Last night, in the sub-zero actual temps not to mention the wind factor, the electricity for what seemed to be the whole town went out about 10PM.  We lit some candles for a bit of light.  I decided to finish the novel I had been plowing through this week and was requested to voice my comments on it. So for new commenter, Paul I will relate my feelings on Doctor No.

At the conclusion of From Russia With Love, 007 was seen unconscious and near death from a lethal stab inflicted by the boot of the evil Rosa Klebb.  Of course, he survived or else we would not be discussing the follow-up.  To further his physical and emotional recovery, the agent is sent on a relatively breezy assignment to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of service man Strangways and his secretary.  Bond’s investigation leads him to Crab Key, a small island off the coast of Jamaica where the mysterious Chinese-German Dr. Julius No operates a seemingly innocent sanctuary for birds and harvests the guano (bird dung) for use as fertilizer.  I know, I know… goofy.  However, that is only the genius’ cover for his ingenious plot for world domination.  And I actually think this is my favorite of Fleming’s villains so far.  We get to delve into the good doctor’s past (although I think the title is more self-proclaimed, unless I missed something).

When Bond arrives on Crab Key with his associate, Quarrel, he finds the lovely Honeychile Rider.  He finds her armed with a small knife protecting her trove of seashells.  And unlike the movie, she is NOT clad in the MEMORABLE, eye-catching white bikini with weapon belt fastened to her waist… use your imagination.

This is the first novel to feature a bit of the fantastic.  One of Dr. No’s items of destruction is a fire-breathing dragon… the same as in the movie.  It is used to keep visitors away from the island and eventually captures Bond and Honey and brings them to Dr. No’s fortress where his ultimate goal is explained.  Bond and Honey are separated and face torturous demises.  The evil doctor has a fetish for studying the pain and endurance of his victims.  Bond is put through a gauntlet of increasingly deadly obstacles.

The best thing about reading these novels is being able to see inside the mind of the characters.  What does Bond really think about his profession?  Who is he?  What makes him tick and how much pain can he endure?  Fleming’s study of ornithology is also put to good use.  Oddly enough, Bond’s name comes from the author of a book on the study of birds.  OK… GEEK… it’s all right.  Even through 22 movies, there is more to learn about him.  However (hopefully) this may well be the last literary adventure I get to experience for a few months as the stage may be calling me.  Thankfully, I had only a few pages to finish.  I don’t think my eyes could have taken a lot more as the candles did not put out much illumination.  About 1.30am, I was awakened by the power coming back on or maybe it was the grateful feeling of the warmth returning.

Tonight (as opposed to last nigh for some reason… can’t understand why), I made my way to auditions for Meet Me in St. Louis.  Very strange, because I was informed by my dear, sweet brother that they were at 5pm.  I arrive at the theatre at 4.45.  I am always the first to arrive and usually the last to leave.  So, I try the door… locked.  I go back to my car til 5… still locked.  Ok… maybe he misunderstood and it was at 5.30.  So, I go to McDonalds for supper and wait.  5.30… nothing.  So, I decide to travel to brother’s house to see what was up.  I get to the house and he asks me why I was not at auditions.  Were they not at 5 o’clock?  No.. they were at 7.  Apparently, he called my house at 4.45 to tell me this.  OOPS.  So, I head BACK to the theatre.

When the director arrives, she announces my identity as a Shaffer but does not remember my name.  SHe is exceedingly glad to see an adult male at the auditions (they must have a an ample amount of younger fellows Tuesday night).  That is a good sign.  I think the two parts I read for (Alonso Smith and grandpa) would be great.  We sat around a table, very informally and read a few scenes.  In one scene, Mr. Smith comes down stairs for dinner and trips over his daughter’s roller skate…. you can take it from there  That could be fun to play.  The scene I read as grandpa was hilarious, too.  I would be willing to wear lots of makeup.  That would bring a laugh in and of itself.  We then sight-sang a few songs.  I thought I did reasonably well for not knowing either piece… but there were some wierd harmonies and interval leaps, but I think I did well.

Then, we were asked if we had brought anything to sing.  Always prepared as I am, brought “Benjamin Calypso” from Joseph.  Complete with strangely cool accent, I sang a bit and drew a chuckle from the crowd.  Following that showstopper, we all joined in a chorus of “The First Nowell” which is part of the show.

Well… we are to learn of the casting choices tomorrow night with a read-through Saturday afternoon.  It sounds like a fun time and the director seems to be very personable, so… we will see what happens.  Show dates are March 6,7,8… so really not a lot of time to produce a full-scale musical.  Now time to joing the gang at Dunder-Mifflin in a new episode.

WOW.  I was totally amazed today by a phone call I received from my brother.  He works at a nearby school in a town in which their local community theatre is having auditions for their production of Meet Me in St. Louis.  The director asked him if he thought I would like to audition so he called me at noon to ask.  The call was brief so I did not get to ask a lot of detailed questions but enough to know that I am excited about the opportunity.  How the director knew me, I do not know but something tells me that big brother had something to do with it.

I know very little about the stage production, but have seen the Judy Garland movie it is based upon.  Both tell the story of the Smith family from St. Louis.  The time is 1906 and the St. Louis World’s Fair is about to begin.  The family is content, love is in the air and then, financial devestation hits the family and it is decided that they will need to move to New York.

In researching the show, I found the role of the patriarch, Mr. Alonso Smith, to be quite appealing.  He is described as a “charming yet commanding lawyer.”  I am also told that he stomps around the ground a lot.  A father with a wife, a son, and four charming daughters.  Well… at least there is the son.   Now if they can just age me about 5 years.  I don’t think they can make me look like a teenager-early 20 year old.  But whatever part I fit.. if any.

Featuring some classic songs (“The Trolly Song” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”) I am told that the musical is very fun and I am looking forward to another audition.  Maybe not with my normal group, but as a wise woman once told me… “Don’t hide your light under a bushel basket.”  Sage advice.

Yes, tomorrow night begins the drama that has become known as American Idol.  This season promises to be as memorable as the past how many ever it has been (I’ve lost count).  There is going to be an added female judge joining Simon, Randy, and Paula.  Maybe she will inject added controversy with the often addled-appearing Paula Abdul.  I enjoy watching the first few weeks of the audition process when the producers put the worst of the worst before millions of television audiences.  Honestly, who can imagine this unfortunate soul singing(?) Like a Virgin being taken seriously?  I guess one should not scoff at someone attempting to fulfill a dream, but… Somehow future seasons saw contestants like William Hung and Sanjaya Malakar advance a few stages.  Curiosity will lead me to watch some this season, but it definitely does not have the appeal it once did.[poll id=”12″]

Yes, our president-elect is a self-proclaimed comic book aficionado.  Mr. Obama is such a fan of the Amazing Spider-Man that he is being featured on the cover of an upcoming issue as well as a story within its pages.  This is not the first time that comics have met the real world.  Many heroes took part in stories following the events of September 11, 2001 especially the web-slinger since his home turf is in fact Queens, New York.  Presidents are not new to comic book pages, either.

• President John F. Kennedy was seen in the pages of Action Comics #309 which was published months after the assassination.
• President Clinton and Hillary were part of the World Without a Superman
  in the pages of Man of Steel.

• President Ronald Reagan (or some artist’s rendering of him) was seen in the ground-breaking series Batman: The Dark Knight Returns.

Yes, sometimes the worlds of fantasy and reality do merge.

I love a good scary movie and I was recently sent a list of the 20 Scariest Movies of All Time according to Entertainment Weekly.  I must say I agree with a large portion of them.  I think during the 80s and 90s, the scare went more to slash with popular endless series such as Friday the 13th and Nightmare on Elm Street (the series became so popular that Jason and Freddy eventually combined into one film… by that time I had long lost interest).  I did enjoy the original Nightmare though.  I think Wes Craven was appalled by the rather comedic silliness that plagued the later sequels and eventually returned for the rather creative Wes Craven’s New Nightmare.

That being said, I enjoy a fright more than seeing people being mindlessly chased by some psycho that is the work of some idiot out to make a few dollars with a movie that appeals to teenagers.  I like the classics more than most.  Hitchcock’s best: Psycho (the shower scene is still brilliant… not seeing is definitely scarier than seeing).  The original Exorcist still freaks me out.  Funny how many times the originals should have stood on their own.  Rosemary’s Baby is one I have not seen in sometime.

Moving on to more modern fare.  The Silence of the Lambs is in my top three scary movies.  Not too wild about the sequel, and prequels (I actually prefer Manhunter to Red Dragon) but Anthony Hopkins scares the jeebies out of me.  I also liked The Ring a lot.  I have not yet watched any of the Saw movies which seem to be going the way of past franchises although the series still continues yearly.

Of course, I haven’t forgotten the real classic movies: the numerous versions of Dracula, Wolf Man, Frankenstein, and all the classic misunderstood monster movies.  Those are good, too.  However, that is only scratching the surface.  Nothing better than sitting back in a dark room, popping on a good suspenseful yarn, and getting that heart pumping. [poll id=”11″]

Since it seems that I have some fans from the James Bond site I frequent from time to time,  let us see if I can drag a few into the open (unless they are hiding in the shadows for just the right moment to strike).  After the release of the Casino Royale film in 2006 (the first published novel by Ian Fleming and the 21st OFFICIAL Bond movie) I have sought the remaining 11 novels and short story collections.  It took me a few years to track down any.  Apparently, Fleming’s centennial (1908-2008) prompted a reissue of the novels.  I have been faithfully reading the books in order and am now just starting Dr. No (the 6th novel and the first movie released way back in 1962).  Starting with the second book, Live and Let Die, the first few novels bore little to no resemblance to the movies aside from character names and settings which to me was at times good and bad.  For instance, Diamonds are Forever features Bond trailing bumbling diamond smuggling gangsters which to me was not at all entertaining… It was almost painful reading.  Diamonds had the characters of Tiffany Case (can anyone tell me the significance of the name?) and the villainous henchmen, Misters Wynt and Kidd (a very odd sort and if you have read the novel or seen the movie you know why) but little else to hold me interest.

Instead of the evil SPECTRE organization as seen in the Connery classics, 007 battles enemies from the actual Soviet group known as SMERSH (an acronym for Smert Shpionam or “death to spies”).  My favorite novel thus far,From Russia with Love, is most like the movie of the same name.  Perhaps this is because the novel was high on President John F. Kennedy’s favorite novels list.  However, the ending to the novel is not quite the same as the movie.  The book ends after Bond got the boot from evil, ugly woman Rosa Klebb.  I felt sorry for the readers who were left in the balance not knowing if the British super spy lived or died.  I thought my edition was missing a chapter.  How rude to leave the hero like that.  Short, fun, quick-paced reads.

I know there are differences in editions, so in a further attempt to flesh out other potential commenters, I am reading the paperback Penguin editions.

Of Rock and Roll?  Today would have been Elvis Presley’s 74th birthday (althogh some still claim he still is among us… whatever).  My sister was born on January 8, 1977 so the family is sure to make mention of both events.  To be quite honest, I’m not sure that it was really good to be in his Blue Suede Shoes, particularly after becoming involved with his scheming manager Col. Tom Parker.  from what I understand, Elvis was pretty much held back in his potential by playing it safe. Most of the thirty-three movies he made (sometimes as many as three a year) were lackluster at best and seemed to be the same film over and over.  Although audiences flocked to the cinemas to see them, Presley was reported as being unfulfilled and unhappy with them.  Many offers were given to branch out of the sappy, one-dimensional musical extravaganzas into more dramatic roles, but Parker was always there driving him away from them.  One has to wonder why Elvis kept with him through most of his career (giving his manager 50% of all his earnings).  It also seemed that following his stint in the Army, the king’s music was same old same old and safe.  But I guess if audiences still bought the records… why mess with a good thing?  However, Elvis’ impact is still felt today nearly 32 years after his death.  He has been named the highest grossing deceased celebrity at least 5 times by Forbes magazine.  His music has become the basis of the musical All Shook Up. Plus, millions worldwide still flock to his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee year after year.  I guess it is true that one is not truly gone as long as he is remembered.  One bit of trivia I still find intriguing, Elvis had a twin brother named Jesse Garon who was stillborn. [poll id=”9″]

While listening to the news this morning, I happened upon the bit about the gentleman on the ski lift who got more than he bargained for on his journey.  While the outcome was good, it could have been catastrophic.  The man was not identified and I can say with certainty that I would not want to be identified, either.  I am sure that if onlookers had the means, photos would have been snapped and videos must have been captured for youtube fodder.   Laugh if you must (hard not to) the situation must have been perilous… dangling from a ski lift while exposed for seven minutes.  Must haven been a chilling experience.

Man left dangling upside down, pantsless after Vail lift mishap

JANUARY 6–In a bizarre incident that will surely lead to litigation (or an out-of-court settlement), a skier at Colorado’s ritzy Vail resort was left dangling upside down and pantsless from a chairlift last Thursday morning. The January 1 mishap apparently occurred after the male skier, 48, and a child boarded a high-speed lift in Vail’s Blue Sky Basin. It appears that the chairlift’s fold-down seat was somehow not in the lowered position, which caused the man to partially fall through the resulting gap. His right ski got jammed in the ascending chairlift, and that kept him upended since his boot never dislodged from its binding. As seen in the photos on the following pages (which were snapped by fellow skiers), the Skyline Express lift was stopped shortly after the pair’s botched boarding resulted in the man dangling from the lift. The exposed skier was stuck for about 15 minutes before Vail personnel backed the lift up and successfully dislodged the unidentified man from the four-seat chair. The images on page four and five were taken by a local photographer who happened upon the rescue scene. In a statement released this afternoon, Vail Resorts, which operates the ski area, reported that the skier was not injured after being “suspended for approximately seven minutes.” The press release did not explain how the mishap occurred, only that “the man was caught on the chair.”

Any other proud moment anyone would care to divulge?  I was the victim of a depantsing in junior high.  A group of us were on our way to the science teacher’s desk and for some reason a fellow classmate had grabbed onto my back pocket and as I was walking, I suddenly felt a draft.  It was a good thing I had phys ed that day so I had a change of pants.  I did not stand around long enogh to see if the architect of the depantsing got the typical punishment of writing spelling words 15 times.

Tonight, moments after I had locked up for the night,  a young man knocked on the door.  It was 9:05 and everything was locked up, money in the safe, ready to go home after a long day.  “I was wondering if I could get a pack of cigarettes.”  Either the person had a very babyish face or he was trying to pull a fast one.  In the first place, we were closed and someone asking for cigarettes is the LAST thing I would EVER let anyone talk me into selling them 5 minutes after the store was closed..  We are a dry store… no alcohol, or that would also be nixed.  After I politely told the rather young looking gentleman that I could not help him, the manager told me that she had waited on him before.  She refused the sale just as I would have.  In order to prove his age he asked if a birth certificate would be acceptable.  Who is this guy trying to kid?

This reminds me of a tale I have heard related about cast members from a production of Scapin (the best show no one saw… myself included as I had yet to become involved in the community theatre as heavily as I am now) going to a convenience store trying to buy some alcohol.  My 21 year-old + friend was still in heavy costume makeup giving him the appearance of an extremely old man..  If memory serves, the clerk was not going to allow the sale until identification was given.  I do not believe he had his license with him at the time.  Hilarious. [poll id=”8″]