The day after

[cleolinda]

So Children of Men is geting fantastic reviews... but it's not playing here yet. FNARR. So instead, we're getting together chez Em and watching one of the DVDs I got for birthday/Christmas. Hint: There may likely be rum.

Also, I had to run Jo's Christmas dress through the dryer a few times to get rid of the long-term storage mustiness, but it's on Meg now and has a fantastic hoopskirt (thanks to a ginormous tulle crinoline underneath) that I am deeply impressed with. Also, I noticed that my Meg, unlike any other pictures of the doll, has red hair. And that red hair is in a Meg style (she's actually the second doll from left, and did come in that picnic dress), so she's not a Jo in disguise. And redhead Meg is fabulous, but I can't figure out how she came to be. Did I snag some über-rare factory mistake?

(Beth and Amy, if you're curious.)

So, what did you get for Winter Holiday of Your Choice?



Legendary singer James Brown dies at 73; Brown's widow fights for access to home. Quotes about the death of James Brown; James Brown remembered around the world.

Court: Execute Saddam within 30 days.

Nigerian pipeline explosion kills 200: "Thieves trying to steal fuel from a pipeline outside Lagos, Nigeria, triggered an explosion and fire that killed at least 200 people, a Nigerian Red Cross spokesman told CNN."

Fears of tsunami ease after Taiwan quake.

Castro doesn't have cancer, doc says.

Katrina fraud likely to balloon past $1B. Which does not surprise me at all. Simply in the sense that the government threw vast amounts of money at the problem--and I don't know what else they could have done on such short notice, BROWNIE--and, human nature being what it is, fraud blossomed.

U.S. deaths in Iraq exceed 9-11 count.

Nepal's mystery "Buddha boy" reappears.

Armadillos marching north to Illinois; "No justice, no peace!" says spokesdillo.

Despite laws, gay wedding industry booms.

Man sets self aflame in Calif. protest... because "the Kern High School Board of Trustees voted to use the names Christmas and Easter instead of winter and spring breaks." That... that right there is some disproportionate protestation.

Report: Italy makes arrest in spy poisoning case.

Annan 'concerned' on Libya AIDS sentence.

Schwarzenegger breaks leg while skiing; Schwarzenegger to have surgery on leg.

In Tibet's interest to be part of China: Dalai Lama. No comment as yet from Buddha Boy.

Phoenix slayings informant speaks out.

Bus riders get gifts from Secret Santa

MySpace users big targets for ID thieves.

Man who inspired hit film "Happyness" skips opening.

Movie star Bachchan is Indian of the Year.

Full Spider-Man 3 trailer.

apocalyptically: "Tudormania! The trailer for Showtime's The Tudors," aka "The one with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as the prettiest least Tudor-looking Henry VIII ever."

Christmas brings strange seasonal crimes. To wit:

>> David Allen Rodgers, 42, was arrested Dec. 3 for driving while intoxicated — at the wheel of a float during the annual Christmas parade in Anderson, S.C. According to witnesses, Rodgers sped down Main Street in the Steppin' Out Dance Studio float with 19 people aboard, ran a red light and led police on a 3-mile chase.

>> A motorcycle-riding Santa Claus with a stuffed Rudolph in his sidecar was arrested after allegedly grabbing an 8-year-old girl from outside a South Carolina convenience store. John Michael Barton, 55, was in his Claus outfit filling his bike with gas when the girl's family stopped by the store. The girl's father then saw Barton speeding off with her. After a chase at speeds of up to 80 mph, Barton pulled over his motorcycle and turned over the girl, police said. Barton was arrested later, hiding inside a bar.

>> Two local teens were arrested in an unrelated incident where they allegedly smashed a car with a large decorative candy cane, causing $1,000 worth of damage.

>> In Ohio's Hamilton County, a pair of 18-year-olds were arrested for using screwdrivers to stab an inflatable 12-foot-tall Frosty the Snowman. "Why me?" asked Frosty's owner, Matt Williquette. "And why Frosty?" The snowman had survived two previous stabbing attacks. But he will never forget his dead homies.

Comments

[palmetto.livejournal.com]

I got one of those awesome automatic catboxes. Which both my cats are using. Which solves a major problem in my house! And new kitchen knives and new plates and a rice cooker and dear God, I've become domestic.

To cancel this out, my sister got me a Pratchett book, and so did my best friend's ex-boyfriend. XD

And Torchwood, my friend burned me Torchwood. Life is good. Glad your Winter Holiday Gift-Giving Excuse went well!

[callmesyd.livejournal.com]

I am so incredibly fascinated by that "Buddha Boy" story. I remember when a story was published a while back - I think it was just after he disappeared. I just think it's NEAT. I wanna know WTF's up.

[spike22fowl.livejournal.com]

Poor Frosty... Do they have no shame??

[schmoosey.livejournal.com]

I have to ask they aren't scared of the litter box? Cause my mom wants one but we are unsure about the noise.

[alpheratz.livejournal.com]

I got Christmas tree ornaments, some chocolate I really wanted (those awesome Hachez Cocoa d'Arriba leaves), underwear with chibis, stripes, and monkeys (my sister has eclectic taste). The cat I was adopting and hoping to bring home this weekend got sick and euthanised. So it was a mixed bag.

[palmetto.livejournal.com]

You know, that's why I hadn't gotten one yet. My female cat is very very skittish. But so far, so good--we haven't had any of the previous problem (young male cat making the back of the apartment his territory, female cat using the linoleum in front of the door as her "box"--our floor is mopped so damn often, I'm surprised we haven't mopped the linoleum through!) so far. The young male cat jumped the first time he heard the noise...the female cat ignored it.

And so far, no incidents elsewhere. If this continues as well as it has for the past day, I may remove the other two boxes in the house. This self-cleaning thing rocks.

[troubleinchina.livejournal.com]

I got a SHEEPY PIGGIE BAnK! It's a piggy bank, but it looks like a sheepy, and in it I will put SHEEPY PIGGIES!

...And a friend is making me an icon that says 'Does not handle boredom well". I hate to say it, but it'll be nice to go back to work.....

[lyrainverse.livejournal.com]

I got a banjo! I must've been a very good girl this year. (I know I rarely post in your comments, but I'm taking every opportunity to brag about my banjo.)

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Heeee, the banjo--I saw you say something about that on SF. I'm glad you got something you really wanted!

[theatre-angel.livejournal.com]

I wasn't quite sure who to ask about this, as most people either haven't seen it or haven't cared to, but I was curious if you knew anything about Pan's Labyrinth?

[sapphires13.livejournal.com]

I got a PinK Floyd Dark Side of the Moon beanie, which makes me feel badass, but all of my friends keep calling it a "gay alliance hat", which is fine with me XD
I also got a really nice silver purse, a pair of black lowtop Converse Chucks, really nice rosary beads, a teal and white striped sweater, a nerdy DVD, some perfume, a tin of cookies, a $20 giftcard, and $60 cash =)


And I live super close to southern Illinois (literally 2 miles from the border). I'm gonna keep a lookout for armadillos now XD

[discogravy.livejournal.com]

the christmas kraken (http://blog.introspectre.com/node/724) just got better.

I dunno, something about the sled's addition is just....perfect.

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

It's gotten fantastic reviews, so far as I've heard, and is probably a lock for at least Best Foreign Film nomination (Volver is tipped to win at this point). I really, really want to see it, but if we can't even get frickin' Children of Men in a timely fashion, I'm not holding my breath for our theaters getting Pan.

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

You know, even doll-Amy makes me want to smack her in the mouth?

Phoenix slayings informant speaks out?

[threemagisteria.livejournal.com]

What is the point of slaying phoenixes anyway? Don't they a) reincarnate from their ashes and b) not actually exist?

[lyrainverse.livejournal.com]

Thanks! And I'm glad you got some Little Women doll-age, too!

[leucocrystal]

I know it's useless to say this now, since it's not playing there for you yet, but as soon as you see it, be sure to catch it.  Children of Men is just as excellent as the trailer made it look, probably moreso.  Awesome. :)

I hope you had a lovely holiday, Cleo, and that you have a great New Year. ♥

Re: Phoenix slayings informant speaks out?

[cleolinda.livejournal.com]

Slayings in Phoenix, AZ, rather.

[sea-of-tethys.livejournal.com]

I got a 1000-piece Edward Gorey puzzle that was missing a piece, and an Edward Gorey calendar that had January, February, September, October, November, December, September, October, and November, from the same publisher. Lol. Also, good stuff from L'Occitane and Lush, and warm pyjamas, which I'd been desperately hoping for (damn Japanese winters).

[kira002.livejournal.com]

I am intrigued. I have a 14-year-old cat who will only use the cat box approximately 35% of the time, preferring instead: in front of the cat box; to the side of the cat box; the bathtub; the kitchen floor; any clothes I've left on my bedroom floor; the throw rug in the living room; the bathroom rug. I've tried cleaning the cat box twice a day, changing the brand of litter, rubbing her nose in it, yelling, threatening to make her stay outside, and Odorcide, all to no avail.

If you tell me the automatic cat box might help, I'll believe you and try it.

[robyn-ma.livejournal.com]

I got some cool stuff, but this was by far the coolest:

(http://photobucket.com/)

[palmetto.livejournal.com]

I dunno. My little girl cat is only five...she's still young and about as with it as she'll ever be.

With a cat of that age, the problem may be medical. I'd tell the vet about it first. It could also be mental--my mom's cat went a bit senile there at the end and forgot where the box even was. It's helping our problem because it takes the waste and removes it, and since it keeps the odor down, I'm keeping it in the living room (there's a big stretch of more linoleum in there, because my old landlord was too cheap to recarpet before we moved in, and the previous tenants had a terrier who went a bit hog-wild on the carpet).

Check with your vet first. If the vet can't figure out a reason, it's worth a shot. :)

[particle-person.livejournal.com]

I can't wait for The Tudors to start. I missed Rome because I didn't have a TV at the time, so this is my first hysterical historical mini-series.

[greenwitch.livejournal.com]

My mom and sister saw it at a SAG screening over in NYC and said it was awesome, but it's not even being released in NYC theaters until Friday. I'm hoping we'll get it in my town (we were one of 2 theaters in NJ to be showing Brokeback Mountain for about a month before it had wide-release), but so far, nothing.

[elisa0984.livejournal.com]

Closet doors were my big gift plus clothes, history books, cook books and I'm currently hesitating on whether or not to place a BPAL order.

What books did you get this year?