Just a quick drop-in as I've been flat-out over the last few days, working with the welfare/government/emergency bodies that are handling the aftermath of the tornado. Besides helping with some of the clean-up I've been baking, soup brewing, and sandwich-making, feeding the emergency workers and many of the people from the 150 or so houses that were affected.

I don't have time to post in all the appropriate threads so I'll leave a few messages here in the hope that people might find them.

Congrats Nilly on your English speaking. Commiserations to monkey-bitten Gus, hope his rabies shots aren't too painful.

Happy yesterday birthday to Caroma.

Interesting snippets.

For Deb Grabien and Jen? (Sorry I'm not sure which one) some new research on MS that you might not be aware of. (With apologies if this is old news or a little presumptious) ... Researchers investigate MS mystery

For Gar and SeanK (if he ever wanders in here) and those who were discussing corporate irresponsibility the other day. This is a good sign ... Rebels humiliate Glaxo

And for whoever asked about Fleischer resigning yesterday ... Bush and Blair's public spokesmen quit their posts on the same day

Getting sleepy ....

It wasn't Blair's main spokesman, it was a flunky. if Ali Campbell had gone, it would have been apocalyptic.

Moonlit, good on you for the great work you're doing. Let me know if there's anything I can do to help (even if it's Buffy and Angel taping duties while you're otherwise occupied!) Is there a disaster relief fund set up? I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that there was a tornado in Bendigo! I mean, we're all used to cyclones in the tropics, but Victoria is supposed to be the state of placid and undramatic weather!

Delurking to say that I heart Principal Foxy McHottie, but also to ask a quick question...

Does anyone happen to know who wrote the following and where? I think I got it from someone's tagline.

"It's the love-hate relationship with the production company that really makes obsessive Buffy fandom special."

SPOILER WARNING:

the front page of Salon (the blurb for Stephanie Zachareck's review of the Buffy finale) is extremely spoilery for UnAmericans!

I'm so pissed off. You'd think they couldn't possibly reveal about four major plot points in 25 words, but they manage. Avoid, avoid!

You'd think they couldn't possibly reveal about four major plot points in 25 words, but they manage

See, this is why I never managed to be anything other than spoiled--internet addiction and spoiler virginity are mutually exclusive states of being if you live anywhere that's not America. Well, there's also the issue of me being a slave to my own curiosity, but the non-Americaness is a less pathetic excuse and helps me avoid annoying questions like 'Well, surely you must have some form of self-control?'

See, I've managed to avoid most spoilers pretty well this season, and I really prefer it that way. I've had my know-every-episode-backwards-before-I've-seen-them seasons too, but for me, this way is better. If you know where to expect spoilers, they're pretty easy to avoid, which is why it makes me all the more angry when the blurb on a magazine site gets me.

Thanks so much for the warning Fiona! (Not that I tend to visit Salon much these days but you never know).

t edit And grrrrrr on your behalf!

Emlah, I think that might have been me.

The remake of The Italian Job (heresy!) is previewing today. Seth Green is in it, billed below the title. There was an interview with Michael Caine about coming to the U.S. to promote the movie, seeing a poster with a naked woman sitting on the lap of a man with a tommygun, saying "There are no naked women or tommyguns in this movie", and flying right back home again.