Mirror Mask

A production from

The Jim Henson Company
Directed by Dave McKean
Screenplay by Neil Gaiman
Executive Produced by Lisa Henson, Michael R. Polis, Martin G. Baker

Starring

Stephanie Leonidas
Jason Barry
Rob Brydon
Gina McKee

MirrorMask Images

MIRRORMASK is a groundbreaking effort from director Dave McKean with a screenplay by Neil Gaiman. Teaming up with The Jim Henson Company, they combine live action with digital animation in a spectacular concoction that will dazzle audiences across the board.

MIRRORMASK tells the story of Helena (Leonidas), a fifteen-year-old girl working for her family circus, who wishes-quite ironically-that she could run away from the circus and join real life. But such is not to be the case, as she finds herself on a strange journey into the Dark Lands, a fantastic landscape filled with giants, monkeybirds and dangerous sphinxes. On her quest to return home, Helena searches for the Mirrormask, an object of enormous power, which is her only hope of escaping the Dark Lands.

A dark fantasy with elements of THE DARK CRYSTAL and LABYRINTH, MIRRORMASK is a thrilling new chapter in the celebrated careers of Dave McKean and Neil Gaiman. Filled with imagination and unforgettable imagery, and fully realized with the help of CGI, MIRRORMASK is a visual and psychological menagerie of dreamscapes, nightmares and otherworldly creatures.

Director’s statement

“I don’t know where to start, every day was a steep learning experience…

I would say I have learned most about my own strengths and weaknesses. I have a tendency to fall in love with the purity of a formal solution to a problem, and then I just become blind to its possible flaws, and any little changes made feel like they are watering down the idea. I think this caused several difficulties on the film, and I think I'll be conscious of that tunnel vision from now on.

Editing is always a wondrous experience, an alchemical experience. But on this film, working with an editor really for the first time, and noticing his approach, continually 'on the story', was a big lesson. Any block of dialogue in the script longer than three lines looked suspiciously like fat needing to be trimmed. We cut our penultimate edit, which didn't have any scenes or large chunks to shed, down by ten minutes just by trimming frames, and the odd shot. I have no idea where all that fat came from, but it really helped.

I have also learned that you don't start up a new computer-rendering studio during production. The little blighters need at least three months to get to know each other before an animator goes anywhere near them. And finally, I learned that computers are as human as the rest of us. Our technical director named all the machines after different bands. The four Macs in the edit suite were named after the Beatles; fair enough, I was John. But then we needed a fifth so he named it Yoko, and they all stopped talking to each other.”

—Dave McKean




About the Production

Helena’s journey is an incredible story. But how could it be otherwise when its creators are Neil Gaiman, the award-winning author of Sandman, American Gods and Neverwhere, and director/designer and multimedia artist, David McKean. In addition to this potent collaboration, the setting where MirrorMask’s story was first conceived is just as inspiring. As Neil Gaiman tells it: “Dave and I created the story and script for MirrorMask in the Henson family home in London, surrounded by memorabilia and artifacts from Jim Henson’s astonishing career in television and fantasy filmmaking. It was a true challenge and inspiration to try to make something today that would be as visually rich, creative, funny and as moving as Jim Henson’s original works.”

MirrorMask combines live action with digital animation, set in a spectacular computer generated landscape. A “visually rich” and “creative” environment, indeed— and an achievement that is all the more dazzling given the limits imposed by their independent film budget. Working with Producer Simon Moorhead and Executive Producers Martin G. Baker, Lisa Henson and Michael Polis, Gaiman and McKean had to create a production process that mixed new technology, off-the-shelf hardware and just plain unorthodox thinking.

After shooting on location in London and Brighton for two weeks, followed by four weeks in a blue screen studio, the film entered its arduous post-production phase. McKean researched different computer animation studios who could build the world of MirrorMask, but instead chose to form his own team of animators. And so, for just over a year, seventeen animators (many of them recent Computer Animation graduates from Bournemouth University in England) worked at PC stations in a single quiet room in Islington as McKean personally supervised every frame of the film, thus ensuring that his and Gaiman’s original artistic tone would be completely realized.

MirrorMask is a groundbreaking effort to take the stunning authorship and artistry of Gaiman and McKean off the pages of the graphic novel for the first time and put that vision on the screen. The result is a visually and emotionally compelling story that is sweeping and powerful, yet with the intimate, handcrafted feel of an independent film.




ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS

Dave McKean—Director, Designer, Story

Born in Taplow, Berkshire in 1963, Dave McKean attended Berkshire College of Art and Design and upon graduation in 1986 had already begun his professional career as an illustrator. Today, McKean is an internationally known award-winning artist with a prolific career spanning all forms of media.

An accomplished director of short films, McKean’s The Week Before (1998) toured international festivals as did his 2002 film N[EON], First Prize winner at the Clermont-Ferrand Film Festival. MirrorMask marks his debut as a feature film director.

As a writer and illustrator, McKean has been recognized with numerous awards including the Harvey Award for Best New Comic, the International Alph Art Award for Best Graphic Novel and Italy's La Pantera Award, all for the comic novel Cages published from 1990 to1996. His latest collection of short stories in comics form, Pictures That Tick, won Overall First Prize for the National Book Awards in 2002.

He has partnered as a graphic illustrator with such writers as Grant Morrisson (Arkham Asylum, the single most successful graphic novel ever published), SF Said, (Varjak Paw, recipient of the Smarties Gold Award), Stephen King (Wizard & Glass) and most notably, Neil Gaiman.

McKean and Gaiman met in 1986 and their many collaborations over the years have resulted in some of the most acclaimed and beloved literary projects of today. Their first book, Violent Cases (1987), has been printed worldwide and adapted for the stage. Other titles include Black Orchid (1988), Signal To Noise (1990) and Mr. Punch (1995), exhibited at the Victoria & Albert Museum as a National Book Award winner. McKean has also contributed all the cover illustrations and design for the World Fantasy Award-winning Sandman series of graphic novels. A collection of this work, Dust Covers, was published in 1998. More recently McKean and Gaiman released their first children’s books The Day I Swapped My Dad for Two Goldfish and The Wolves in the Walls (NY Times Illustrated Book of the Year).

McKean has produced promotional campaigns for Smirnoff, BMW/Mini, Nike, and Eurostar as well as the films Blade, Alien Resurrection, The King is Alive, Dust and Sleepy Hollow. In 1995, he created the image launching The Sony Playstation and in 1996 was one of four photographers chosen by Kodak to launch their new color film with a book, video and global ad package. His many magazine contributions include illustrations for The New Yorker and Playboy and he has designed, illustrated and photographed over one hundred and fifty album covers since 1990, including recent releases by Tori Amos, Real World, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Bill Laswell, Alice Cooper, Dream Theater, Counting Crows, Front Line Assembly, and Bill Bruford,

McKean recently founded Ferel Records with saxophonist Iain Bellamy. He is currently working on two feature film scripts, three books to tie in with the release of MirrorMask, extensive designs, films and photographs for a Broadway musical and a new children’s book Crazy Hair, again partnering with Neil Gaiman.




Neil Gaiman—Screenplay, Story

For more than 20 years, Neil Gaiman has been one of the world’s most successful, honored and beloved writers in modern comics and has become a best-selling novelist as well. He is listed in the Dictionary of Literary Biography as one of the top ten living post-modern writers. Like so many of his works, his most recent novel, American Gods, received several awards including the Hugo, Bram Stoker and SFX awards.

His most popular title, the monthly cult DC Comics series, Sandman, was described by the LA Times as "The greatest epic in the history of comic books" and "the best monthly comic book in the world". Sandman received numerous honors including the Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Writer (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994), Best Continuing Series (1991, 1992, 1993), Best Graphic Album-- reprint (1991), and the Best Graphic Album -- New (1993); and Sandman #19 took the 1991 World Fantasy Award for Best Short Story (the first comic ever to be awarded a literary award). Sandman the comic sold over a million copies a year and collections of the comic have sold several million copies as well, remaining in print to this day. After ending the original Sandman story, the return to the world of Sandman in 2003 with Sandman: Endless Nights was an international event. The book went straight onto the New York Times bestseller list (the first graphic novel by a comics publisher to do so) and won Gaiman two more Eisner Awards, for Best Collection and Best Story (“Death and Venice”). The covers of this wildly popular comic are among the many successful ventures with illustrator Dave McKean.

Other books from Gaiman and McKean include Violent Cases (1987), a meditation on memory, evil, and kids' birthday parties and winner of the Eagle Award as Best Graphic Novel (1988) and Coraline (2002), an international bestseller, a New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Hugo, the Nebula, the Elizabeth Burr/Worzalla Award, the BSFA award, and the Bram Stoker award. Their first book for children, The Day I Swapped My Dad For Two Goldfish (1997, reissued in 2004) was listed by Newsweek as one of the Best Children's Books. Among many other collaborations are Mr. Punch (a dark tale of childhood and puppets), Signal to Noise (a graphic novella series about a dying film director) and the children’s picture book, The Wolves in the Walls, which Gaiman is currently working to adapt as a theatrical production.

Gaiman’s notable television work includes the fantastical BBC TV series Neverwhere, based on his best-selling novel. He also wrote an episode for the final season of the cult show Babylon 5, “The Day of the Dead”, the only episode in the last three seasons not to have been written by the show's creator, J. Michael Straczynski.

In 2002 Gaiman wrote and directed his first film, A Short Film About John Bolton, a dark funny film currently scheduled for upcoming release on DVD. Many of Gaiman’s literary works are also in development or production as feature films. Among them, Warner Brothers has optioned Sandman and the three-part series Death; The High Cost of Living; Coraline is being put into production by Will Vinton Studios; and The Jim Henson Company is developing Neverwhere with Gaiman as the film’s writer.




Lisa Henson—Executive Producer

Lisa Henson is Co-Chief Executive Officer of The Jim Henson Company where she, along with her brother Brian, is responsible for the Company’s strategic and creative direction. Henson oversees all television and feature film production for the Company from early development through post-production.

Current feature films include Five Children and It and the fantasy feature MirrorMasK. She also recently produced Good Boy!, the live-action family film released by MGM. Current television projects in production include Muppets’ Wizard of Oz and the animated series Frances. Henson is presently developing Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer and Astroboy, the successful Japanese franchise.

Prior to her current position, Henson, in partnership with producer Janet Yang, executive produced High Crimes, ivansxtc, and The Weight of Water and also produced Zero Effect. In her previous post as President of Columbia Pictures, she was in charge of all creative business affairs, administrative and production-related matters and responsible for a string of critical and commercial successes including Bad Boys, Men in Black, Fly Away Home, and the critically acclaimed, Academy Award®-winning Sense and Sensibility. Prior to joining Columbia Pictures, Ms. Henson served ten years as a Production Executive at Warner Bros., working on such blockbusters as Lethal Weapon, Batman and Batman Returns.

Michael R. Polis—Executive Producer

Michael R. Polis is Senior Vice President of Marketing and Home Entertainment Worldwide for The Jim Henson Company as well as Executive Producer on MirrorMask. Other Executive Producer credits include Bear in the Big Blue House Live! and the Emmy®-nominated Kermit’s Swamp Years. In addition to producing projects for the Company, he oversees all aspects of brand marketing, licensing and home entertainment and leads strategic initiatives for fantasy and science fiction brands such as the award-winning Farscape and the world-renowned fantasy films Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. Mr. Polis also oversees Jim Henson Family Showcase properties including Frances and Fraggle Rock through a partnership with HIT Entertainment.

Prior to his current position, Mr. Polis was Executive Director of Marketing for Universal Studios Home Entertainment responsible for marketing such films as Babe, The Lost World: Jurassic Park, E.T. The Extraterrestrial and The Land Before Time series.




Martin G. Baker—Executive Producer

Martin G. Baker began his prolific career with JHC in 1979 and during his 20-year tenure worked on the feature film classics that inspired MirrorMask - The Dark Crystal, and Labyrinth, notably his first project as an associate producer. Since then, he has gone on to produce such features as The Muppet Christmas Carol, Muppet Treasure Island and Muppets From Space as well as executive producing The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland. Mr. Baker’s long list of television producing credits include the award-winning Farscape, It's A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie, Jim Henson's Jack and the Beanstalk: The Real Story, Fraggle Rock, Jim Henson's The Storyteller, The Jim Henson Hour and Muppets Tonight. He is currently in production on Muppet Wizard of Oz shooting in Vancouver.

Simon Moorhead—Producer

Simon Moorhead has enjoyed a varied career working across a variety of production disciplines in both film & television. During this time he has been involved with many award-winning productions, including: A Distant Drummer, Widow Maker, Birds of a Feather, Jigsaw, Life and Loves of a She-Devil, Threads and the prophetic ITV mini-series Chimera.

Simon has produced, directed and written shows for the BBC, ITV1, Channel 4, National Geographic, Virgin Records, Kodak, Satchi & Satchi, Eurotunnel, Norwich Union, BT and Disco Volanti.

Throughout the last eight years Simon has produced Dave McKean’s films and videos, including the award winning N[EON]. MirrorMask marks his first full-length feature film as a producer.

The Jim Henson Company

The Jim Henson Company, an established leader in family entertainment for half a century, is recognized worldwide as a leader in puppetry, animatronics and computer graphics. Best known as creators of the world famous Muppets (the rights to which are now owned by The Walt Disney Company), Henson is the recipient of nearly 50 Emmy Awards and nine Grammy Awards. Additionally, Jim Henson’s Creature Shop™ has received two Academy Awards for the visual effects and animatronic builds for the 1996 smash BABE, and the invention of the Henson Performance Control System—a powerful, custom-built puppeteering mechanism. Recent projects include the Emmy nominated FARSCAPE, the family film GOOD BOY! and the features Five Children and It and MirrorMask. The company is currently in post- production on the preschool series Frances and the television movie The Muppets’ Wizard of Oz. Headquartered in Los Angeles with offices and production facilities in New York and London, The Jim Henson Company has a website located at: www.henson.com




ABOUT THE CAST

STEPHANIE LEONIDAS—Helena

In MirrorMask, the new film from The Jim Henson Company, Stephanie Leonidas portrays Helena, a fifteen-year-old girl working for her family circus, who wishes – quite ironically – that she could run away and join real life.

Leonidas most recently appeared in YES from Adventure Pictures and Fogbound for Mulholland Pictures, which will come out June 24, 2005 from Sony Pictures Classics. She has appeared in many of the UK’s most popular TV series including Rose and Maloney (Katie), Beneath the Skin (Zoe), Wall of Silence (Tracy) and Night and Day (Della). Her theater credits include The Sugar Syndrome and she can next be seen in the upcoming feature film Feast of the Goat from Future Films.

GINA McKEE—Joanne / Queen of Light / Queen of Shadows

Gina McKee takes on three roles in Mirrormask, the new feature film from The Jim Henson Company. Playing Joanna, the heroine's mother who becomes suddenly ill, she also plays both of the opposing queens in the film's fantasy world.

In addition to her roles in Roger Michell's Notting Hill and Michael Winterbottom's Wonderland, Mckee's extensive film credits include The Croupier, There's Only One Jimmy Grimble, Women Talking Dirty, The Divine Secrets of The Ya Ya Sisterhood, The Loss of Sexual Innocence and Naked.

Mckee received a Best Actress BAFTA for her role as Mary in the BBC television production of Our Friends in the North. She was also nominated for a BAFTA for her work in the BBC's The Lost Prince (Lalla). Other television credits include The Forsyte Saga (Irene), The Blackwater Lightship (Helen), Mothertime (Caroline) and soon to be screened in the UK, The Baby War.

JASON BARRY—Valentine

Jason Barry plays Valentine, Helena’s unreliable companion through the fantasy world of MIRRORMASK, the new feature film from The Jim Henson Company.

Barry’s recent film credits include Conspiracy of Silence and Kaos as well as When the Sky Falls for 20th Century Fox, Noose with director Ted Demme, Titanic with director James Cameron and Circle of Friends directed by Pat O’Connor.

On television, Barry has recently completed filming ITV’s The Baby War. He has also been seen in Granada’s Metropolis as well as Whiskey Echo, Absolute Power, Servants, Man & Boyall for the BBC.

Notable stage work includes The Plough and the Stars, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love’s Labours Lost and Beowulf.




STARRING

(in alphabetical order)

Valentine JASON BARRY

Morris Campbell / Prime Minister ROB BRYDON

Helena / Anti-Helena STEPHANIE LEONIDAS

Joanne / Queen of Light / Queen of Shadows GINA MCKEE

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: Lisa Henson, Michael Polis, Martin G. Baker

PRODUCED BY: Simon Moorhead

DESIGNED & DIRECTED BY: Dave McKean

SCREENPLAY BY: Neil Gaiman

STORY BY: Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean

MUSIC BY: Iain Ballamy

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY: Antony Shearn

EDITOR: Nicolas Gaster

Yahoo 360

Been playing with Yahoo 360 as of late. We shall see... that is all... we shall see.

Nothing much

I don't why but the last two items seemed worthy of a posting. Both are from Cook's Illustrated and since the summer is winding down I plan on trying both of them soon. So, there you go.

Recipe: Peach Salsa

The terms 'salsa,' and 'relish' can be used interchangeably, though salsas are usually made with Latin ingredients or flavors. Here's a quick, short, no-cook peach salsa from the book The Cook's Illustrated Guide to Grilling and Barbecue; the salsa is great served with grilled pork or lamb.

Peach Salsa
Nectarines can be substituted for the peaches.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups

2 ripe but still firm peaches, pitted and chopped coarse
1 small red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and diced
1 small red onion, diced
6 tablespoons juice from 6 limes
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1 jalapeño chile, seeds and ribs removed, then minced
1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
Salt

Mix all of the ingredients, including salt to taste, together in a medium bowl. Cover the salsa and refrigerate to blend the flavors at least 1 hour or up to 4 days.

Microwave Iced Tea

Microwave Iced Tea

Written: 7/1999
Depending on the quality of your tap water, you may want to use bottled spring water to make both the tea itself and your ice cubes. Doubling this recipe is easy, but use a large saucepan and expect the water to take a few minutes longer to reach the proper temperature. For a slightly stronger iced tea, reduce the amount of ice to 3 cups. Garnish with a thin lemon wedge to squeeze into the tea, if you like. Using a 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup makes this tea a one-pot drink from brewing to pouring. Exact heating time will depend on the power of your microwave and the starting temperature of the water.

Makes 1 1/2 quarts, serving 4 to 6
5 tea bags of your choice
1 quart spring water (see note)
1 - 6 tablespoons granulated sugar or natural cane sugar (depending on desired sweetness)
1 quart ice cubes (see note), plus additional cubes for glasses

To make it even easier to have a quick glass of iced tea, keep ice-filled glasses in the door of the freezer.

Heat tea bags and water in 2-quart Pyrex measuring cup or other large microwave-safe bowl covered with microwave-safe dinner plate, on high power until dark colored, very steamy, and water starts to move but not boil (an instant-read thermometer will register about 190 degrees), 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from microwave and steep 3 minutes (no longer or the tea may become bitter). Remove plate; remove and discard tea bags. Stir in sugar, if using, until dissolved; stir in ice until melted. Serve in ice-filled glasses.

Gettingit.com: Dressing Up Dick

Gettingit.com: Dressing Up Dick: "The Japanese art of Kokigami". A the concept of wrapping your rascal in paper is just too beautiful. There are a bunch of books on this but to find a site that includes free samples. Well that does perk up one's day or something else perhaps. Back to work...

Orikaso Flatworld Orikaso Dish

Image: Orikaso Flatworld Orikaso Dish What a great device, origami and camping/picnic stuff combined. Way cool. Thank you Cool Tools.

Yo Chuck! Part 2: Killing Yourself to Live

For 6,557 miles, Chuck Klosterman thought as much as possible about death and dying. He drove a rental car from New York to Rhode Island to Georgia to Mississippi to Iowa to Minneapolis to Fargo to Seattle, and he chased death and rock n’ roll all the way. Over the span of 21 days, Chuck had three relationships end (one by choice, one by chance, and one by exhaustion). He snorted cocaine in a graveyard. He walked a half mile through the bean field. A waitress in Dickinson, ND, explained to him why he would never be happy. He listened to KISS solo albums and realized its band members represent every woman he ever cared about. At one point, poisonous snakes became involved. The road is hard.

From the Chelsea Hotel to the swamp where Lynyrd Skynyrd’s plane went down to the spot where Kurt Cobain blew his head off, Chuck explores every brand of rock star demise. He wants to know why the greatest career move any musician can make is to stop breathing…and what this means for the rest of us. With Fargo Rock City, Chuck examined the way we grow up on popular culture. With Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puff, Chuck took a look at the way we form our adult lives around popular culture. With Killing Yourself to Live, he takes on nothing less than the rest of it – living, loving, and dying – all through the ever-present lens of that which entertains us.

Yo Chuck! Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs

Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs is the manifesto for a youth gone wild with hatred and love for that which they are bombarded with, i.e. pop culture and media. Using the same memoir/deconstructive style he employed with Fargo Rock City, Chuck explores all of the things that most of us dismiss (intellectually, at least). John Cusack is to blame for Chuck’s lack of romantic satisfaction. Internet porn totally baffles him. Reality television peeves him off to no end, which is why he can’t stop watching it. The Dixie Chicks are the new Van Halen because teenage girls are the new teenage boys. And, under no circumstances, would Chuck make for a benevolent God. Each topic is connected by small passages that pull together a massive cultural quilt, one that Chuck has stitched to “playfully help people understand what they know through who they are.” Well, whatever he’s trying to do, it makes for a non-stop good time.

A-Z Quiz

The Alphabet Survey
Created by theaangel and taken 22 times on bzoink!
*~~A~~*
Apples: Red, yellow, green or none?	Red - Sometimes green
Animals: Suppose reincarnation happens, what animal would you become?	Rabbit
Allergies: Have you got 'em? To what?	NA
Asses: Everybody's got one...who do you know has a nice one?	my wife
Art: Have a favorite piece? What?	Bunches. Some by family, others by well others.
*~~B~~*
Bands: Who's the greatest one...EVER?	The Cramps
Beverages: What do you like to drink?	Tea, Coffee, Liquor, Liquids
Boys: What's their problem?	We have dicks - duh.
Baked goods: Have a favorite one?	Bread in all it's splendor and glory
Balls: Footballs, basketballs, baseballs...which balls to you prefer?	I like my balls thank you very much.
*~~C~~*
Coins: Penny, nickel, dime, quarter, any other one, which is best and why?	Quarters - nice size and semi practical.
Crayfish or crawdads? What do you call dem critters?	Crawdaddys
CDs: What one have you worn out in your CD player?	Pizzicato Five
Cups: Do you have one that you use more than others? Describe it.	Bodum Glass Tea Mug
Capes: Are they a bad idea for superheros?	Yes and No. I don't get the whole flying thing.
*~~D~~*
Doorknobs: Has anyone ever dared you to talk dirty to one?	No
Doors: Do you have a lock on your bedroom door?	No
Dirt: Do you mind getting a little dirty?	Sure
Democrats: Are you one?	For the most part - yes.
Dumbasses: Quick, name your favorite famous one.	Not worth the time or effort.
*~~E~~*
Eggs: How would you like your eggs prepared today?	Omlet
Engineers: Is/was your dad an engineer of any kind?	No
Eyes: What color are yours?	Blue but they do change
Eastside: or Westside?	Westside
English: Is it your first language?	Yes
*~~F~~*
Fridays: Do you thank God when it's Friday?	No
Fluoride: What flavor do you prefer at the dentist?	I don't because the dentist sucks and not in a good way.
Fans: Are ceiling fans tacky or practical...or both?	Practical, just try one.
Fans (of the other variety): Who's your biggest fan?	Fans should be invisible but their presence felt.
Florida: Have you been? How many times?	Once
*~~G~~*
Girls: What's their problem?	Pussy Power - duh.
Guts: Do do do do you have it? (or at least appreciate the reference)	Sometimes but I don't get reference.
Gourdes: Have you ever carved one, or merely boring pumpkins?	Yes
Gross: What's the grossest thing you can think of right now?	Vomit with chunks - really gross
Grapes: Gotta ask, red, purple, or green?	Red sometimes purple
*~~H~~*
Heat: What's the approximate temperature when you complain about the heat?	Over Ninety
Heather: Do you automatically associate the name with a slut?	Sometimes but I dig that name especially in a sweater.
Hair: The worst hairstyle you've ever had?	Who cares it's just hair.
Height: Are more of your friends shorter or taller than you?	Shorter
Hours: How many do you sleep a night?	About eight.
*~~I~~*
Idiom: Your favorite? You know you have one...	In a pig's eye.
Islands: Come on, WHO would you want with you on a deserted island?	Noone
Igloo: How long would you last living in one?	All winter
Illness: The last one you had?	Cold
Ice Cream: How many scoops?	One big one.
*~~J~~*
Jack-in-the-Box: Restaurant or child's plaything?	Both
Judgemental: Are you?	Sometimes but I try not to be
Juice: Which fruit produces the best?	Pineapple
Jam: or jelly?	Jam
Joy: When do you feel real joy?	Too personal.
*~~K~~*
Kindergarten: Best thing about it?	Nap time and the cookies.
Kaleidoscope: Do you own one? Is it pretty?	Yes and Yes
Keys: How many are on your keychain?	Four
Koi: Ever eaten it?	No
KY: Do those commercials make you giggle?	No
*~~L~~*
Latin: Is it useful to know?	Yes but I'm not going to learn it in my lifetime.
Line: Shortest distance between two points?	Not a straight line.
Lavatory: Why don't they just say toilet?	Does anyone really go to the head.
Love: Who loves you, baby?	A bunch of people.
Laugh: Is your laugh annoying?	No
*~~M~~*
Million: Have you ever seen a million of anything?	Yep
Mother: Is a boy's best friend really his mother, eh Norman?	Yes
Married: At what point will you become depressed if you're not?	Still happily married at year seven
Morning: Are you one of those obnoxious morning people?	No
Mole: Does that term make you want to vomit, chemistry students?	No
*~~N~~*
Noun: Pretend this is MadLibs...gimme a good one.	Jug
Noon: Still asleep or seizing the day?	Seizing the Day
Normal: How much do you hate that word? Or do you still think you're it?	It's just a word.
No: What part of it don't you understand?	The first part.
News: Is no news good news?	Yes
*~~O~~*
O-face: How ridiculous is yours?	Very serious the O-face
Olives: Green or black?	Green
Ostriches: Do you have any at your local zoo? If so, do they scare you?	Yes - Sort of.
Origami: Can you make one of those swan thingies?	Yes
Okie Dokie: Do you ever say that?	Yes
*~~P~~*
Past: Does your past stay in the past, or haunt your present?	Past - sometimes haunting
Pearls: For old ladies or stylish chicas?	Depends on the pearls
Pole: Can you pole dance or would you ever try?	No
Purple: Are you gay if you like that color?	No
Pennies: Is it insulting to give pennies for your thoughts?	No it shows good sense.
*~~Q~~*
Quasar: Go on smartypants...what is it?	Think Astronomy and Carl Sagan
Quailman: Would the world be a better place if he was real?	No
Quotation: What's your favorite quotation by the genius, Anon.?	Bite Me
Question: Ask ME one now.	Why do we think time is such a linear concept?
Queen: Do you know one?	Yes
*~~R~~*
Rights: Which of your rights would you fight for?	Freedom of thought
Rectum: Are you laughing yet? Or are you too mature?	Yes
Radio: Best radio station?	Japan-A-Radio
Rave: You know, with glow sticks. Have you done it?	No
Reality: What is it really?	Doesn't really exist - sorry
*~~S~~*
Strange: The strangest thing you've ever seen someone do?	Nothing is that strange anymore
Signature: Is yours legible?	Yes
School: What do you think of it?	Education is the greatest gift - honest
Sexy: What makes one sexy?	Too many elements but think eyes and lips
Stupid: is as stupid does?	No that's moronic
*~~T~~*
Tea: Relaxing or just gross?	Good
Temperature: Are you hot or cold right now?	Just right thanks
Tease: Are you one or just fall for those who are?	Neither but they are fun to look at
Ticklish: You know you are...where?	Feet but only if caught off guard
Take: Do you more often give or take?	Give
*~~U~~*
Umbrella: Do you carry one in your purse, bookbag, or car?	Car and office
Unicorns: What if we were all unicorns?	That's kind of phallic isn't it
Underestimated: Are you?	No
Universe: How big is it?	Ever expanding
Ugly: Why does society curse the ugly ones?	Cause we are a silly lot
*~~V~~*
Vortex: If you got sucked into a vortex, where would you end up?	Some other place
Vicodin: Ever been prescribed it?	No
Vixen: Is that a derogatory term?	No
Violin: Do you play?	No
Variety: The spice of life?	Yes
*~~W~~*
Weakness: What's yours?	Food
Wallaby: Can't you just call it a kangaroo?	I don't know perhaps
Work: Do you for money?	Yes
Wallpaper: Got any in your room?	Nope - paint
War: What is it good for?	Absolutely nothing.
*~~X~~*
XXX: Vin Diesel movie or something verrrrrry dirty?	Good and dirty please.
X-Ray: Ever had to get them? For what?	Yep
Xylophone: Honestly, what else starts with x?	Xerox
*~~Y~~*
You: What's so special about you anyway?	I am still here
Year: What's been the greatest of your life?	Every year is a beautiful thing
Yorkie: Can you stand those yipping dogs?	Good for drop kicking
Yellow: Good song?	Oh Yeah
Yes: Are you a yes man/woman?	Sometimes
*~~Z~~*
ZZZZZ: Do you need to catch some after this exhausting survey?	Yes just a five minute cat nap please.
Create a Survey | Search Surveys | Go to bzoink!

DIY CD Jewel Case Photo Calendar Printing Software for Mac OS X

DIY CD Jewel Case Photo Calendar Printing Software for Mac OS XMAKE magazine is my hero. Sure some of this stuff I will never do but then some of it well hey. It all does my little mac heart some good to see things out there like this.

Jewelboxing - Super Jewel Box Packaging System - CD and DVD Cases

Jewelboxing - Super Jewel Box Packaging System - CD and DVD Cases Work up some compilation cds and surprise some friends - mental note to work more on that creative side. Smile, the world isn't a fireball.

artforum.com / DIARY

artforum.com / DIARY I do believe that is my brother there in the plaid. Way to go Paul. It's an exciting world out there and it's always good to know someone is working hard to influence it. Anyways my best wishes go out to you.

Napkin Folding 101

Napkin Folding 101 The whole napkin folding thing is kind of bizzare but pretty cool just the same. This site reminded me of an origami book we once picked up that included a section on said napkin folding. Creases and symetry rule the world.

Indigo Tea Company, Bodum Shin-cha tea press teapot

Indigo Tea Company, Bodum Shin-cha tea press teapot

I saw these teapots searching for a gift. They are quite beautiful and functional to boot. Mental note, go grab one of these teapots it will fit what you have been looking for, trust in yourself.

children laying before a statue of hercules

CHILDREN PLAYING
BEFORE A STATUE
OF HERCULES

From the #1 bestselling author of Me Talk Pretty One Day and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim comes a collection of the short stories David Sedaris loves most. Containing the work of both contemporary and classic writers, CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCULES (Simon & Schuster; April 4, 2005; $14.95), edited and introduced by Sedaris, gives his legions of fans a glimpse at the writing he finds inspiring - and helps them discover the truth abut loneliness, hope, love, betrayal, and certain, but not all, monkeys.
David Sedaris fell in love with short stories while living in Odell, Oregon. Sedaris writes, "When apple-picking season ended, I got a job in a packing plant and gravitated toward short stories, which I could read during my break and reflect upon for the remainder of my shift. A good one would take me out of myself and stuff me back in, outsized, now, and uneasy with the fit." Featuring such notable writers as Alice Munro, Tobias Wolff, Lorrie Moore, and Joyce Carol Oates, readers will reconnect with classics, as well discover fantastic but lesser-known writers.

Included in CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCULES are:
" Introduction by David Sedaris
" "Oh, Joseph, I'm So Tired" by Richard Yates
" "Gryphon" by Charles Baxter
" "Interpreter of Maladies" by Jhumpa Lahiri
" "The Garden Party" by Katherine Mansfield
" "Half A Grapefruit" by Alice Munro
" "Applause, Applause" by Jean Thompson
" "I Know What I'm Doing About All the Attention I've Been Getting" by Frank Gannon
" "Where the Door Is Always Open and the Welcome Mat Is Out" by Patricia Highsmith
" "The Best of Betty" by Jincy Willett
" "Song of the Shirt, 1941" by Dorothy Parker
" "The Girl with the Blackened Eye" by Joyce Carol Oates
" "People Like That Are the Only People Here: Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk" by Lorrie Moore
" "Revelation" by Flannery O'Connor
" "In the Cemetery Where Al Jolson Is Buried" by Amy Hempel
" "Cosmopolitan" by Akhil Sharma
" "Irish Girl" by Tim Johnston
" "Bullet in the Brain" by Tobias Wolff
" Epilogue by Sarah Vowell

Borrowing the book's name from an Adriaen van der Werff painting, CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCULES is David Sedaris's attempt to share his passion for short stories with a wider audience-and his enthusiasm is contagious. "The authors in this book are huge to me, and I am a comparative midget, scratching around in their collective shadow. 'Pint sized Fanatic Bowing Before Statues of Hercules' might have been more concise, but people don't paint things like that, and besides, it doesn't sound as good."
David Sedaris is publishing this book to support 826NYC, a nonprofit tutoring center in Brooklyn, New York. All of his proceeds, after permission expenses, from CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCULES will benefit this organization designed to help students ages six to eighteen develop their writing skills through free writing workshops, publishing projects, and one-on-one help with homework and English-language learning. In the book's epilogue, Sarah Vowell describes the fine work done by 826NYC.

About the Author:
David Sedaris is the author of the internationally bestselling Barrel Fever, Naked, Holidays on Ice, Me Talk Pretty One Day, and Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. He is also a playwright, contributor to public radio's "This American Life," and an extensive lecturer. He lives in Paris, France.


CHILDREN PLAYING BEFORE A STATUE OF HERCLUES
By David Sedaris
Published by Simon & Schuster
April 4, 2005
Price: $14.95 / ISBN: 0-7432-7394-X

Visit our website: www.SimonSays.com

For author photo, jacket and excerpt, type in your web browser:
http://resources.simonsays.com
(DO NOT precede this URL with "www")

New Week

Silly Flash Thing

Start the week out right. Type a little in the office and everyone will think you are working... ha. Seriously though I did want to start this week out doing a couple of simple exercises both writing and physical. The holiday weekend was a good one. Took in some camping, and a canoe float to boot. Plans to do the camping thing again this fall, not so many people. Good friends came from out of town. Those friends that you love to see but somehow forget, but never for that long. Anyways simply put it's great to have friends.

Lately there are moments when I wonder what in the world is going on, by that I mean with everything. But hey the world continues with you or without you. Fill things with beauty and compassion, free your mind and your ass will follow. All and all, it only takes a couple of events to make you realize how much you really have. Friendships, relationships, bonds that tie everything together. Memories and other filed away bits and pieces. Good times, bad times rolled up in to some chemical, filing system. The lust and madness mixed with the sobriety and logicalness of day to day bliss. This I pursue.

If only the ceiling would dry...

Duh it's the Fourth of July Weekend

What a weird and yet somewhat enjoyable week. It can always be worst, you could be a zombie or a freakish experiment. A mere pawn in someone's play that slowly unfolds as her life makes less and less sense. But hey... it's time to leave this office and hit the open road. It's a three day weekend and some adventure waits out there perhaps one that includes cold beverages and big bonfires. I'll work on stories and what not for right now the home beckons.

ICON FILM DISTRIBUTION - Movies, Videos and DVDs - Australia and New Zealand

ICON FILM DISTRIBUTION - Movies, Videos and DVDs - Australia and New Zealand Part of the St. Louis Jewish Film Festival. A very sweet movie and touching. As the phrase paints it, a feel good movie. There's enough here to enjoy and enough for conversation after the movie. Not really all that deep but it does make cricket a bit appealing. The ska references were interesting as well as the peace sign button being tied to the Nuclear Disarmament movement. I remember looking that up a long time ago and reading how you take the semaphore flags for the letters N and D and that's how you come up with that symbol. Interesting but perhaps true, as usual there are probably other ideas on this but that's the one that sticks in my head. There's one other movie we are going to see in the festival, will write about that later.

Just Scribbling

Inner Journey Course - found an interesting journaling class. At least that's what I hope. I think perhaps good old fashioned ink and paper for this. Is it his paranoid mind or just a little privacy and that's how it should be who knows. Fear needs to be left at the door and approaches to the keyboard should be warm and thought out. Believe in yourself and the world. What is the past, or present/future for that matter. Are these questions we even need to ask? Where does any of that get you, relax and let things fall in to place. Kind of like watching leaves drift in a stream. Ah dreams of float trips...