episode i; in which we meet eileen

eileen is a strange old bird. i can only guess she is in her late 70s to somewhere in her 80s. in the early afternoon of most every day she scuttles into the pub and orders a gin martini or a straight scotch or a manhattan (sometimes she will have two). it had better be filled to the rim of that glass or she’ll call you on the carpet for it. oh, i forgot to mention when she scuttles in it is my opinion she’s already loaded. who knows though? no one does really. i don’t even think she does. she resides in another universe and it’s not one you would ever wish to visit. now you may think me cruel for picking on the elderly. no, believe me i’m not. you’ve not met eileen.

coincidentally, she started coming into the pub round about the time aristotle came to work there as a bartender. i think eileen had a crush on him in the beginning. he was in his early 20s at the time but it mattered not. he was tall and of mediterranean descent, intelligent and a good conversationalist. it didn’t matter to her if the bar was three deep with people or no one was there at all. she would NOT leave aristotle alone. i used to take great joy watching her torturing him (i never said i was a nice person).

i am going to make up some cards (business card size) that say ‘please avoid direct eye contact with this woman’. i’m then going to pass them out to the non-regular pub customers when she appears. i didn’t know her when she was 20 but rest assured i KNOW she was raving back then too. you can just tell she was always a pain in the ass. if you make the error of looking eileen directly in the eyes, she will take control of your mind. it doesn’t matter if you’re with people or not, she will just butt in and NOT leave. she walks from table to table and booth to booth and imposes herself upon others. she decides what you want to hear and when. she will not go away until SHE is ready. bartenders and waitresses have warned her off of customers who were attempting to eat. she skittles away for a moment, and then suddenly reappears at the effected party’s table like nothing happened. i must be honest and say you really aren’t safe if you keep your head down either. when she’s on her missions she will seek you out and tattoo your souls with her words. she speaks in a high squeaky crackly voice. she tells many of the same stories over and over again. she will tell you why she doesn’t like football any longer (it has something to do with the 300 pound players) or how she took a cruise to cuba in the 50s or her take on the current administration (she and i agree on that but she and i do NOT speak, EVER). she will tell you she doesn’t like your haircut. she will tell you she thinks you’re a slut (eileen doesn’t use the word slut but you sure get the gist of what she’s calling you). she will tell you your ass is too big and not blink an eye. eileen has NO problem correcting what she thinks are ALL of your faults.

Look for chapter ii in which Eileen sets the newspaper on fire (on two DIFFERENT occasions)
look for chapter iii in which eileen comes in with a black eye
look for chapter iv in which eileen assaults two Jamaican dudes (with words) and a woman that works for them


(note: all names have been changed)

it wasn't MONEY that effected MY drive

a while ago i was having some female issues and my doc put me on some kind of hormone(s). within two or three days i had absolutely lost my ENTIRE sex drive. i called her up and said, 'doc, i'm takin' myself OFF o' these pills'. and, I DID. not to worry, i've been fine (sex drive wise) ever since. too much info? TOUGH NOOGIES (hey, i COULD have made that all up. you'll never know. really i only mentioned it to let everyone know, doctors are NOT gods and if there are issues with medications you are prescribed, TALK to your doctor about it IMMEDIATELY)

Money worries 'affect sex drive'

Press AssociationFriday March 24, 2006

An estimated 2 million people have lost their sex drive as a result of worrying about money, a survey showed today.
One in five people who said financial problems had affected their relationship said the issue had hit their sex life, according to insurance giant AXA.
Women are twice as likely to suffer from the problem as men, accounting for two-thirds of people who say money has ruined their sex life.
Married or cohabiting couples are also more likely to find that financial problems affect their libido, with more than half of the people who say this has happened currently living with their partner, while 23% are widowed or divorced and 22% are single.
A further 37% of people said their money problems had caused them to spend less quality time with their partner, while 50% said they had more arguments and a shorter temper when they were stressed about their finances. Some 26% said they spent less time with their children as a result of their problems.
Around two-thirds of people said they always avoided discussing their finances with their partner, family or friends because it caused them anxiety.........

math and knitting

(none of these particular items was knit by me although i HAVE made moebius scarves)



you heard me right - i said MATH and KNITTING

first, let's just start with some simple math:

Fibonacci Numbers and the Golden Section

The Fibonacci numbers are 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, ... (add the last two to get the next)
The golden section numbers are ±0·61803 39887... and ±1·61803 39887...
The golden string is 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 0 1 ...a sequence of 0s and 1s which is closely related to the Fibonacci numbers and the golden section.

NOW, let's add some knitting to that bad boy:

here's how to make a moebius scarf

This pattern was inspired by similar patterns on the web as well as a life long love of math and science. I've always loved asking people to show me the right side and wrong side of a Moebius strip. ;)
The first time I made this scarf, I kept shaking my head telling myself that I must be doing something wrong, there's no way this was going to work. But I was wrong!
NOTE: To lessen confusion, even though it's a circular needle, the terms used to describe its two ends will be as if it was two separate needles.
Approx. 150 to 200 g worsted yarn (5 1/2 to 7 1/2 oz), wool or wool blend preferred (like Fisherman's Wool or Wool-Ease)
Circular needle of suitable size, 16 to 24 inches
Gauge: approx. 5 stitches per inch with worsted, though it's not critical
Cast On: Cast on 150 stitches, loosely. ................ (for the rest of the pattern click on the link)

now here's some knitted hyperbolic space













here's a fibonacci inspired SOCK




and for the heck of it, here's a LOVELY quilt


some more sites:

knitted klein bottles
crocheting the lorenz manifold (takes a while to load)

what's in my cd player now you ask???

i mentioned before my car cd player plays mp3s. the disks i have can hold a TON of songs each. i have several selections by each of the artists mentioned but in order to save (typing) time, i've only listed one or two

natalie merchant-i put the law on you
nino rota - (from amarcord, i clowns, juliet of the spirts)
allman brothers - no one to run with anymore
nrbq - rc cola and a moon pie
paddy casey - ancient sorrow
the incredible string band - paint box
patrick sky - many a mile
patti labelle - spanish harlem
pentangle - sally go round the roses
randy newman - baltimore
rickie lee jones - it must be love, runaround
robbie robertson (hot damn mmmmmmmmm) - somewhere down the crazy river
robert palmer (his GOOD stuff) - johnny & mary, every kind of people, lookin for clues
robin trower - bridge of sighs, daydream
ronee blakley (from the movie nashville fame) - american beauty, my idaho home, tapedeck in his tractor
rosie ledet - you're no good
roy buchanan - the messiah will come again
ruth brown - ice water in your veins
sade - no ordinary love
simply red - holding back the years
sly and the family stone - family affair, thank you
sonny landreth - baby please don't go
sponge - wax ecstatic
suzanne vega - small blue thing
system of a down - disorder
taj mahal - happy just to be like i am
art of noise - paranomia (max headroom mix)
the bobbettes - mr lee
the pogues - and the band played waltzing matilda
the skatalites - if you wanna be happy for the rest of your life
subdudes - push & shove
thomas dolby - hyperactive
tim buckley - get on top (of me woman)
tom rush - urge for going
toots and the maytalls - sweet and dandy
toussaint mccall - nothing takes the place of you
tower of power - down to the nightclub, you're still a young man
tuck & patti - castles made of sand/little wing
roy rogers and the sons of the pioneers - tumblin' tumbleweeds

song of the day: total control (the motels)

Looking counter clockwise
Knowing what could happen
Any moment maybe you maybe even you
Steadfast collapse
Always certain any moment
Maybe you maybe you
Maybe even you
Recline complete dream too sweet
I can't do it not with you
Not even with you
Maybe never with you
And I'd sell my soul for
Total control
Yeah I'd sell my soul for
Total control
Street wet tonight,
lovers touch
It's pure delight
Always certain any moment
Maybe even you
Stay in bed
stained sheets
My head hurts I repeat
Maybe you maybe you maybe even you
And I'd sell my soul for
Total control
Yeah I'd sell my soul
forTotal control
Ooh I'd sell my soul for
Total control over you
Over you
Total control over you

featuring martha davis

i started reading this - my head starting spinning (and i spewed green stuff out of my mouth)

and i just never finished the article. i will try in a bit. i WILL say, i have NEVER EVEN HEARD of this book, 'female chauvinist pigs' nor have i heard of the author, ariel levy. i've heard of new york magazine of course. i even had a subscription for many years, many years AGO (they effed that subscription up one year up so i opted out).

what 'feminists' is ms levy talking about?

i see women in cropped tops even at work. it turns my stomach. i certainly wouldn't consider them feminists (no, i've not really had deep conversations with most of the women i see in crop tops, but SOME i have). i'd consider most of them skanky (the ones wearing that to work. i do NOT work in a stip club by the way. that mode of dress would be perfectly acceptable there NOT where i work. if on a hot summer day you have a little crop top on and you're running some errands i wouldn't necessarily think skank if i saw you by the way - i might, but i might not) .

women have the RIGHT to exhibit their sexuality. please don't misunderstand me. i guess i'd have to know the reasons a women decided to take 'lap dancing' instruction before making my mind up about that one. i think a woman (or man) SHOULD if they want to, intice their mate, excite their mate as long as they TOO are getting something out of it. lap dance all you want as far as i'm concered but if you're ONLY doing it for your mate, well you have more than THAT issue to work on.

thongs........well, i don't understand them at all. some of my friends wear them but give me cotton french cuts ANYTIME. i do NOT care what anyone says a thong (just like those foot damaging VERY pointy pointy shoes that are ever so popular now) CANNOT be comfortable. worried about panty lines? BUY YOUR CLOTHING A BIT LOOSER (loser)!!!

Today's ultimate feminists are the chicks in crop tops

Raunch culture is not about liberation gone wrong; it's about rediscovering the joy of being loved for your body Kate TaylorThursday March 23, 2006The Guardian
Men, you can relax. You are no longer the enemy. Instead, judging by recent events in America, modern feminists have a much shapelier target in their sights - other women. Specifically, scantily clad women who use their sexuality to get ahead. I don't know if this is a PR campaign to get men to finally pay attention to the cause, but it's certainly stirring up trouble.
It all kicked off with the publication of Female Chauvinist Pigs, a rant against "raunch culture" by the New York magazine writer Ariel Levy. In the book, she argues that the recent trend for soft-porn styling in everything from music videos to popular TV is reducing female sexuality to its basest levels. In short: "A tawdry, tarty, cartoon-like version of female sexuality has become so ubiquitous, it no longer seems particular."
Which is all fair enough, until Levy starts to list the ways in which today's women are allowing their sexuality to be sold short. Thongs, for example. Crop tops. Lap-dancing classes. Maxim and FHM. Playboy T-shirts. The word "chick". Levy thinks raunch culture is a feminist movement gone terribly wrong. We are, in her eyes, doing all these things merely to show the men that we are "one of the guys" and "liberated and rebellious". Naturally, she finds this confusing. "Why is labouring to look like Pamela Anderson empowering?"...........

....Levy is not alone in raging against raunch. The f word, a British feminist website, last month launched a tirade against lads' magazines such as Loaded, Zoo and Nuts; they "relentlessly promote the message that women exist solely for the sexual gratification of men and boys", argued Rachel Bell. "By internalising this one-dimensional male construct of sexuality, both sexes are losing out; but it is girls and women who will pay the heavier price."
I've worked for GQ and the Sun, and in neither place did I see women being exploited. Does Bell have any idea how much money women make when they take their clothes off? How much freedom and independence these girls can earn in an hour? Abi Titmuss and the new breed of totty generally own the copyright to their naughtiest photos, so with each publication they rake it in. Look at lads' mags from a different perspective and you see that what's being exploited are men's sexual responses, to give money to women...........

hey katie honey, 'FREEDOM AND INDENENDENCE" by the 'GIRLS' taking their clothes off? first of all if they were GIRLS it's against the LAW for them to be taking their clothing off you ass wipe. did you mean WOMEN KATIE HONEY? women? freedom and independence by taking their clothing off? what the hell planet did you grow up on? there is nothing WRONG with taking ones clothing off and posing BUT i certainly don't consider it to be 'freeing' to do so for a publication such as jugs or hustler or the like. you are fodder for WANKING AND THAT IS ALL YOU ARE REDUCED TO. who are you trying to kid katie honey. if YOU want to ONLY be fodder for wanking that's fine by me. i want me and MY sisters to be MUCH MORE than that


any way i thought posting this article would give us (men and women) something to think about. happy trails

coincidentially, i JUST finished watching ed wood

and i saw this just now! i really did like ed wood (except of course for sarah jessica parker. i cannot stand her for an INSTANT. i attempted to watch that hbo show she was in with a bunch o' other babes. i tried and tried. i can honestly say i never got through even ONE episode. i never understood why it was popular. it was HORRID. ALL of the babes were horrid, the premise was horrid. it was a HORRID SHOW). now for some FINE cinematic entertainment:

After Image: On Seeing Plan 9 for the Nth Time
Posted Mar 21st 2006 8:03 PM by Richard von Busack Filed under: Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Fandom
Resurrecting the dead with extraterrestrial ray guns may not be the best method to end nuclear escalation. Such is the only lesson that can be gleaned from 1959 Plan Nine from Outer Space. Newly colorized by Legend Films, Ed Wood Jr.’s distinctive independent film was celebrated with a re-premiere at San Francisco’s Castro Theater March 11, 2006.Popularly but incorrectly named as the worst movie ever made, Plan 9 ... has been a punching bag for nearly a half century. This folk-art version of The Day the Earth Stood Still has a daydreamy approach to a science fiction. It concerns a flying saucer attack by fey aliens (one played by an actor who rejoices in the name “Dudley Manlove”) who reanimate three lumbering cadavers: TV host Vampira, whose clutching digits give new meaning to the phrase “spirit fingers”; the massive wrestler Tor Johnson and a decrepit Bela Lugosi, who died during production. Aspects of the film are legend: Wood’s behind-the-scenes transvestitism, for example. Wood is particularly beloved for his desperate attempt to cover up the death of one of his lead actors. His solution: hiring a slumming chiropractor named Dr. Tom Mason to play the part of the late Lugosi, simply by having the actor cover his face with an opera cape. Just the as easy answer when naming the best movie ever made is Citizen Kane, the easy answer when naming the worst is Plan Nine From Outer Space. The slander began with Harry and Michael Medved’s 1980 book The Golden Turkey Awards. The brothers claimed 393 voters elected it “worst film”, when responding to a poll in their earlier book The Fifty Worst Films of All Time. In the unrelated if suspiciously similar 2004 documentary, The 50 Worst Movies Ever Made, director Brandon Christopher puts Plan Nine at third worst film. Moreover, the 2004 film’s narrator, Carlos Larkin, snickers at the cardboard steering wheels in the airplane cabin sequence in Plan 9…just as decades ago, in 1982’s It Came from Hollywood (a forgotten cine-manque documentary) John Candy was crowing “Check out that dime-store shower curtain behind the pilots!” Currently, MST3K’s Mike Nelson, doing a narration on the colorized DVD, tries to squeeze a few more laughs out of Plan Nine's failures of art direction. ...........

yes you CAN find vegan food at chain restaurants

i have NEVER had a problem finding something to eat ANYWHERE including the time i was in texas in a bbq house (the smell almost killed me BUT i found things to eat)

Vegan Fare at Restaurant Chains
It’s easier than ever to have a good vegan meal when dining out. Many restaurants now know that if they don’t have vegetarian items available, they will lose customers. If you don’t see anything suitable on the menu, most restaurants will be willing to accommodate you by adapting a dish to your taste.
A delicious vegetarian Boca burger and a fresh garden salad are your options at Bennigan's.
Macaroni Grill has several vegan options, including all the pastas with garlic and oil and its Capellini Pomodoro. Try these tasty bites without the cheese: Tomato Bruschetta and Penne Arrabbiata. When opting for a salad, choose the house or garden without the cheese and top it with the restaurant’s balsamic vinaigrette, Italian dressing, or roasted-garlic vinaigrette.
Hard Rock Cafe offers a vegetarian burger, a veggie sandwich, and salads........

some of my best friends are...........

GOTHS

(mmmmmmmmmm i do wear black a lot, wear TONS of eyemakeup with exaggerated liner AND i'm partial to capes. mmmmmmmmmmmmm)
I have seen the future - and it's goth We mocked their make-up and giggled over their gloom. But the goths are taking over the country. Dave Simpson reports Tuesday March 21, 2006The Guardian

It's every parent's nightmare. Their apparently well-adjusted child suddenly comes home with hair the colour of a coalface, a face whiter than anything made by Dulux, and announces, "Mummy, I'm a goth." However, according to a new study, parents of goths will probably end up boasting about their son/daughter the doctor, lawyer or bank manager....

....It could be tough, but being a goth can open up a world where art, current affairs and literature are embraced and openly discussed, perhaps paving the way for future networking. Unsworth remembers debates about "current affairs, Oscar Wilde, decadence, hairspray ..." "There was a lot of Edgar Allan Poe and Bram Stoker," remembers Porter. "It was better than the Sun." For Hosein, it was Quentin Crisp and "The Day of the Triffids. Anything involving horror and death."...........













image: debate2003.tripod.com/ goths_mascot.jpg

braids

(pictures from dreamweaver braiding. link above)

edward gorey

(years ago i saw dracula on broadway with frank langella. i didn't go to see the play, i went to see the sets BY GOREY)

my favorite science fiction author; vonda n mcintyre

vonda

and her official site

she has written some amazing books. i never quite understood why she isn't given her due by the speculative fiction fans

give her a read. i don't think you'll be sorry






a beaded sea creature vonda made

i have ALWAYS loved toast

a perfect meal - tea and toast (you MUST dunk the toast of course). i have a toast fetish some would say (as you can see i have MANY fetishes). i found this site:

dr toast's amazing world of toast - featuring ask dr toast


here is but ONE question from ask dr toast:

Q: Does toasting bread reduce calories or carbohydrates?
– Joslin
A: The process of toasting bread does not physically reduce calories or carbohydrates. However, eating toast will make you more popular and attractive.
You see, Joslin, toasting bread fundamentally changes its molecular structure. The high temperature convection currents within the toaster transform the complex carbohydrates, through a process known as “Toaster Induced Molecular Transfiguration”, or TIMT, into new molecules that are actually capable of altering the structure of your DNA. These new molecules are called “Molecular Toast Genetic Transmogrificators”, or MTGTs. When the MTGTs enter your bloodstream, they seek out the nuclei of your cells and, through the process of “Active Molecular Toast Genetic Transmogrification”, or AMTGT, modify the very sequence of your genetic code. The resulting enhanced genetic material is appropriately called “Toast Initiated Genetic Transmogrificant”, or TIGT, which over time will result in “Toast Accellerated Human Evolution”, or TAHE. So you see, TIMT-induced MTGTs result in AMTGT on your DNA, giving you TIGT leading to TAHE which, FYI, is A-OK.........

and a link to things i've pushed through toast

Sir Lacksalot: LAUGH, OR YOU'LL CRY

Sir Lacksalot: LAUGH, OR YOU'LL CRY

site of the day: crash bonsai

yup - CRASH BONSAI

shapeshifter

some lovely masks here



turquoise sidhe
dancing dragon
celtic shaman

a.s.c.a.r.

(image left: taken at work a couple of years ago. i forgot if i took it or vincenzo took it)

this is MY kind of organization!

as i've mentioned before crows/ravens (and wolves) are my totems. i have them inked all over my body (image right: i have this symbol inked on the inside of both arms and on the inside of my right ankle)

american society of crows and ravens

Membership in ASCAR
The American Society of Crows and Ravens (ASCAR or the Society) is an international disorganization of - presently - some 700 individuals. Their association is based on shared attitudes and appetites but markedly diverse interests - appreciative, scientific, aesthetic, literary and mythic - in crows, ravens and their significance both ecological and metaphoric.
To become a member (a Corvi), send name and address to:
ASCAR
PO Box # 1423
Lawrence, KS
66044-8423 By and by you will receive a copy of the Corvi Chronicle (see online edition), which is published irregularly by Corvis with an interest in or need for doing so. There is no subscription fee, but it is customary to send contributions to pay for production and mailing of the Chronicle. There is a connection between contributions and the size of the Chronicle and the frequency of its distribution.
Otherwise, the Society has no officers, rules or regulations; does not keep records or levy dues. Often when conducting Society or other business, Corvis prefer to use only a number, i.e. Corvi #19, 87, 408, or whatever. You are free to use any name or number that you fancy and change it as/when you choose. Corvis are free to use any title that they find appealing or necessary, e.g.: Research Fellow, Trustee, Director, etc.........

happy ostara

the american folklife center

Unknown Fiddler from Southern US Field Trip, 1959. Photo by Alan Lomax.

an incredible website...................

What is Folklife?
The everyday and intimate creativity that all of us share and pass on to the next generation:
The traditional songs we sing, listen and dance to
Fairy tales, stories, ghost tales and personal histories
Riddles, proverbs, figures of speech, jokes and special ways of speaking
Our childhood games and rhymes

The way we celebrate life – from birthing our babies to honoring our dead
The entire range of our personal and collective beliefs – religious, medical, magical, and social
Our handed-down recipes and everyday mealtime traditions
The way we decorate our world - from patchwork patterns on our quilts to plastic flamingoes in our yards, to tattoos on our bodies

The crafts we create by hand – crocheted afghans, wooden spoons, cane bottoms on chairs
Patterns and traditions of work – from factory to office cubicle
The many creative ways we express ourselves as members of our family, our community, our geographical region, our ethnic group, our religious congregation, or our occupational group
Folklife is part of everyone's life. It is as constant as a ballad, as changeable as fashion trends. It is as intimate as a lullaby, and as public as a parade.
In the end ... we are all folk.

as promised, my mr bento lunch box

yes, it's my lunchbox fetish again

starting at upper left and going clockwise
the stainless steel outer part. the four containers plus the chopstick container. top bottom and inner containers. my breakfast and lunch for today. salad (lettuce and tomato. salad dressing is packed in a little zip lock baggy), cinnamon apple sauce, soy yogurt with berries and a touch of honey (i put the berries into the yogurt frozen) and polpette ( polpette are just little meat balls. i of course don't make them with meat. i took my noni's recipe and tailored it to me. i used some leftover potatoes, some broccoli and corn, some firm tofu i mashed up, some bread crumbs, nutritional yeast and herbs and spices. my grandmother used leftover turkey or chicken and always used spinach. i didn't have any spinach that's why i used broccoli and corn. most ANY vegetable would work as would leftover beans. use your imagination)

mr bento at amazon

divine droplets

Name: Divine Droplets
Nihonshu-do +3Alcohol 15.6%Seimaibuai 50%Acidity 1.2Rice Yamada NishikiYeast # 9See Parameters to learn about above stats

DESCRIPTION: Junmai Daiginjo. Made by Takasago Shuzo, Hokkaido. The only junmai daiginjo in the world that is made in an igloo-like "Ice Dome," at -2C, 90% humidity, and no wind. A prominent fragrance, a clean and fresh taste, with flavor deep into the recesses.

i love sake. it's so delicate and the styles in which to drink it are numerous and varied. the names of some of the types of sake are as lovely as the customs and traditions surrounding the drinking of the beverage itself. once it was served to me in little square wooden cups which were on top of a little bowl. the person serving let the sake overflow the wooden cup a bit, letting it spill into the bowl. she said this was a wish for me to have a life overflowing with goodness. just remember you must NEVER serve yourself...... (and it's way better cold. don't warm it)

exploding dog

i don't think i will ever have that

(by sam at exploding dog)

a great blog - vegan lunchbox

by a 'stay at home mom' who packs her little shmoo a vegan lunch every day.

from november 15, 2005

chickpea salad in a pita

mandarin orange slices and organic green grapes, jicama sticks, sugar snap peas, and red cabbage, and two Golden Oreos for dessert.

to

march 17, 2006 a thermos filled with green potato soup (potato soup blended with fresh parsley). Next, some St. Patty's Peanut Butter sandwiches from Dr. Fuhrman's book Disease-Proof Your Child (How does the peanut butter turn green? Hint below...). Finally, some green grapes and a little leprechaun lunch box card I found over at Alenka's Printables (an entire collection of free lunch box notes you can print out).

triplets!

Photograph courtesy Ouwehands Zoo











March 14, 2006—They say good things happen in threes, and for this polar bear mom good luck descended in one fell swoop.
The three cubs pictured above are believed to be the first set of polar bear triplets born in captivity. The trio made their public debut last Friday at the Ouwehands Zoo in the Netherlands (see map) city of Rhenen.

nativity - a new movie in the works starring keisha castle-hughes

from whale rider (which is an AMAZING movie by the way) is in the works. sounds rather cool. mary from a WOMAN'S perspective (mmmmmmmmm)

Whale Rider's Immaculate Conception
Posted Mar 17th 2006 5:08PM by Martha Fischer Filed under: Drama, Casting, New Line, Newsstand

New Line's Virgin Mary project - entitle Nativity - has come together incredibly quickly: between the purchase of Mike Rich's spec script and the start of production this spring, less than six full months will have passed, and the studio plans to have the movie in theaters by December, not even 12 months after the script was bought. (If writers whose scripts are mired in development hell find out about this, we risk a rash of quiet suicides.) The film, which will be directed by the very unconventional Catherine Hardwicke, will tell Mary's story from a "strong female perspective," detailing her travels with Joseph, and the obstacles they encountered. According to today's Hollywood Reporter, Mary will be played by the world's only 15-year-old with an Oscar nomination under her belt, Whale Rider's Keisha Castle-Hughes.

i didn't see mission impossible i or ii

and i sure as shite ain't gonna see iii either (even before reading about THIS crap) and i am going to ask everyone i know NOT to see mi iii either. just on principal ALONE. granted i don't know many 15 year old boys (i'm guessing that's the demographic for this type of movie)

i read a little blurb yesterday in the gossip column of my local paper about tom cruise allegedly blocking a repeat of the south park episode that made fun of scientology and perhaps questioned his sexual orientation as well (and sparked issac hayes departure allegedly). seems the owner or distributor of mi iii is also the very same owner or distrubutor of comedy central where south park airs

i wanted an article with a bit miore substance than the gossip column so i found this out of the uk of course

South Park declares war on Tom Cruise

Cartoon's parody of Scientology is taken off air, prompting accusations of censorship
By David Usborne
Published: 19 March 2006

He has defeated enemy fighter pilots and alien forces. But now Tom Cruise faces his most dangerous foe ever: a foul-mouthed foursome of pre-teens.
If that seems sort of humiliating, wait for the rest. While the children are no more real than the mechanical invaders in War of the Worlds, Cruise's campaign to crush them is far from fictional. It's Tom Cruise vs South Park. And it promises to be fun.
South Park is the less than respectful television animation series that has sustained its popularity for a decade because of its fearless satirising of anyone and everyone. It drew headlines early last week, however, when musician Isaac Hayes, who since 1997 has been the voice of Chef, suddenly upped and left in a huff.
Hayes declared that South Park, which follows the hell-raising of the four kids, had gone too far in its lampooning of religion. Specifically, he was cross about its recent mocking of the Church of Scientology. Hayes is a Scientologist. So is Cruise.
The departure of Hayes created some publicity for the show and its creators, Trey Parker and Matt Stone. But now things are even more interesting. Comedy Central, the channel that broadcasts it in the US, was scheduled to air a repeat of the episode that had so upset Hayes on Wednesday night. But then, suddenly, it didn't...........

..........Parker and Stone are not taking this lying down. "So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the two said in a statement that seemed to parody Scientology as science fiction. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies. Curses and drat! You have obstructed us for now, but your feeble bid to save humanity will fail! Hail Xenu!!!"
But for the epic battle, Cruise has a secret weapon. It is alleged that he threatened to withdraw from any promotional activity for his next film, Mission: Impossible III, out on 5 May. The movie has been made by Paramount, which is owned by Viacom. And Viacom owns Comedy Central............

..........Everyone involved is denying everything, of course. Comedy Central says it pulled the episode so it could run two episodes featuring Chef as a tribute to Hayes. Paramount says Cruise never made threats. And Cruise, through a spokesman, said the same.
And no one believes a word of it. The Los Angeles Times dubbed the flap Closetgate. "For Stone and Parker, Closetgate will be the gift that keeps on giving," it said.............

lots of great links in this story from cinematical

Will Viacom Keep Tom Cruise in the Closet?
Posted Mar 18th 2006 5:33PM by Kim VoynarFiled under: Celebrities and Controversy, Politics

A couple days ago, I posted about the supposed controversy around the South Park episode "Trapped in the Closet" being pulled by parent company Viacom, ostensibly in response to Tom Cruise threatening to pull ads for Mission: Impossible: 3 if the episode was aired. Daily Variety reported yesterday that an anonymous Cruise spokesman denied the allegations, but an interesting statement from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone - signed "Trey Parker and Matt Stone, servants of the dark lord Xenu" - seems to indicate otherwise. Parker and Stone were reportedly told not to discuss the reasons behind the episode being pulled, but did anyone really expect those boys to stay muzzled for long? I think not.
Now the heavies are getting into the game. Jim Emerson, writing on the Scanners blog on Roger Ebert's website, wrote earlier this week about the brouhaha around Isaac Hayes' abrupt departure from South Park, and yesterday posted another lengthy piece about the issue of Scientology and the First Amendment. Now even Andrew Sullivan is getting on the bandwagon, urging his readers to demand the airing of "Trapped in the Closet" and, while they're at it, to boycott Mission: Impossible: 3. Rolling Stone has a really good in-depth article on Scientology in general, as well - one of the few pieces with which the Scientology bigwigs actually cooperated. It's long, but an engrossing read............