The Scott Expedition

Two people, Ben Saunders and Tarka L’Herpiniere, are attempting to retrace the 1910 Scott Expedition Antarctic expedition to the South Pole, some 1,800 miles.

You can track the team's progress here.

How to Time Travel

Because this video does a much better job than I ever could at explaining it, here's a nice little tutorial on three simple ways, and three not-so-simple ways, you can time travel. Got your time machine ready?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FflcA85zcOM

My Fair Lady - A Clarification

MJ asks a great question about Julie Andrews in My Fair Lady. She questions my veracity in referencing Julie Andrews singing any songs from that musical as it was Audrey Hepburn who played the role in the film. Right?

Right you are, MJ. Audrey Hepburn did indeed play Eliza Doolittle in the film version. She beat out Julie Andrews for the part, which seemed unfair at the time, as Julie had created that role for the original Broadway production. It seemed like it would be the perfect fit for her to make the transition from stage to film, but it wasn’t to be. Audrey got the part instead, but couldn’t vocallyhandle the tricky Lerner and Loewe songs, so her singing voice was dubbed.

Meanwhile, since Julie had some unexpected free time on her hands, she went on to work for Walt Disney in her first feature film in the role of Mary Poppins…and subsequently won the Academy Award for best actress that year (1964).

As a side note, there is a film coming out this December about the making of Mary Poppins, “Saving Mr. Banks.” It stars Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as a resistant PL Travers who doesn’t want her character turned into a singing, animated character. I cannot wait to see it – early buzz (a friend of mine has already seen it) is that it’s practically perfect.

At any rate, that’s why I felt justified in attributing My Fair Lady lyrics to Julie Andrews. 

Also on October 1...

EllJayPea: Today is Julie Andrews's birthday!

Linda: I will sing a little Sound of Music in her honor

EllJayPea: Oh, Super (califragilisticexpialidocious)!

Linda: Or a little My Fair Lady?

Linda: Cinderella?

EllJayPea: Only if you do it from your own little corner

Linda: In my own little chair?

EllJayPea: Or with a little bit o' luck, just a little bit o' luck

Linda: (hahaha!!) Bloomin' luck!

EllJayPea: You could sing and dance all night. Yes, you could dance all night.

Linda: and still beg for more

Linda: I just might. It's one of my favorite things.

EllJayPea: We could go to Wendy's house to look for a doe, a deer.

EllJayPea: And if you have to take any medicine, I understand a spoonful of sugar is the way to help it go down. In the most delightful way.

Linda: I will remember that tonight when I take my menopause and allergy pills!

Linda: (not a song)

EllJayPea: yeah, that's a different musical.

How the Government Shutdown Is Affecting Me Personally, and a Resolution

EllJayPea: so one of the affects of the government shut down? NO PANDA CAM

CinniMinion: WHAT [stomps]

EllJayPea: they're still taking care of the animals, but the zoo is shut down, and so is the camera

CinniMinion: ooooo. Now i'm just mad

EllJayPea: hahaha. Now it's PERSONAL

CinniMinion: National Zoo Panda Cam Will Be Turned Off, Along With Our Happiness, In Federal Government Shutdown

EllJayPea: LOL

CinniMinion: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/pandacam/

That's borking. It's not my baby butterstick

EllJayPea: That panda is clearly dead

CinniMinion: Or stuffed

CinniMinion:http://explore.org/#!/live-cams/player/china-panda-cam-1

That one is blinking and twitching its ears. BUT IT NOT MY BABY BUTTERSTICK

EllJayPea: Why is it so bright at 1:18 in the morning???? (referring to the twitching ears panda)

Oh, it's not a LIVE feed.

CinniMinion: This is clearly on a loop

EllJayPea: They're asleep.

CinniMinion: IT SAID LIVE

EllJayPea: Cuz sometimes it IS

CinniMinion: Well for heaven's sake. If this is not live, couldn't they show a BETTER DAMN CLIP?!?!

EllJayPea: They're just happy theirs doesn't look Dead or STUFFED

CinniMinion: HA!

CinniMinion: twitch twitch

EllJayPea: loop loop

CinniMinion: I am going to use my extra day off and go to DC and balance their damn budget and MAKE THEM TURN ON MY PANDA CAM

EllJayPea: I just don't understand why no one in Washington has SEEN Dave yet. If they all just watched that movie....or if they watched the FREAKING PANDA CAM, they wouldn't hate each other and would want to have a budget resolution.

CinniMinion: All they need to do is watch a baby panda and a mother panda and they would have a damn balanced budget.

EllJayPea: They'd be all, Hey, Tom ( R) from Minnesota, I'm Harry (D ) from California. I love you, man. I saw the pandas. How can we hate each other with Baby Butterstick in the world? Let's settle this budget thing once and for all.

CinniMinion: RIGHT??!!!

EllJayPea: I think so, yes.

CinniMinion: Not all "THEY'VE LOST THEIR MINDS" said Tom (D) from Nevada.

EllJayPea: Freaking Tom from Nevada.

CinniMinion: Damn him. He hates pandas.

CinniMinion: [PUNCH]

EllJayPea: He's THE DEVIL

EllJayPea: And I think you meant to say [THROAT punch]

CinniMinion: HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

CinniMinion: Everyone in the room

CinniMinion: BAM BAM BAM BAM

EllJayPea: Yes!

CinniMinion: Senators doubled over everywhere

EllJayPea: hi YA!

EllJayPea: You're like Kung Fu Panda because you're Kung Fu-ing FOR the Pandas

CinniMinion: Me: Now turn on the damn panda cam an no one else will get hurt." /end scene

EllJayPea: Turn on the panda cam AND watch it for 24 hours