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by Laurel Krahn
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Word a Day

My favorite non-spooky-Halloween-related song ever is "Are You Happy Now?" by Richard Shindell. It's one of my fave songs, period, really. Listening to it now (as evidenced by Sparrow's Point being listed in now playing in the sidebar to this page). Visit the RealAudio clips page at the Richard Shindell website and select "Are You Happy Now?"-- to listen to the song in it's entirety. Fabulous. Shindell is one of my favorite songwriters, all his solo albums are wonderful, as is his work with Cry Cry Cry.

Here's a direct link to the song via Real Audio for those who've got the player and wanna take a shortcut. And here are the chords and lyrics.

And here's a link to a page where you can listen to a Richard Shindell set from when he opened for Dar Williams in Chicago. Fine set full of fine songs. First song he plays is "Are You Happy Now?" and it's a different, live (naturally) version. With a story, too.

Happy Halloween!

I haven't had time to read it all yet, but there's a new salon article about Star Trek and the Trek Franchise (sigh), etc. Looks pretty good, judging by the first page. Wanna read the rest when I have time.

EW's Bruce Fetts' asks Could Now and Again be the next X-Files? I probably wouldn't go that far, but it's doing well in X's old timeslot. And it's quirky and has had it's X-elements-- especially in the three-part series opener. I hope it sticks around for a while.

I've been skeptical they could keep things going as well as they have, yet recent episodes have been good-- if not better-- than the early episodes. Ratings are good and I've seen some critics saying glowing things about it, finally. It's Good Stuff. If you haven't yet checked it out-- it's worth watching. CBS Fridays, 8pm Central Time (though not this week, alas). One of my favorite new shows and one of my fave current shows, period.

If you enjoy reading James Lileks bleats and other stuff, but have never heard his Diner radio show-- you should really tune in this Halloween for a special installment. (Follow the link in the previous sentence for details-- will air 9pm - Midnight Sunday on AM1500 in MN and beyond, there's a link to the RealAudio feed in the Bleat, too). I was a regular listener when the show aired weekday evenings, I even called in a couple of times (usually to answer obscure Star Trek-related trivia questions. Yes, I am a geek). I've missed Jeremy, it's not as if he's got a website with daily bleats (what's up with that, anyway? James should have him write a guest Bleat sometime. Or-- heavens-- they could do one together. Somehow I'm not sure the vim of the radio show comraderie would translate into type, though. That's why you've gotta tune in).

This seems like old news to me by now, but NBC finally announced details of the Homicide: Life on the Street reunion movie in a press release last week (thanks to readers who wrote to tell me about it-- though I'd known of the plans for weeks per other articles, was good to get official details). Entire cast is slated to appear in the movie-- including recent and former castmembers. Everyone who ever had their name in the opening credits, basically. Plus regular supporting players like Zeljko Ivanek who played Ed Danvers, Ralph Tabakin who played M.E. Scheiner, etc. Jim Yoshimura, Tom Fontana, and Eric Overmeyer are writing the script, which will involve three different storylines (they're each writing one). Yes, characters who were killed off during the shows run will somehow be back-- thank goodness-- so Steve Crosetti and Beau Felton will live again via the wonder of flashbacks or something (I just had a spooky flash of them as ghosts, but nah . . . .). The Big Man will return at long last (as will Munch, nevermind what he said on L&O:SVU), Kay Howard will return and make some other cops pale by comparison. Mayhaps Frank and Tim will reunite, likewise Mikey and Meldrick.

They're reporting that some dangling threads will be tied up (though they can't-- or at least had better not-- tie up everything. No way could they ever solve the Adena Watson murder, for instance, which was based on the real life murder of LaTonya Wallace which was never solved).

Full coverage of all things Homicide, as always, at Homicide: Links on the Sites-- created by Dave Locke, now run with grand style by Jim King. Any fan can submit links (run across something related that's not yet listed? Send it in). It's a site I check daily (did I mention I'm an obsessed fan?). And, of course, there's fun movie speculation and the usual snarky chit chat in alt.tv.homicide. Filming for the movie begins in late November, runs through December. (Guess when I'd love to visit Baltimore for the first time?).

Woohoo! Fallcon (or should I say Ditto?) is this weekend in Minneapolis. Looks like plenty of out of town fans will be there, so I'll be meeting some folks I'd previously only read in rec.arts.sf.fandom, on fannish mailing lists, in fanzines, etc. Not that anyone will know me from Eve or Adam since I've mostly lurked-- if that-- lately. And, of course, it'll be good to see the usual suspects, as well. Including local fen, I haven't been to any Minn-stf or Minicon meetings or parties in a couplefew months. Food, folks, music, fun, silliness. 'Tis a Minneapolis con after all . . .

Anyone have advice for a non-Mac-chick like me? I've used DOS, Windows, Commodore computers, UNIX . . . but Macs are mostly greek to me and I've started work at a mostly Mac shop. Fave sites? Fave software? Books or sites with useful info for neos? (computer-literate neos, that is . . . it's not as if I can't figure a lot of things out just by poking around, but still . . . ). I'm especially interested in Mac equivalents for my fave Windows tricks or software. Though I've already found some Mac things to be just fine and elegant and an improvement-- it's lacking some things I'm used to (where the heck is the right mouse button? grrrr. Oh, sorry . . . ).

Sorry for the lack of updates for the last couple of weeks. Updates may be sporadic still for the next week or so-- I've started a new job and I'll be switching shifts for my first couple of weeks-- so lord only knows what times/days I'll be updating. Should be more settled by the second week of November sometime. But I will update a little at least every other day or so.

I'm also a bit behind on responding to email, reading mailing list email (still), and reading other weblogs. Sounds like there are some cool new weblogs on the block (from what little I have read), I look forward to checking 'em out. As always, I like hearing from readers of my site. And if you wanna tell me about your website (in case I haven't yet found it), do drop me a line.

Another critic heard from . . . Joyce Millman re Law & Order: Special Victim's Unit:

Compared to the operatic emotionalism of "NYPD Blue" and the Dylanesque vision that was "Homicide: Life on the Street," "Law & Order" is a Woody Guthrie folk song -- plain, terse and packing a wallop.

How to describe, then, the tear-jerking bombast and in-your-face confessionalism of its woeful spin-off, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"? Imagine Celine Dion duetting with Paula Cole -- cranked up to 11.

She's right, IMHO, on all counts. Especially, sadly, this one:

As a "Homicide" fan, I'm finding it just a wee bit painful to watch Belzer become the equivalent of Fat Elvis, hauling out the white jumpsuit that is John Munch again and again and again. Let it go, Belzer, for the love of God! Munch serves no discernible purpose, cop-wise, on "L&O:SVU" -- so far, his duties seem limited to fetching donuts and baby sitting Det. Cassidy. Munch has become a cartoon character in search of a frame. Tucked away at his desk in the corner, babbling about JFK and the grassy knoll, he's devoid of context, time, place, meaning. He's like one of those living, disembodied celebrity heads in a jar on "Futurama." Uh-oh, I see another guest spot coming ...

Got suggestions? Comments? Let me know what you think would improve this page. Don't hesitate, just write. I read all feedback and do my best to respond with, at the very least, a thank you.

This page created and maintained by Laurel Krahn who can be reached via email to laurel@windowseat.org. If you'd like to email or snail mail Laurel cool stuff (for this weblog or not), she'd love that.

Copyright ©1999 Laurel Krahn unless otherwise noted. May not be redistributed without permission.