Friday night, starving (breakfast for dinner!)
So I went and visited Della, the Goddess of Hair, and had mine done and now it is soft and silky and fluffy. Okay, maybe a little too fluffy, but that's nothing that washing it can't fix. (FYI if you're in Birmingham: They're dismantling much of the Riverchase Galleria Belk's and moving most of the merchandise to a [new? returned?] McRae's, while the cosmetics and fragrances will go to Parisian's. Except that, rather than "moving" it, they're slashing prices. I mean, seriously--I saw a clothing department where everything was 50% off, and then 75% off that. Everything must go, literally.) Then I got myself two bottles of OPI (everything! MUST! GO!) and some Haagen-Dazs (Belgian Chocolate Chocolate. No, that's not a typo). It was a good day. Apparently the rest of my family had a pretty shitty day, but I had nail polish and chocolate. Damn, it's good to be a gangsta.
And then, while I was browsing the OPI racks, it came to me: the solution to my problem. I was trying to stretch one problem (let's call it the London Problem) over a series of four books, long after the action was... no longer in London. Why not go ahead and solve that problem in the first book--make it the big problem in the first book--and let the consequences and reactions to that solution drive the other three? All the same things can happen, it's just that now they'll be happening because of the London Problem rather than in addition to. (Let's put it this way: if you foil an enemy in some way, he's going to be really, really pissed, right? I'm just having the heroes foil him now in one area, doling out other minor defeats over the series, rather than hold it all off until the end. And of course, the heroes suffer some defeats and setbacks as well; I already had most of those locked in.)
And I figured out a really awesome way to do it. Now I just need to read up (more) on organized crime in the Victorian era.
Judge: Same-sex couples can wed in Iowa. Except maybe not: One Gay Marriage, Then Iowa Judge Stays Ruling.
Beer critic Michael Jackson dies.
Feds soft-pedaled breast-feeding advocacy after formula makers complained.
China kung fu monks seek apology for ninja affront. Turn off the internet, we're all going home: there can be no greater headline than this.
Speaking of "the internet": It's Just the 'internet' Now. Thank God--I always wondered why it was "the Internet" and "the Web," but no one ever seems to write about that great show they saw on the Television.
From particle_person: Who Founded Facebook? A New Claim Emerges.
I've never heard of this guy before, but he is courting some righteous ass-kicking here.
Thai Censors Lift YouTube Ban.
'King Tooth' hauls train by his teeth.
Opera singers talk about sordid side of art.
Lone Star Statements: A collection of one-star reviews on Amazon.
Power Women: Forbes' List Of Most Powerful Penis-Lackers Contains Some Surprises.
Depressing Emmy rumors of the day, or No Hugh Laurie for You!
Owenwatch: Steve Coogan Finally Gets His Breakthrough Moment As Owen Wilson's Enabler--according to Courtney Love. But is Love stalking Coogan?
No Pictures Means No: Sienna Miller Photo-Op Marred By Ugly Accusations Of Camera-Rape.
Photoshop contest: Celebrity Face Transplants. You know what the really weird one is? The Natalie Portman/Keira Knightley, in which there is no appreciable difference. (Actually, weirder: Jessica Biel/Julia Roberts, for the same reason, except that I didn't expect them to secretly be the same person.)
Venice Film Festival: Opening Ceremony and Atonement premiere; more pics from the premiere. Meanwhile, Knightley: "Flashing Starlets Have No Class": "I'm not going to get blind drunk and then stumble out and fall over and puke up in front of people. I'm not saying I don't do that in private, but I try not to. The whole celebrity thing is not magic. They're real people proving they're shittier than everybody else because they don't even wear knickers." This may sound harsh, unless you've accidentally stumbled across night-on-the-town photos of Paris Hilton's hey-hey-AUGH MY EYES. As she gets out of a car. In vivid Technicolor. I'm just saying.
Jodie Foster: Candid Q&A with ''Brave One'' star.
007 Visits Madrid.
New stills! Prince Caspian (I freaked the hell out until I realized they were only production art), Gone Baby Gone, Lust, Caution.
Assorted movie posters, including Beowulf, Michael Clayton, The Brave One, Trade, Sisters, and Lars and the Real Girl.
Cruise Talks Valkyrie.
Shyamalan Addresses Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Rob Cohen Kicks-Off Mummy Blog.
Exclusive Featurette: The Streets Of ‘Darjeeling Limited'; Darjeeling Limited first still of Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman; Wes Anderson Short Film Stars Natalie Portman.
Thornton, Basinger, Routh in New Bret Easton Ellis Movie.
Zellweger and Connick to Get 'Chilled in Miami.'
Danny Boyle Prepares for 'Slumdog Millionaire.'
Verhoeven to Direct 'The Paperboy.'
Zombie Reveals Alternate Ending For ‘Halloween.’
Ang Lee Sidesteps Controversies Over His Latest Film.
John Cusack's Action Hero Dreams Dashed.
Taylor Momsen: From 'Grinch' To 'Gossip Girl.'
Justice League Casting Call.
Dune Film Rumor Emerges.
An Animated 'Goonies' Sequel?
Is ‘Iron Man’ An Anti-War Film?
Are the eggs ready yet? Seriously.
And then, while I was browsing the OPI racks, it came to me: the solution to my problem. I was trying to stretch one problem (let's call it the London Problem) over a series of four books, long after the action was... no longer in London. Why not go ahead and solve that problem in the first book--make it the big problem in the first book--and let the consequences and reactions to that solution drive the other three? All the same things can happen, it's just that now they'll be happening because of the London Problem rather than in addition to. (Let's put it this way: if you foil an enemy in some way, he's going to be really, really pissed, right? I'm just having the heroes foil him now in one area, doling out other minor defeats over the series, rather than hold it all off until the end. And of course, the heroes suffer some defeats and setbacks as well; I already had most of those locked in.)
And I figured out a really awesome way to do it. Now I just need to read up (more) on organized crime in the Victorian era.
Judge: Same-sex couples can wed in Iowa. Except maybe not: One Gay Marriage, Then Iowa Judge Stays Ruling.
Beer critic Michael Jackson dies.
Feds soft-pedaled breast-feeding advocacy after formula makers complained.
China kung fu monks seek apology for ninja affront. Turn off the internet, we're all going home: there can be no greater headline than this.
Speaking of "the internet": It's Just the 'internet' Now. Thank God--I always wondered why it was "the Internet" and "the Web," but no one ever seems to write about that great show they saw on the Television.
From particle_person: Who Founded Facebook? A New Claim Emerges.
I've never heard of this guy before, but he is courting some righteous ass-kicking here.
Thai Censors Lift YouTube Ban.
'King Tooth' hauls train by his teeth.
Opera singers talk about sordid side of art.
Lone Star Statements: A collection of one-star reviews on Amazon.
Power Women: Forbes' List Of Most Powerful Penis-Lackers Contains Some Surprises.
Depressing Emmy rumors of the day, or No Hugh Laurie for You!
Owenwatch: Steve Coogan Finally Gets His Breakthrough Moment As Owen Wilson's Enabler--according to Courtney Love. But is Love stalking Coogan?
No Pictures Means No: Sienna Miller Photo-Op Marred By Ugly Accusations Of Camera-Rape.
Photoshop contest: Celebrity Face Transplants. You know what the really weird one is? The Natalie Portman/Keira Knightley, in which there is no appreciable difference. (Actually, weirder: Jessica Biel/Julia Roberts, for the same reason, except that I didn't expect them to secretly be the same person.)
Venice Film Festival: Opening Ceremony and Atonement premiere; more pics from the premiere. Meanwhile, Knightley: "Flashing Starlets Have No Class": "I'm not going to get blind drunk and then stumble out and fall over and puke up in front of people. I'm not saying I don't do that in private, but I try not to. The whole celebrity thing is not magic. They're real people proving they're shittier than everybody else because they don't even wear knickers." This may sound harsh, unless you've accidentally stumbled across night-on-the-town photos of Paris Hilton's hey-hey-AUGH MY EYES. As she gets out of a car. In vivid Technicolor. I'm just saying.
Jodie Foster: Candid Q&A with ''Brave One'' star.
007 Visits Madrid.
New stills! Prince Caspian (I freaked the hell out until I realized they were only production art), Gone Baby Gone, Lust, Caution.
Assorted movie posters, including Beowulf, Michael Clayton, The Brave One, Trade, Sisters, and Lars and the Real Girl.
Cruise Talks Valkyrie.
Shyamalan Addresses Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Rob Cohen Kicks-Off Mummy Blog.
Exclusive Featurette: The Streets Of ‘Darjeeling Limited'; Darjeeling Limited first still of Natalie Portman and Jason Schwartzman; Wes Anderson Short Film Stars Natalie Portman.
Thornton, Basinger, Routh in New Bret Easton Ellis Movie.
Zellweger and Connick to Get 'Chilled in Miami.'
Danny Boyle Prepares for 'Slumdog Millionaire.'
Verhoeven to Direct 'The Paperboy.'
Zombie Reveals Alternate Ending For ‘Halloween.’
Ang Lee Sidesteps Controversies Over His Latest Film.
John Cusack's Action Hero Dreams Dashed.
Taylor Momsen: From 'Grinch' To 'Gossip Girl.'
Justice League Casting Call.
Dune Film Rumor Emerges.
An Animated 'Goonies' Sequel?
Is ‘Iron Man’ An Anti-War Film?
Are the eggs ready yet? Seriously.