Buffy, Buffy, Buffy!

Hard to believe, but Buffy the Vampire Slayer has been off the air since, what--2003? Yeesh. I'm not a total fanatic, but I do still love that show (and Angel, which was always somewhat underrated). Anyway, the reason I'm so excited is that Joss Whedon himself (master of the Buffyverse), has agreed to write the Season 8 that never appeared (after the cast and crew decided to go out on a high note--technically, the show wasn't cancelled as such) as a comic book series. Various artists will illustrate. And thanks to the limitless freedom (budget-wise, anyway) of the graphic format, Whedon has said he feels free to take the storyline in directions that he couldn't afford when the show was on the air.

I've ordered two copies each of the first four issues (you can't preorder more than that yet) from TFAW.com (that's Things from Another World, mail-order comics central). I'll have one copy to read, one to keep. (It only costs 25 cents apiece to bag them in plastic, so what the hell?) I just got my shipping notice for Issue #1, and I CANNOT WAIT!

If You Don't Want to Pay for Public Radio, I Have Another Reason

Another fundraising drive on WBUR is finally over. I waited until the last couple of hours of this year's spring beg-a-thon to make my yearly donation. I always send money (god knows I listen to enough NPR), but I still hate those fundraising drives--how they disrupt the programming, how the announcers start to sound a little cranky near the end. (I've written about this before--I had the bright but unworkable idea of a secret, password protected second WBUR feed, just for people who had already sent money.)

Please people, if you listen to NPR in the Boston area, send WBUR something--$5 bucks a month, whatever--so they can cut back on future fundraising drives. But here's the thing: If you don't want to do it for public radio, do it for me.

That's right--me. My doctor has been on my case to reduce stress, exercise more, and in general, take better care of myself. If your donations can delay the next fundraising drive by even a month or two, that will go a long way to reducing my stress. And a fundraising-free commute makes for a happier, less stressed Alison.

So there you go--do it for NPR or do it for me. Either way, I'll be grateful.

On Such a Snowy Day, Let's All Give Thanks of the Techie Kind

My son's school closed early today, so I left work to pick him up (he normally walks a mile home, but he didn't have snow gear). Unfortunately, my work day wasn't over, and I didn't want to lose any vacation hours. The fact that I could bring my computer home and boot up with full connectivity to my company reminded me once again what a great age we live in--technologically speaking, anyway.

So here's my "thank you!" list for today:

Laptops

Broadband (I don't even think I remember how to use dialup anymore!)

Instant messaging

Broadband

Good ol' email

Broadband

RSA SecurIDs with those nifty random number generators

and did I mention broadband?

Oh, yeah, and thanks to Midas for putting those nifty winter-style blades on my windshield wipers a few weeks ago. Sure made the drive home easier.

Last Ski Day?

It'll be a warm day for the slopes (low 40s), but we want to get in at least one more trip. We're heading to Pat's Peak, meeting friends for their annual "let's take the kids and see if they might like to ski" outing. (The dad is an excellent skier, but the others--born and raised in Texas--are still novices.)

As my husband likes to say, "This year our goal was to move from greens to ... medium greens." And we achieved that, making several runs from the top of the peak (down the "easiest way down" slopes, which nevertheless have some steep sections). We didn't start skiing till we were in our own low 40s, so just being able to accomplish that has been a triumph. Our son, being a kid, is of course much better than we are and has taken up snowboarding as well. (If you saw him, you'd assume he was a boarder, with his lanky blond hair and lanky tall frame.)

This coming week's weather was supposed to get into the 60s and 70s, but now the forecast is calling for more like highs in the 40s and 50s. Does that mean we might be able to squeeze out one more weekend next Sunday?

Eh--probably not. Better to strike while the iron is cold. Wish us luck on the slushy slopes!

Talk About Low Approval Ratings!

You've probably suspected this for a long time. Apparently W. not only makes horrible decisions, he can summon actual evil spirits:

GUATEMALA CITY --Mayan priests will purify a sacred archaeological site to eliminate "bad spirits" after President Bush visits next week, an official with close ties to the group said Thursday.

"That a person like (Bush), with the persecution of our migrant brothers in the United States, with the wars he has provoked, is going to walk in our sacred lands, is an offense for the Mayan people and their culture," Juan Tiney, the director of a Mayan nongovernmental organization with close ties to Mayan religious and political leaders, said Thursday.

Bush's seven-day tour of Latin America includes a stopover beginning late Sunday in Guatemala. On Monday morning he is scheduled to visit the archaeological site Iximche on the high western plateau in a region of the Central American country populated mostly by Mayans.

Tiney said the "spirit guides of the Mayan community" decided it would be necessary to cleanse the sacred site of "bad spirits" after Bush's visit so that their ancestors could rest in peace. He also said the rites -- which entail chanting and burning incense, herbs and candles -- would prepare the site for the third summit of Latin American Indians March 26-30. (You can read the rest of this Associated Press story here.)

Do you think those Mayan priests could help cleanse the United States' global reputation, too?

Tom, Buddy--Put a Sock on It!

This is getting silly. Most men have two kids at once the usual way--they're called "twins." But not our Tom:

A Brazilian website reported yesterday that Tom Brady's girlfriend Gisele Bundchen may be pregnant and, if so, the Pats QB is the father. According to the popular celebrity website Glamurama.com.br, Bundchen would be no more than two months pregnant, but may already have told select friends and family.

This follows the whole Bridget Moynahan situation, of course. For a man who doesn't seem too interested in settling down, I'm detecting a hint of carelessness here. If it's true, I think it might be time to start compiling his wishlists.