A question I must ask: who out there can tell me the name of Jack Skellington's little dog from "Nightmare Before Christmas"? I'm always vur' fond of small spectral beagles...

I went by the cineplex to see "The Two Towers" for the morning feature. At 0900 there were packs of milling children and...a huddle of extremely hefty forty-somethings all dressed as hobbits. That was just...*wrong*. [All the more so in that these would be the same people who have Star Trek uniforms in their closets...]

I'll wait 'til Monday for the film. Though there *is* something to be said for having a full Ringwraith outfit. A heavy black hooded cloak and spiky armour would get me a rather large circle of personal space. I'm vur' much a "noli me tangere" person when I'm at the cineplex. A Nazgul fashion look (1) suits me and (2)allows for privacy. I could sit alone, eat popcorn, watch the film, and not have to deal with either hyperactive children or aging otaku types...

And in any case-- the library got me the new translation of Musil's "Man Without Qualities". I have that and Janet Browne's new biography of Charles Darwin to read this weekend.

I must ask both Samantha and Mika about how they went about learning Elvish-- what books they used, what websites they visited. It's not Volapuk (or even Estonian), but it might be fun...

The Small Pika called last night and told me in Japanese that I was a vur' good small hedgehog. I felt most petted and happy. She made the *pika!* noise-- always a vur' happy sound.

I want '03 to go well for the Small Pika (who did get all A grades at Temple this semester)... After so much turmoil in the last three or four years, she needs Good Things and Kindness and to be petted.

DRL got the Fabriano Artist's Notebook I sent her for Christmas [I can't say Hanukkah, since I could never support the Maccabees against a Hellenizing dynasty. I'm far too fond of Hellenistic culture and the Oikumene ever to support the revolt of provincial religious fanatics]... I hadn't known DRL was a Hanukkah person until this morning's e-mail... Since my own religious views tend to favor a Hello Kitty and Tare Panda version of Shinto (with some affection for the Sufi brotherhoods), I always miss others' religious cues. Nonetheless-- I'm glad she got the notebook...

And I keep hoping some lovely girl will mail me a Fabriano Artist's Journal and a Hamtaro stuffling... [Hamtaro is my favorite Brave Little Hamster!]

Samantha's brother-in-law has actual photos of Small Mongolian Ponies, made on visits to the Przewalski Horse Reserve at Hustain Nuruu in Mongolia! Samantha is not only bright and lovely, she knows about the Small Mongolian Pony! Always a vur' good thing!

Now... Jack Skellington's dog. Who can tell me his name?