "See your next year.";-)

OMG luckily DH went to the video store and I could check in again. Andrea- the glasses and poetry were too funny. Karen - I am at a loss for words-- from horsey ride at 12 to piggy ride at 33 to action star at 41-- WOW!! What a life, I'm ready to channel Ralph Edwards. But wait, Drool has its own Karen the Kronicler, Ralph isn't needed. Krikey!!! Tress- love that 'Bacon bit' and captions(he'll never live down the hats IMHO)

One more part to go...I can see the end of the tunnel...

THE STAGE BECKONS!! DEAR COLIN, Maybe to honor your adopted country, you should try La Commedia Dell'Arte. You could be Il Dottore. Uh!Oh! May need permission from LD for that one. Well, if that doesn't work, you can always return to the fastidious, stalkerish Temple of Drool. No, not as Missouri Jones, but as the Sacred Monkey. He gets to wear a mask, too. Just look at all that hair AND you get to minister to all the droolers.

A classic day all 'round! Brilliant! And still waiting to see Karen bring home the finale! To sleep? Perchance to dream! Ay there's the rub! For in that sleep of death what dreams may come.. The "highlight reel" will be a good one tonight, thank you creative ladies of Drool!

Moments I am thankful for this year....(in no particular order!) The nose wrangling the clean phase.... watching him think...and think some more... Mikimushimoto!!! Thanks for a great year Colin! And thank you fellow Drooleurs for the fellowship!!

Thanks to all for a great party. Tress: It's the nose wrangling that gave me a great final, (well, almost final) laugh Karen: Also waiting for Bernard's questionnaire and the responses. You've outdone yourself......again! Everyone: Laughs, out loud and mentally, again, this year. And finally, to Colin: Best wishes until next year. Just keep 'em coming. This humble, devoted member of the fan base thinks, in the end, "It's all good..."

Back from Commercial Break JL: Your next role as Dr. Wilhelm Stuckhart in the HBO movie Conspiracy would bring you many accolades, including your first nomination for an Emmy. Are you the type of actor who is intrinsically against awards or honors of this nature and all the Hollywood glitz and glamour associated with them? CF: No, why do you ask? JL: You didn�t attend the Emmys. CF: Well, it had been called off and rescheduled several times and I�d taken such a drubbing on my airlines tickets that I couldn�t chance it again. Besides, I approached having to meet Joan Rivers on the Red Carpet with severe trepidation. I was told she might make an insulting, beauty-related comment to my wife. JL: You then returned to the classics for a British star-studded remake of The Importance of Being Earnest. (shows clip of Jack walking down London street) That production had all the big names: Dame Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Rupert Everett and Reese Witherspoon. Weren�t you afraid that people would compare it with the 1952 version that is considered a classic. CF: Classic, schmassic. Does anybody complain when Hamlet is done fifteen times a year? Our market research indicated that nobody under the age of 50 even knew about the other movie and that a new, glorious widescreen version was very timely. The carriage chases were inserted to ensure relevancy to today�s youth. JL: You worked very closely with Dame Judi for the second time. What have you learned from her? CF: Mainly how to construct the absolute best practical jokes. The woman is a pistol. JL: This was also your second pairing with Rupert Everett, with whom you starred early on in your careers in Another Country. How had you changed? CF: Workwise, he was still a flaming queen, but personally, he�s mellowed with age. Then again, so have I. Once I was a Rebel Without a Cause and now I have several, or at least my mother has several that she loans out to me. JL: Tell us about Hope Springs, based on a novel by the same author as The Graduate. What did you set out to achieve? (shows clip from movie) CF: I thought we were doing a Station Agent type movie: a stranger comes to town, meets up with some colorful characters, becomes involved in their lives and pulls them out from the ruts they were in. Unfortunately, everyone seemed to think it was a generic romantic comedy. The focus groups were a complete failure. I don�t know if they even showed it to the right people. But they�re supposed to be the experts. JL: Again you were paired with Minnie Driver. CF: Yes, she�s such a marvel and I�m really one of the few actors tall enough to work with her. JL: After What a Girl Wants, where you were finally able to break out as a dancer, you took on the serious role of a painter once again � actually for the fourth time � this time the famous Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer in a brilliant adaptation of Tracy Chevalier�s novel Girl With a Pearl Earring. (shows clip) What special ways did you prepare for this role? CF: Naturally I had fitting for my wig. There was no possibility I was going to be able to grow my own hair, so I was forced to endure wig hell. JL: Did you go to the museums to see Vermeer�s actual works and study the techniques of painting? CF: Well, yes, I did go to view a number of the paintings but left most of the �arty� stuff up to Peter. That�s more his thing, his background. Aside from the mechanics of learning to grind pigment, there really wasn�t a chance in hell that I could fake being a real painter of the likes of a Vermeer. It�s not like I was Ed Harris or something, doing Pollock! I mostly stood in corner, brooded, and watched the others. That was where Peter wanted me. JL: You also worked another huge ensemble piece for Britain foremost writer of romantic comedies, Richard Curtis, in his directorial debut with Love Actual. Your story about a writer whose girlfriend is cheating on him with his own brother resonated with many in the audience. You then went on to the South of France, where you fell in love with your Portuguese cleaning woman, while neither is able to communicate with the other. Tell us about that. CF: The great thing about Love Actually is that it didn�t matter if I was crap, actually. because of all the other stories and actors in the cast. It was a few weeks� work and partially made up for not being in the cast of Gosford Park. But it was a much bigger hit at the box office. JL: And here we come to up to your latest project, Trauma, in which you�ve paired with Marc Evans again. CF: We�ve a fairly consistent positive vibe coming from this, even though it is trying to break out of the horror genre mold. This was probably the most demanding acting job I�ve done in, well, some time. JL: What did you find the most demanding? CF: Well, I had to be covered with ants. Only for Marc would I do such a thing. * * * * * JL: And now, Les Questions 'boullion de culture' de the great Peabo Bryson (said in phony chevalier French accent): What is your favorite word? CF: Italia JL: What is your least favorite word? CF: Darcy JL: What turns you on? CF: Penne arrabbiatta JL: What turns you off? CF: The internet JL:: What is your favorite curse word? CF: Hugh Grant JL: What sound or noise do you love? CF: Cha-ching JL: What sound or noise do you hate? CF: Whispers of Mr Darcy by fans JL: What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? CF: Prime minister of England JL: What profession would you not like to do? CF: Painter JL:If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? CF: You have a first-class upgrade JL: Thank you. [huge ovation from audience] JL: And now I turn the stage over to you to meet the students. [only had time for one question] Student: Hi, I�m [identity withheld] and I�m a second-year actor. My question to Mr. Firth is, do you wear boxers or briefs? Credits roll

JL:If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? CF: You have a first-class upgrade ROTFLMAO! Every question and answer was perfection!! Okay...I can't pick a favorite bit cuz I'd have to repost the whole damn thing! GAHHHHH!!! But finally....finally....the true nature of Colin's jollyhose revealed!!! Thank you Karen! Was fantastic!!!

You could be Il Dottore. Uh!Oh! May need permission from LD for that one. LOL! Peggy, you catch on fast. ;-) Thanks for a great year Colin! And thank you fellow Drooleurs for the fellowship!! Nose wrangling and Mushimoko especially. What would some of us (notice did not use oui) do without the hilarity of those pics. Hey, where are the all the nice birthday wishes? Just because there's a theme, you do what you want. Everyone marches to the beat of their own maracas!

"YOU HAVE A FIRST CLASS UPGRADE" AT THE PEARLY GATES. ROTFLMAO!!!! KAREN, I CANNOT IMAGINE HOW LONG IT TOOK YOU TO PUT THIS TOGETHER. WONDERFUL,FUNNY, DEAD-ON HUMOR. DO YOU WRITE FOR ANY COMICS????

(Tress) The "It" Girl: "He says he is afraid of elevators...I don't think I really understand him at all. I keep hoping he'll get over that..." *snort* Hysterically funny, especially birthday greeting from fellow CM, the Huge Gnat - just catching up here

Touche, Karen, your monkey painter beat my monkey painter, especially in the caption category. You do have a gift for words. Such fantastic fun!

So do do you, Peggy. I had you "pegged" from our first emails. ;-) Apologies all around for the many, many typos, but my eyes are fried.

Now that time is winding down for the birthday party, just a final HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COLIN! and my thanks to all the creative, funny, intelligent ladies who made this a fantastic birthday party.

Oh Karen, you mighty Goddess of the Firth Fellowship. You have outdone yourself my dear and I thank you for the fun and the laughs. A big round of applause to everyone who stopped by to wish Colin birthday cheer. Your wit an humour is what makes this place "the place" to be. :-) I became friends with Nick Hornby, who has stepped up into the role as an ad hoc career advisor Off the back! ;-)

Many thanks to the wonderful Ladies of Drool who made this evening fabulous! Y'all are truly talented (and warped, but that's why I loves ya ;-)) And last but not least, Happy Birthday, Colin! I hope it was a great one.

OMG Karen, ab-so-lutely out of this world. I think James Lipton should retire--effective immediately!! This Party Rocked...Happy Birthdy Colin Night, Char Monkey.

Still LMAO over your posts Karen! Phenomenal! I just came in to wish Colin a very Happy Birthday and partake of some cake he was offering and refreshment And to drop off this commemorative pic of us all celebrating at the temple of drool (Actually, I just really liked the pic! :)) What a great great party everyone!!! Thanks so much!!

Just got home v. v. late. Collapsed in a chair in front of my computer . . and caught up with everything. Brava girls! I know and the party is over . . .and all jokes aside . . Darling . .I hope you did have a lovely birthday . . . Will be sending you Metro Gal love and all the iggy I can muster for you . . . Till next year. . .

I�m a bit late for the party, but I�ve been playing�.and drinking, along at home. ;-) Colin, after our spirited discussion at the SNL party, there was no time left to discuss some of your options for the NY stage once you got that char-monkey off your back. Here are some suggestions�. You haven�t been onstage in a VERY long time, so I bet you might be a bit rusty, even nervous in a live performance. And performing on the NY stage is just a *bit* different than the British stage. You might want to check with your old friend for some pointers. Since jumping right on to a Broadway, or even off-Broadway stage can be quite daunting and nerve wracking�.even more so than doing SNL and you don�t want to end up like Daniel Day Lewis, do you?��many actors/performers hone their craft with street performances. You get the rush from performing in front of a live audience without the pressure of making people happy who paid $75 - $100 a ticket. You don�t actually get a salary, but the tips can add up if they like you. It would be a good place to see how well your air guitar lessons are paying off, too. Although the Hamlet thing didn�t quite work out before, I think visiting the home of the Shakespearean drama might be inspiring if you want to delve into the classics again. Shakespeare in the Park is always a summer favorite here. Maybe taking a role in an established work might be the way to go, too. You can just slip right in to a play which has already been reviewed, saving you from potential skewering by The NY Times, so you can make the role your own. If you�re feeling a bit more confident, you might want to go all out for a one man show. And they�re always popular with the Tony award committee. Adding your own musical numbers can only make you stand out, though I suspect in this instance, air guitar may not be the way to go. You can put that cute little ditty from TIOBE in your show. If you really want to go for broke, try vaudeville. Hasn�t been in the forefront around here in years and years, though. Oh wait, there was some sort of show here a couple of years ago with a couple of British comedians in the vein of Morcambe and Wise, directed by your fellow conspiracist While that show had a rotating guest star every night, such as Roger Moore, John Lithgow, Kevin Kline, it didn�t last very long. Ok, maybe I�ll rethink that suggestion.

Happy 44th! I hope you had a great day, Colin, and enjoyed your party as much as I did! I wish all good things to come your way....including, and especially, some char-monkey-*less* roles. ;-) See ya in November! I'm sure we can find something to chat about again. I'll be brushing up on a variety of British culture trivia this time, so I'll be ready for you. ;-)

Well, I know I'm a bit tardy, but my power has only just now been restored(sweltering heat and humidity drains your energy)...while I am in the midst of preparing for the next tropical onslaught. Good thing there was plenty of food and drinks(it really is pretty bare pickins'down here)-so refreshing, as Caroline Bingley would say. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, COLIN! MAY YOUR 44TH YEAR BRING PREVIOUSLY UNKNOWN "FAME TO YOUR NAME". REMEMBER, TO GAIN NOTORIETY YA' GOTTA CHANGE YOUR PRIORITY. (use your imagination and pretend that atually rhymes) Follow the guidelines sent to you with love by your devoted drooleurs and you're sure to GET THAT CHAR MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK!

I'm very late reading all these fantastic posts, just wanted to say a big LOL and well done

I've just come back to these posts after a good nights sleep!!!!!.Glad to see you kept partying!!!!! Well done Karen you must be exhausted and well done everyone else!(sore heads all round I expect!)

Bravo, Ladies, Bravo! You all provided me with one of the best days I can remember in quite some time. I am humbled to be amidst your witty, artistic, and technologally astute presence. (Where do you all learn how to make the computer do that stuff??) Here's looking forward to another great year of drooling and fellowship. Happy 44th Birthday, Colin!!!

And after my next cup of coffee, I'll learn how to spell 'technologically'.

What a fantastic party!! After posting my last and then passing out from exhaustion, I knew this had to have been a successful party. I must go back to the beginning to read it all again more carefully. All the new Temple Goddesses and Vestal Virgins did such a wonderful job, contributing to the festivities and making the party just the absolute bestest ever! I'm so impressed with your initiative and wit. And, to the established Drooleurs, with whom I've had a Fellowship for sometime, you all were amazing. "Hey, hey, we're the Char-Monkeys and people say we're char-monkeying around...." ;-)

Thanks to everyone for their wonderful contributions. And especially to Karen for your Actors' Studio Interview.LOL!!

CF: I believe only one. We had to get it right the first time as they didn�t have much extra money. In fact, we had to do our own makeup. Hee hee, I *love* that you got Playmaker in. Thanks to Kathryn for the shower pic.:-) I became friends with Nick Hornby, who has stepped up into the role as an ad hoc career advisor Yes, "your name is all over this role." :-( I was told she might make an insulting, beauty-related comment to my wife "Honey, lemme give ya the name of my plastic surgeon. You can get that thing removed, ya know." Once I was a Rebel Without a Cause and now I have several, or at least my mother has several that she loans out to me. Pfft! The focus groups were a complete failure Mr. Marketing Maven . . . there really wasn�t a chance in hell that I could fake being a real painter of the likes of a Vermeer. It�s not like I was Ed Harris or something, doing Pollock! LMAO! JL: What sound or noise do you love? CF: Cha-ching JL:If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? CF: You have a first-class upgrade Perfect! Bravo, Karen, this was brilliant! I could have highlighted the whole thing. This one needs to become a perennial birthday re-posting!:-) Thanks for the great laughs. Thanks to everyone for making this such a fun party, the best one yet, I think. Loved hearing from our veterans, who make me laugh all year long, and so glad the newbies have jumped right in and made themselves at home. And Happy Birthday, Colin! Keep having them, ODB, they're not to be missed!:-)

One of my favorites: "What's your favorite curse word?" "Hugh Grant" Wonderful!

I was told she might make an insulting, beauty-related comment to my wife (Mari) "Honey, lemme give ya the name of my plastic surgeon. You can get that thing removed, ya know." That was especially for Ev. ;-) "What's your favorite curse word?" "Hugh Grant" LOL! That's what started me off. Could kick myself. Too much work. Am going to have to go back and correct all my typos and missing words, especially in Part 4. It's obvious that it was a rush job. Oh well, you all got the idea. It wasn't perfect.

I was ROTFLOL .... loved it! So clever and utilized so much material and ODB earnest demeanor. Wonderful! I enjoyed everyone's scenarios and was thrilled to find sushi and exotic drinks! The party was terrrifc!

September 10 was the second biggest day ever on drool. Second in user log ins only to May 15, 2002. Here are the stats showing date and number of log ins. Wed May 15: 12393 2002 Fri Sep 10: 12147 2004 Wed Sep 10: 11543 2003 Fri Feb 13: 11210 2004 Fri May 17: 11032 2002 Fri Sep 20: 11003 2002 Sun May 19: 10793 2002 Sat May 18: 10775 2002 Mon Feb 23: 10693 2004 Tue May 14: 10519 2002

Hmmmm. Wonder what happened on May 15th,2002 that we got so many hits. Wasn't that around the TIOBE time. When Lora and Dorine went to the premiere? Thanks Terry.

That's funny, I was looking at that, too, and came to that conclusion.

Sheech, I'm glad Drool is private and I don't have over twelve thousand log-ins reading the drivel I post.

Twelve thousand log-ins?? That's pretty amazing. Even if you figure the core posters logging in about 20 times each that day (about what I did), that's still a lot of un-accounted for lurkers. Hmmm..I had no idea. Yes, Evelyn, I too, will have to clean up my act.

We've had over 9 million logins since the year 2000.

We've had over 9 million logins since the year 2000. Terry is that for firth.com only?

That's total logins.

Since I've no talent for poetry or song lyrics, this one's been running through my head for days now and would've been great for the birthday party. A little Pink Floyd seemed appropriate, given that "brick" campaign under way. ;-) We don�t need no stinking Oscar We don�t need no stinking Bafta [...] Hey, people, leave that char-monkey alone! Or Afternoon Delight (because of Dorine's posting of the Wizard of Oz flying monkeys) Char-monkeys in flight Afternoon delight

(Evelyn)Hmmmm. Wonder what happened on May 15th,2002 that we got so many hits. Wasn't that around the TIOBE time. When Lora and Dorine went to the premiere. LOL, Ok you asked for it: Monday, May 13, 2002;-)One of my most favorite days, here.

ROTFL!! I told Evelyn last night that you of all people would know the exact date!! LOL!! ;-D

(Linda) Monday, May 13, 2002;-)One of my most favorite days, here. Is that your Drool anniversary? Sweet:-))

(Evelyn)Is that your Drool anniversary? No, I arrived here in March of 2002. It was the day of Dorine's tutorial of how to crash an afterpary;-) Very sweet!

Yep, that's me! Professor of the "Dark Arts".