Writes Dr. "M."

Writes Dr. "M.": "Last night I was telling [the treasurer of the Ivan Bonar Appreciation Society] and [the Farmer] about how I remembered a special from my childhood in which David Copperfield floated over the Grand Canyon while Bonnie Tyler, in a flowing gown, sang I'm Holding Out for a Hero. And then I said, I wonder if I can find it on YouTube? Well, I did..."

The "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 10

Time for your daily surprise.

The "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 9

Study the history of the "blog" advent calendar or simply use it instinctively.

The "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 8

For general instructions on how to enjoy the "blog" advent calendar, "click" here. For today's surprise, "click" here.

The "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 7

Don't know what an advent calendar is or how to use one? "Click" here. But if you are a longtime fan of the "blog" advent calendar, just "click" here for your daily treat.

The Wren In Question

... or one like it. (I still think ours is bigger - perhaps the king or queen of the Carolina wrens!) Photo provided by Sheri Joseph, the "dear bird correspondent." Note the festive holiday trappings.

Solved!: Mystery of the Carolina Wren

Here is how the bird correspondent responded to our recent query: "Assuming this bird is not the size of a softball but smaller, more like a golf ball, you've got a Carolina wren. I could tell you that by the behavior alone: Carolina wrens are very bold around people and prone to nesting in all sorts of crazy places, like inside active mailboxes, or in the pocket of a coat left outside. My parents had a nest in their garage, even though the automatic door was going up and down all day and the birds were locked in at night. They really don't care. They have a very loud song and a distinctive white stripe over the eye." I wrote back to the dear bird correspondent to say that our bird was certainly puffed out to a size larger than a golf ball. Also, a quick "Google image search" for the Carolina wren did not produce anything that looked familiar. When, however, I ran across this document ("click" here) I knew that the bird correspondent was right again. The puffy bird represented thereon - and labeled "Carolina wren" - is certainly our bird. The bird correspondent had this to say about today's developments: "You've been doing an excellent job of describing a Carolina wren. I can't think of a rounder bird or one with a pointier beak, and you've got the colors right. They have perky, stubby little tails that often stand straight up. When it's cold, they will puff up and look rounder and bigger. Maybe baseballish? But it's all feathers. They can actually squoosh down small enough to sneak through a loose spot at the bottom of the garage door that you wouldn't think a mouse could get through." I can't find a Google image that adequately portrays our Carolina wren - they all look so puny! - so you will have to "click" on the chart above to get a sense of the wonder of it all.

The "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 6

"Click" here if you have forgotten the true meaning of the "blog" advent calendar. Or simply "click" here to "open the flap," revealing today's holiday surprise.

Dear Bird Correspondent

Dear Bird Correspondent, For months now, Theresa has spotted the same bird hopping around a particular row of bushes in our yard. At first she thought it was injured because it did not fly away when she approached - just hopped into a bush. She went so far as to put out some water for it in case it was sick or hurt. Well, the bird is not sick. It seems to be thriving. I saw it for the first time yesterday. Its body is shaped like a softball. Its back and head are reddish brown and its belly is lighter, sort of cream colored with dark stripes (can birds have stripes?). Its beak is thin, long, and pointed. It seems never to stray from its favorite bush. Pray tell, Dear Bird Correspondent, what is this bird?

The "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 5

Happy holidays! "Click" here for the origin and meaning of the "blog" advent calendar. Or simply "click" here to "open" the proverbial "flap," revealing today's surprise.

Food

Speaking of Dr. "M.," as I was several hours ago, yesterday's book purchases included the foodways volume of the New Encyclopedia of Southern Culture, containing Dr. "M.'s" elegant, witty, and informative article on Krispy Kreme. Aside from the pleasure and privilege of reading that entry in its entirety, there were other items of immediate personal interest to the "blog," as was evident at the earliest stages of browsing - everything the layman would ever wish to know about sorghum, for example, as well as a nice, long piece on my late mentor Eugene Walter (called in the encyclopedia by his full name, Eugene Ferdinand Walter, probably to distinguish him from Eugene Walter the early twentieth century playwright). I think Eugene would have been pleased and amused to find himself wedged alphabetically between Waffle House and George Washington. For a recording of Eugene reading one of his poems, "click" here.

The "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 4

Hello! If you need a reminder about how to work the "blog" advent calendar, "click" here. If you are ready to go and trembling with anticipation about today's special "blog" advent calendar surprise, "click" here. (Today's treat provided for your enjoyment by Dr. "M.")

The Welshman Speaks

Next up in our parade of favorite people and their favorite movies we are happy to present Jon Langford, artist, raconteur, and Mekon. Langford reports, "My favorite movie is Moby Dick starring Gregory Peck [and directed by John Huston - ed.]. Ray Bradbury did the screenplay and when you go back to the book to find all the really cool lines in the film you realize Ray wrote them... Also it was filmed in this little town called Youghal in Ireland in 1954 and when the Mekons visited there 40 years later it was the first thing that had happened since the Pequod left..." EDITOR'S NOTE: You can find musical references to the filming of MOBY DICK on Langford's solo album SKULL ORCHARD.

Better Half

On our current subject of favorite movies, we hear today from Kelly Kornegay, wife of Jamie and owner, with him, of Turnrow Books in Greenwood, MS. Here's Kelly: "I would have to say that Altman's Nashville is probably my favorite... but it is really a scene with Lilly Tomlin and Keith Carradine that stands out and to make things even weirder she shares a scene with Tom Waits in Short Cuts that is my other favorite scene in a movie... both Altman films... what do you reckon that is about? One more plug for a holiday movie that makes me smile every year... Home for the Holidays with Holly Hunter." Thanks, Kelly! Nashville is one of my big "faves" as well, as you can see by "clicking" on my "myspace" page. I want to thank everyone who is sending in their lists of favorite movies. I'll probably only get to one more today, because I am a very tired man, but don't worry, everyone will be represented sooner or later. Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes, this is exactly what "blogging" is all about: the opinions of complete strangers. Submit to our whims!

Revised "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 3

It has come to my attention that today's advent calendar page cannot be viewed. (Thanks for the heads up, Phil.) Just to let you know, it was the tasteful (considering) cover of an old paperback called NAKED ON ROLLER SKATES. We apologize for the inconvenience and present you here with a completely new surprise for Dec. 3.

How to Write

I read an article today in the New York Times about the new Stewart O'Nan book LAST NIGHT AT THE LOBSTER. I took note that part of Mr. O'Nan's novel occurs during a - SPOILER ALERT!!! - power outage at a Red Lobster restaurant during a snowstorm. Now it just so happens that I have nearly 100 pages of my new "detective" novel, and I was just getting to the part when - SPOILER ALERT!!! (if there can be such a thing for a book that may never be finished nor published) - there is a blackout in a video arcade during a squall. So it occurred to me to walk down to Square Books and buy Mr. O'Nan's novel, for research (i.e., stealing) purposes. Ha ha! I won't really steal anything. But I'm curious to see how he handles the power outage and storm. While I was there at the bookstore, someone told me that my special order had come in: THE EYE, by Nabokov. As I had learned from the introduction to PNIN, THE EYE is a spoof (I guess you'd say) of detective novels. That's sort of like what I'm working on, so once again... research. One nice thing is that THE EYE is 104 pages long and LAST NIGHT AT THE LOBSTER is 146 pages long. I consider these to be pleasant lengths for novels, akin to Barry B.'s ideal running time for films. (Just so no one gets excited and thinks that I have written 100 pages since I first mentioned the detective novel here, I'd like to explain that I had as many as 40 or 50 pages over a year ago. It's the work-in-progress, containing a soliloquy on the subject of Richie Rich, that I mentioned quite a while back.) Well, while I was waiting for Tom Franklin to show up for lunch at the Ajax Diner, I had the pleasure of reading the first two pages of Mr. O'Nan's book. They were so good that I made Tom Franklin read them as soon as he arrived. He liked them so much that we walked down to Square Books after lunch so Tom could get his own copy. This has been today's lesson on how to "write." Good luck!

Mr. Ward's Favorite, Favorite, Favorite, Favorite Movie

I have a lot of great backlogged responses to my "fave" movie question. I'll be getting to some more of them tomorrow. It has turned out to be more work than I thought! The fingers I use to cut-and-paste are becoming chapped. Also, I am trying to write a new book between "posts." But I could not resist going ahead and giving you the two cents of Mr. Ward, if only because his is the second "fave" movie so far to feature "blog" hero Arnold Stang. Now I give you Mr. Ward's response, in Mr. Ward's own cut-and-pasted words: "I've seen a lot of great movies in my lifetime, but my favorite is still 'It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.' Most people don't even consider it a 'good' movie, in fact my own kids hate it. I don't care. Every time I hear that theme music it just makes me happy. I want it played at my funeral. [Mr. Ward is not being funny; we have heard him express this wish in person on several occasions - ed.] When I was a kid, I'd watch it with my parents and Grandmother every single time it was on TV. Grandma cracked up whenever Zazu Pitts appeared on screen. I believe, even then, she was probably Zazu's only living fan. [compare and contrast with Barry B. watching DIRTY HARRY with his granny - ed.] The opening credits are the best. The cartoon earth can barely contain the endless parade of star names that keep escaping from it. As you watch, you can't help thinking that with that many stars, why this just might turn out to be the funniest movie ever created! In fact, you should probably stop watching after the credits, because sadly, it's not. But again, I don't care." (Pictured, Zasu Pitts.)

Stang's For the Memories

Oh, you thought we were done talking about Stang? Not by a long shot. Take a gander at this hot dog stand in Marin, California. Thanks to "Blog" Buddy Jason Headley for the photo. And at this busy time of year, let's not forget the original man behind the Stang: beloved character actor Arnold Stang.

The "Blog" Advent Calendar for Dec. 3

"Click" here for a refresher course on how to enjoy the "blog" advent calendar. Or simply "open the flap" to reveal today's delightful surprise.

The "Blog" Advent Calendar

"Click" here to learn how to operate the "blog" advent calendar, and to be apprised of its history and purpose. Okay, now that you have prepared yourself, "click" here to unveil today's special surprise. Thank you for enjoying the "blog" advent calendar. Happy holidays!