In Which Izzybella Promises to Try to Avoid Whining Too Much...Whiney Baby

Or is that whinging baby? Como se dice in Harry Potter-ese? Or as Americans call it--English. Hee, that's funny. Goes back to a conversation my sister and I had a few weeks ago about how we've lost a bit of the HP flavor in America by having Scholastic translate from English to "American." And here I thought we spoke the same language. Clearly not. It's a shame because I think most kids would have been able to figure out, based on context, what (for example) a bogey is. And I'm sorry, but "bogey" is much more poetical than "booger." I mean really. Bat Booger Hex. Not so awe-inspiring as Bat Bogey Hex. I'm just saying.

I'm really tired today. I don't sleep that well during rehearsal month anyway, but it's been compounded lately by my over-enthusiastic puppy dog. Speaking of which, I think the Internet world at large needs another picture. It's been almost a year since I posted the last one. It's time. So for your viewing pleasure, here's my boy, Baxter. And my dad's foot. Sorry about that.



Anyway, back to the subject. Baxter is clingy. And by clingy, I mean he follows me around the house all day and sleeps at the side of my bed all night. Usually I find that incredibly adorable, because let's face it, we all like being loved, especially by cute puppy dogs. But last night it was sort of tiresome. See, I'm rehearsing right now, which means I get home much later than usual. Baxter is a neurotic dog--he gets really anxious when any of his people aren't home--he gnaws holes in his blanket (yes, he has a blanket--er rag--and we totally should have named him Linus) and then when they finally get home (much later than he would clearly like) he turns into anxious guard dog. So he barked all night last night. I kept getting up to check and see if there were burglars making off with our boston ferns or something (don't laugh, it's happened before) but nothing. I can only conclude that a butterfly in Japan was flapping it's wings and Baxter overheard. Seriously, he was driving me nuts and even though it is now daylight and I'm back to thinking he's the cutest thing ever, I was incredibly annoyed at him last night. Dad and Carol, who just two weeks ago were complaining about how I stole their dogs, were all Mr. and Mrs. Smug this morning. "Boy, your dog sure was noisy last night, huh?" Yes, he was. Bite me.

So I'm really tired today and I'm telling you there isn't enough caffiene in the world to keep me from being tired.

On the plus side, this is a really good show and I have lots of warm, fuzzy feelings about it. Naturally (since it's a V&S MoMentuM production) there's at least one scene that completely scares the crap out of me. That's a good thing, though, as it means I'm being challenged. So clearly, there are good times ahead.

Oh, and more to be excited about!! I'm going to a charity screening of Serenity benefitting Equality Now this weekend and lots of my friends are coming too. I expect a tremendously good time will be had by all.

Okay, I now return you to your regularly scheduled activities. Have a lovely day.

I Am Dua Khalil

[In April,] seventeen year old Dua Khalil was pulled into a crowd of young men, some of them (the instigators) family, who then kicked and stoned her to death. This is an example of the breath-taking oxymoron “honor killing”, in which a family member (almost always female) is murdered for some religious or ethical transgression. Dua Khalil, who was of the Yazidi faith, had been seen in the company of a Sunni Muslim, and possibly suspected of having married him or converted. That she was torturously murdered for this is not, in fact, a particularly uncommon story. But now you can watch the action up close on CNN. Because as the girl was on the ground trying to get up, her face nothing but red, the few in the group of more than twenty men who were not busy kicking her and hurling stones at her were filming the event with their camera-phones.

- Joss Whedon, on Whedonesque.com

Lexigeek, the fine graphic artist of Black Market Beagles, has created a lovely shirt, which is now available for only $5 above cost (price dependent upon style). That $5 will be donated directly to Equality Now. But if you're broke, he'll also sell them at cost. The point is to wear the shirt and start a dialogue. Get yours here.