But it is also the day before Valentine's Day. I read an article today that some restauranteurs would like to mandate that V-day be only and always on a weekday. When it is on a weekday, they explain, they get a busy night much like Saturdays thus boosting their revenues. On a Saturday -- like this year -- it is already a busy night and couples tend to want to linger lovingly over their meals thus the table turnover is less. Ahhhh, business, like love, is beautiful.
Today's Blog/Website of the Day is http://valentinesday.about.com/b/. The latest entry is about cheap last-minute V-Day things you can do.
I have requested of Steve that there be no chocolate, no flowers, no jewelry, etc. A nice card declaring eternal love and devotion would be nice and nicer yet would be if he took care of dinner by bringing something in from somewhere he decides. If he really wanted to go crazy I'd appreciate a gift card to a bookstore but definitely not expected nor necessary. I have a card for him, though marketing pushes tend to emphasize the woman in the couple equation. Tough cookies, men; suck it up, you get the Superbowl.
It's colder today and supposed to be only in the 20s tomorrow. Brrr. We've been having 40s and gotten used to it, thank you very much. Tug, of course, loves it. So I'm here with a cup of tea with lemon.
Current events: terrible jet crash near Buffalo, no survivors of the 49 on board and one person in the house. The House has passed the 1000+ page "stimulus" spending bill WITHOUT READING IT -- and the GOP all voted no. It is apparently supposed to be rushed over to the Senate this afternoon/evening for their approval. We must hurry because Pelosi leaves for Rome this evening and she is the center of our universe. I don't think history will be kind to this action.
After finishing a book of great impact as THE BOOK OF UNHOLY MISCHIEF was to me, I find that it is sometimes difficult to go on to something else. So I hemmed and hawed over my library books, knowing I should get going on some of the 14-day books. But my brain in its infinite mysteriousness chooses what it chooses. Second in a series of twelve thus far, THE POISONED CHALICE by Bernard Knight hit the spot. This historical mystery series features Sir John de Wolfe, the crowner (coroner), in 12th century Devon, England. Here is a description:
This book has 355 pages and was published in 1998. Here is the first paragraph:December, 1194. The well-born ladies of Exeter are not having a good week. First, Christina Rifford, the daughter of a rich merchant, is raped. Then, just months before her marriage, Lady Adele de Courcy is found dead in one of the poorest areas of the city.The common factor is Godfrey Fitzosbern, the local silversmith. But despite Crowner John's suspicions and the vengeful accusations of the families, it is John's duty to protect Godfrey until he can find definite proof of his guilt.Aided by his mistress Nesta, hindered by his social-climbing wife Matilda and her power-hungry brother, Sheriff Richard de Revelle, John slowly begins to put the pieces together. But a final, brutal act of violence will bring a new twist to the investigation ...
Bernard Knight is a former Home Office pathologist and Professor of Forensic Pathology at the University of Wales. During a 40-year career with the Home Office he performed over 25,000 autopsies, and was involved with many high-profile cases. Along with this series, he also participates with six British histmyst authors calling themselves The Medieval Murderers made up of —Bernard Knight, Ian Morson, Michael Jecks, Philip Gooden, Susanna Gregory, C.J. Sansom (excellent authors all).Silence also reigned in the narrow chamber set high in the gate-house of Rougemont Castle. It was broken only by the steady champing of Gwyn's jaws as he finished the last of the crusty bread and cheese left over from the trio's second breakfast. The other two members of the coronor's team were totally silent. Thomas, the clerk, was laboriously penning a copy of yesterday's inquest held on a forester crushed by a falling tree. The coroner himself was covertly studying the latest lesson set him by a cathedral canon, who was trying to teach him to read and write.
Otherwise not much happening. Oh, tonight is a series premiere of a Joss Whedon show called Dollhouse. Who's Joss Whedon? Only one of the current Gods of TV. Buffy, Angel, Firefly, etc. And, OMG, if you haven't watched Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-Long Blog you are missing out. It was available online but may now be on DVD. This was a FANTASTIC short put together by Whedon during the writers' strike last year featuring Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible and Nathan Fillion as Dr. Horrible's arch nemesis, Captain Hammer. It's a musical, it's hilarious, it's well performed, do yourself a favor and find this. Here's a description:
I think you can get it through iTunes, too. Ohhh, I know, you can go to youtube.com for a taste at http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=Dr.+Horrible&aq=f. GO! what are you waiting for? Go now!Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a 42-minute musical romp that bears the distinctive stamp of Joss Whedon. Neil Patrick Harris plays the title character, who video-blogs about his twin goals to join the Evil League of Evil and to woo the fair Penny (Felicia Day), a woman he met at the local laundromat. Dr. Horrible is foiled on both fronts, however, by his arch-nemesis, the self-absorbed superhero Captain Hammer (Nathan Fillion). The offbeat, off-the-cuff humor is laugh-out-loud funny, and just like Dr. Horrible wants to take over the world, the songs will take over your head: they're engaging ("My Freeze Ray'), stirring ("My Eyes"), and sweet ("Penny's Song'). "So They Say" is particularly evocative of Jonathan Larson's Rent. It's hard to imagine a better cast. Harris, who's sung Sondheim on Broadway, is a great lead and clearly the best singer, Day is completely charming, and who better than Captain Tightpants to play the pompous superhero? One could argue about the ending, and the independent budget shows, but Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog is a complete hoot for people who enjoy musicals with quirky humor. Plan on watching it multiple times.
Much love,
PK the Bookeemonster
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