PeterDavid.net

Tom Galloway sent in the following link to an article in the Atlanta Journal Constitution regarding a principal named Jester (it just doesn’t get more Dickensian than that) who is terrifying personnel with this stated obsessions over “ridding the school of demons” and threatening to shoot people.

Although the name might encourage people to falsely conclude that this is the Joker in disguise, I think it’s pretty much proof of something that many in DeKalb county would immediately concede: DeKalb County is situated on top of a Hellmouth. Faculty and administrators are reportedly unsure of what to do about the situation. I wouldn’t be concerned. By the end of the school year, the principal will probably have been eaten. That still leaves the matter of getting rid of the Hellmouth under DeKalb, but perhaps by the end of this season we’ll see how to attend to that as well.

PAD

Understand, I didn’t actually watch Misterrogers much when I was growing up. In later years, I happened to see his show now and again if my kids happened to have it on. Always seemed very nice, very gentle. So much a part of the culture that Willow Rosenberg’s mother could crab about King Friday dominating the other puppets that everyone would get it.

What I remember is two things: First, many years ago, he was on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. When he came out, yes, he didn’t have the sweater, but his demeanor was exactly the way it was on the TV show. And you realized, this was how he *always* talked. This calm, gentle manner that made you feel like a comfortable five year old, even if you were forty five. And Carson desperately wanted to laugh, because it was just so funny, but he didn’t want to be insulting. So Rogers smiled and said, “You want to laugh, don’t you? It’s okay.” At which point, of course, Carson lost it. Rogers, meantime, was unflappable.

The other thing I remember was years and years ago, I wrote an Op-Ed piece for the New York Times about my fruitless endeavors to get a Cabbage Patch kid for Shana, who was about six at the time. And I mentioned Misterrogers in the context of the piece. So the piece sees print, and the next thing I know, I get a package in the mail from the office of Misterrogers, addressed to Shana, with a signed picture and a Misterrogers T-shirt.

Damn. If only we could have sent *him* in against Saddam. This whole thing would’ve been settled in no time. Actually, now that I recall it, Dana Carvey said his George H.W. Bush and Misterrogers impressions were almost interchangeable.

PAD

From Chris over at Interesting Times:

I was planning to discuss “Smallville” anyway; just didn’t want to do it the same time as “Buffy.” But a Smallville discussion seems to have broken out over there anyway. Maybe I should just start doing double BLOG entries after Tuesday nights. (Hey, Glenn, any way to move the “Smallville” related posts over here?)

Anyway…one hell of an episode. Spoilers to follow…

PAD

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Supergirl #79 is out this week. Meantime between SUPERGIRL #74 to #80, we saw an increase of 6000 copies. Not bad for a series of stories some pundits claimed “failed to get readers.”

So whad’ja think of the latest issue?

PAD

From the opening moments of tonight’s episode, with Andrew making like Allistair Cook (or, for those of you of more recent vintage, Allistair Cookie), I thought, “Espsenson. Gotta be written by Jane Espenson. This has got her style all over it.” Sure enough. One of BTVS’s most consistent and imaginative writers comes through again. Solid B+ Entry.

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…catch the rerun of this week’s Smallville. And if you missed the URL, it’s http://www.christopherreeve.org.

No way. Here’s far preferable ways to handle it:

1) Bush and Saddam each have to write six issues of a comic book, and whichever one outsells the other is declared the winner.

2) A footrace around the world.

3) Dunk tanks.

4) They go head to head on “Wheel of Fortune.” Substitute the “Bankrupt” slot with a “Disarm” slot.

5) Do a debate, but instead of sending in Bush, Saddam has to debate Martin Sheen.

6) Screw this inspection crap and just send in Batman.

PAD

Real fast: What’s the name of George W. Bush’s wife?

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Working hard to finish up the latest SIR APROPOS, “TONG LASHING,” by a week from Monday. Why? Because that’s when Kathleen goes back to work, I become full-time daddy-with-baby, and I’d rather have the novel wrapped by that point than have to deal with both a three month old and a tight deadline.

Working up names of characters for Apropos’ adventures in the far off land of Chinpan (since I couldn’t make up my mind whether to send him to China or Japan.) Possible character names include Binzo Long, Itso Esi, Kan Du, Arata Ruk, Kuichi Ku, and Go Nogo.

PAD

March 22, 1991

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“Red Dwarf” is out on DVD in the United States. We have the first one and we’re currently watching it. “No Exit” in space. Brilliant stuff.

Always wondered: At one point in “The End,” Holly gets so frustrated with Lister’s inability to comprehend that everyone’s dead he says, “Gordon Bennett, yes, they’re all dead.” Gordon Bennett? Huh? Who’s Gordon Bennett? Kathleen claims it’s Cockney rhyming slang, but I can’t figure out what “Bennett” rhymes with. “Demmit?” Kind of a stretch. Anyone know?

PAD

I have been asked by DC–and have agreed–to write the introduction to the “Supergirl” trade paperback which will collect “Many Happy Returns.”

This, of course, will call for some tact.

Fortunately I’m loaded with tact.

PAD

It occurs to me that folks who are concerned about reading key bits involving “Buffy” episodes are really only affected if *I* say something in my blog. Because anything in the response area can only be seen via a separate, additional action on the part of the reader. Only my journal is “in your face,” so to speak.

So henceforth, what I’ll do is simply open up the discussion area, and that’s all that will appear in the journal entry itself. I’ll then put my opinions into the response area, safe from eyes of those who taped but haven’t watched it, or had it preempted for basketball or live in England or something. Same deal with “Angel.”

Instead in the main blog area I’ll simply speak in vague generalities: This week’s episode rates a solid “B,” and lays some groundwork that could factor in to the resolution of the story arc. Spoilers and detailed comments follow.

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As promised, here’s the place to sound off for the return of Anthony Freemont and the introduction of daughter Audrey on tonight’s “Twilight Zone.”

As you guys know, I thought it was really nicely done. I still wish they’d done the whole show in black and white and not had color turn up until the very end. But that’s probably just me. And hey…who now wants a Peaksville bowling shirt with “Anthony” stitched on the front. I sure know I do.

“Buffy” discussion tomorrow.

PAD

Tonight is “It’s Still A Good Life,” the Twilight Zone sequel starring Bill Mumy and his daughter, Liliana. That’s 9 PM (unless they’re running it in the second half hour) Eastern Standard time, check your local listings. Remember, Bill said he’d be swinging back here tomorrow to hear what you all thought. At exactly 1 AM EST tonight, I’ll start off a journal entry and you guys can sound off.

PAD

I’m back. Well, we’re back–Kathleen and the baby and I–from the Neverending convention that was Farpoint, down in Maryland.

The problem with having heard so many weather reports in the past warning of major snowstorms which turn out to be a half inch of dusting is that one becomes cynical. You figure, who’d dumber? The weathermen for not knowing what they’re talking about, or you for believing them? So on Saturday when meteorologists spoke with grave portents about snow, I didn’t think anything of it.

We woke up for Sunday morning’s programming to discover that snow was falling at a rate of 2 to 4 inches an hour, and had been falling since about 5 AM. We thought of trying to leave immediately, but the roads were already being shut down. By Sunday afternoon we knew we were stuck.

So was pretty much everyone else. The convention had been lightly attended as far wiser folks than us had stayed the heck away, preparing for a blizzard. Fortunately enough, everyone remained in good spirits, even as food supplies in the hotel began to dwindle. A good thing this year’s actor guests were good sports (as opposed to the occasional egomanics one gets). Fans hung out with (and I apologize for misspelled names) Erin Gray and Gil Gerard of “Buck Rodgers,” Gary Graham, Eric Pierpoint and Michelle Scarabelli of “Alien Nation,” and Armin Shimmerman of “DS9″ and “Buffy” (and hey…wouldn’t it be a hoot if the First showed up as Snyder and spent a whole episode telling Principal Wood that he was going to wind up eaten, because all Sunnydale principals wind up eaten?)

And since Mike Friedman, Bob Greenberger and I were snowbound together Monday and had nothing else to do, we started work on the next “Mystery Trekkie Theater” for Shore Leave, after T. Alan Chafin managed to hotwire a VCR loaned us by dealer Herb McCullough.

The biggest challenge was shoveling out my car. With yeoman like help of several friends, including Deb Greenberger (Bob’s wife), I managed to find the car and start it up. I figured the smart thing was to try and back it out of the spot and find one with less snow (of which there were several). The problem was, although I knew enough to clear the snow away from the exhaust pipe, I didn’t realize snow had packed itself up INTO the exhaust pipe. Since I was gunning the engine to try and roll the car back over the icy spots, the interior of the car filled up with carbon monoxide and exhaust fumes. I spent the next couple of minutes wretching and coughing before I cleared it out of my lungs.

When we finally got home, we literally couldn’t get into the house. We were blocked by over two feet of snow.

Fun.

PAD

…no, not Peter. Just a BID that ran slightly out of order.

March 15, 1991

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March 29, 1991

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From Bob Greenberger:

Well, the Davids and the Greenbergers, among many others, are snowed in at the Hunt Valley Inn as the snow continues unabated. It’s weird, you’d think being trapped an extra day at a con would be fun. Instead, it’s eerily quiet as people wander aimlessly. There’s a full slate of programming today, with evening activities added. The con, which suffered from poor attendence due to weather fears, threw their programming open to all hotel guests since, after all, no one was going anywhere. The highways were closed around 9:30 a.m. and the National Guard got called out this afternoon. The hottest selling item in the dealer’s room was the “I Survived the Farpoint Blizzard ‘03″ t-shirts.

From those of us trapped down in Baltimore, to those of you potentially trapped up in Boston, we wish you a safe journey home. And to those on the west coast, we envy your current existence.

Okay, let me see if I understand: Boskone was also this weekend, but the convention in Maryland is snowed in rather than the one in Massachusetts?