on the record

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(While I'm thinking about it, here's a picture from just before her dance recital.)

Last night, Sarah came in from walking with Cathy, very excited and holding a copy of the West Springfield Record, our local weekly paper. She summoned me and started looking though the pages, finally coming to this halfpage ad at the bottom of page 15 for her dance school.

After a second, I could see why she was so excited. Debra, mother to Sarah's friends Brett and Raisa, had spotted this in her copy of the paper that had just come. I think I'll be going to the drugstore to buy some additional copies, but here's a virtual copy for your enjoyment.

Her first media exposure. I hope it hasn't gone to her head. She is stage struck, and wants to be on a stage again. I know the feeling.

( wide photo behind the cut )

second guessing

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Watch on YouTube

Apparently, there's a web site dedicated to how movies should have ended. This strikes me as a good idea that will bear more looking into.

See, I thought Disney opened a good can of worms when they started messing with their old films -- taking cigarettes away from Pecos Bill, removing stereotypes from FANTASIA, changing the narrator in "Mick and the Beanstalk" -- because it would give them an opportunity to fix things they hadn't done right before. For instance, CINDERELLA ends without any comeuppance or even acknowledgement from the Step-relatives. She just drives off. Here's how it should have gone.

Cinderella and the Prince just drive off. Grand Duke turns to Stepmother.

DUKE: So you see, Mrs. [mumblemumble], that beautiful princess was your step-daughter Cinderella, all along!

Stepmother and Stepsisters turn as one to camera and speak in unison.

STEPS: Ehhhh... NOW he tells us!

They are all in a row with their heads together. The Stepmother pulls out a huge pistol, puts it to her head, and puts a single bullet through all three of them. They fall back with their feet high in the air, raising a cloud of dust.

SFX: Kettle drum "ba-WHOOOM"

MUSIC: Da, Da, Da, DUMMM!

Iris out. Just before it closes all the way, the stepsister with the biggest nose sits up and gets her nose caught in the iris.

STEPSISTER: OUCH!

MUSIC: "The Merry-Go-Round Broke Down"
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ed murrow's ghost

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"Have you no decency?"

Sweeney appears to be a real piece of work.
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