1. Who knows. It could come in handy some day.

2. I'm confused. Very confused.

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Do I not use enough big words?

3. Sigh. I suppose it would be too much trouble to ask the victims' families what they would prefer?

However, the state and UHP troopers say they are memorials to brave public servants and not religious in nature.

I'm sorry, but a cross, in any context, is religious in nature. Which is fine, if the person it's memorializing would be okay with that.

4. This makes me sad. Very, very sad.

Ben Stein believes in Intelligent Design?? Oy.

5. My latest Monkees phase has led me here.

An interesting read, and it sounds like a hell of a lot of fun. But it's reminded me of a generation gap re: idealism that I keep running across. It's like the anti-60s. People my age are either pessimists or pragmatists of the highest order, and our parents are the dreamers. Strange.

1. True enough.

2. I've been on a Monkees kick recently (due to receiving this in the mail a couple weeks ago). I found a recent-ish Peter Tork interview with some amusing content.

On conventions:

It gives the fans a chance to meet the celebrities. Connect with the guy that used to be a bunch of coloured dots on your TV screen.

On the prospects of yet another reunion tour:

The Cream has reunited. Paul McCartney and the Rolling Stones are touring again. They are getting anything from 100 dollars to 500 dollars a ticket. I think the Monkees would be good value for at least ten to eleven dollars a ticket

On Stephen Stills being rejected at the Monkees auditions:

Oh yes, he was hard done by. He had to settle with Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Stephen, if you are reading this interview then I am sorry

3. Holy crap!

Looks like most of the pets I've ever had.

Apparently if you overfeed a goldfish it messes up its swim bladder, forcing it to float on its side at the surface of the water in a disturbingly accurate impression of being dead (I learned this on QI). How many goldfish have lost their lives due to ignorance of this fact?

4. Oh dear lord. This is the last thing we need.

5. Not only can't the Phelps afford to pay the $10.9 million, but apparently they're all in debt. I guess that's what happens when you use credit cards to pay for frequent nation-wide travel. I mean, come on. Credit card debt? I know it happens, but it's not exactly rocket science to prevent it from happening. Though I suppose God told them it was okay to use money they don't have to do His work.

For Your Viewing Pleasure

1. Embarrassing as hell, for all concerned.

2. I'm probably one of the few people on the planet who watched this in its entirety and repeated the process. Several times.

3. Yet more footage of a concert I attended. Bitterness and a zebra-print jacket. How could you ask for more?

4. Pretty.

Monkee Girls

Out of curiosity (and a little boredom) I scoured IMDB for all the random actresses who appeared in Monkees episodes. Some interesting findings:

Murder victims: 1

Katherine Walsh, who played the young princess of a fictional country, was killed in London 4 years after she appeared on the show. No other details provided. Huh.

Prolific film make-up artists: 1

Judy Murdock, who played the under-appreciated sidekick/friend to a romantic lead, followed up her brief acting career with a long and apparently successful career as a make-up artist. She worked on such films as Hitch, Men In Black, and How Stella Got Her Groove Back. Hmm.

Successful voice actors: 1

Heather North, who played a girl who wore an equestrian riding helmet for no explicable reason, was the second voice of Daphne in the Scooby-Doo franchise.

Two-time Tony Award nominees: 1

Susan Browning played, appropriately, a melodramatic overactor in her one Monkees appearance.

Minor Teen Idols: 1

Donna Loren, known on the Monkees for her portrayal of a princess of unspecified Middle-Eastern heritage, appeared in Beach Blanket Bingo and several other movies in the same vein.

Children of Celebrities: 1

Deanna Martin, daughter of Dean Martin, played a cross-dressing rock singer on an episode of the Monkees. No kidding. It's not like the lack of context makes that sound more shocking than it really warrants, or anything....

And finally...

Playboy Playmates of the Month: 3

Both Christine Williams and Sharon Cintron appeared in Playboy in 1963, four and five years prior to their respective appearances on the Monkees (Christine played a biker chick, Sharon played a member of the crossdresser's band (see above)). Anne Randall appeared in Playboy a mere four months before her appearance on the Monkees as a harem girl (in the same episode that featured Beach Blanket Bingo girl).

Who was in charge of casting for these bit roles?? Tsk tsk. And they marketed the Monkees as a children's show....