The Tonight Show Vamps

With the popularity of vampires on the rise with True Blood, The Vampire Diaries and Twilight, Conan decides to get in on the brooding vampire craze with his hire of a new assistant, Cody Devereaux, b. 1589.

Caprica: Make a Choice

Six new posters were released today for the quasi-prequel series to Battlestar Galactica, Caprica, set 50 years before the downfall of mankind in the former show. My favorite image from the set:


To see the rest of the promotional art click here.

I'm really looking forward to this series. I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot episode that was released earlier this year. There are many different roads this show could take-but, then again a few of those roads must lead to Battlestar. And the talented Jane Espenson is Executive Producer on the show, so I have much faith in it.

She's Back! (Just Kidding)

Travel Writer, Judy Grimes returns in an SNL segment we all love-Just Kidding-I mean no, we do love it-just kidding, but it's awkward, just kidding, we like it because it's awkward, just kidding, because it's funny, just kidding. Watch it. Love it.

Dollhouse Season 1 on DVD

Dollhouse has been available for pre-order for several weeks, but yesterday, the covers for both the DVD and Blu-Ray releases of Season 1 were unveiled. Here is the cover for the DVD set:


The DVD has rapidly climbed Amazon's charts, now 5th on the site's "Movers & Shakers" jumping an incredible 139% in the past 24 hours alone. I am fine with the cover they chose-and the great tagline from TIME Magazine-but as I've been following the DVD release for Dollhouse this promotional image popped up which I wish had been more prevalent in advertising. I don't remember seeing it before now.


Dollhouse Season 1 will be released on July 28th. Click through to see how the orders will be charted and the information sent to 20th Century Fox and Fox Broadcasting Corp. Order a doll. Save the world...or...er, Dollhouse.

Dollhouse: Case Files/ Testimonials

If there were a Dollhouse...



Edited from Dollhouse Episode 1.6 "Man On The Street

Yes, please.

The second season of True Blood begins June 14th.

Emerald City ComiCon

I woke up around 8:00AM on Saturday morning after a late night out and it was only because of the beginning of Emerald City ComiCon that I was motivated enough to get out of bed. I knew I should arrive a bit early and thankfully the Washington State Convention Center is about a 5 minute walk downhill from my apartment. I figured there'd be a line, but I had no idea I'd be standing in it for nearly half an hour. This quickly proved itself to be a benefit in disguise.

Standing in the neat, zig-zagging line, I was able to assess a great many of my counterparts. I would certainly consider myself a fan, but I am not one to layer X-Men track jacket upon Spiderman button-up upon Watchmen-smiley-face-T-shirt or dress up in Jedi robes-(that said, I do own a double-bladed lightsaber). Emerald City ComiCon was, by the way, my first explicitly "fan" convention. As I looked around at the people around me, I realized the great diversity of fandom, in age, appearance, build, behavior and manner of dress-everyone from the sprite young Batmans and Robins, to the sultry Poison Ivys, Scarlet Witches and Princess Leias in her slave outfit(some of which should not have been wearing the latter costume), to one sweet older woman in a wheelchair dressed as a Jedi Knight. Families were present too and one family dressed their daughter up as the gold-plated robot from Doctor Who, and the result was adorable.

I had arrived at about 9:45 and as the clock ticked closer to 10:00 when they would officially open the doors-though I would end up waiting another 20 minutes or so to get in-the elevators directly to my left opened. Do you ever look around in a room where you don't expect to see anyone you know and then suddenly your eyes lock on a familiar face and a rush of relief comes over you? Well, that happened to me, except that I really didn't know who I saw, but the faces were unmistakable. Aaron Douglas, Tahmoh Penikett and Michael Hogan standing a few feet away. They walked right by into the convention hall and that was when I got really excited.

When I walked into the grandiose space, I had no idea where to start. Booths stretched ahead, to the left and right for hundreds of yards. I meandered for a bit and I stopped suddenly at the booth of artist John Tyler Christopher. I eventually purchased this print that had caught my eye, one of The White Queen aka Emma Frost from X-Men. It was also the catalyst for a weekend-long creative dialogue as I ended up bringing every friend I encountered at the convention to look at Christopher's artwork. I told him how much I liked the print and how Frost lends herself so well the use of negative space and that led into a conversation about how I still wasn't convinced I felt "like I should be there" as it was so different from any conference I had been to previously. He said that, like the attendees of the ComiCon, artists too are split between those that create and show popular art because it is simply "cool" and those that are more passionate and have a vested interested in the subject matter and artistic influences of their work. Christopher, for example, is heavily influenced by Alphonse Mucha and various mythological sources. Much of his work has an Art Nouveau flair, but he also has images that are viscerally striking like his prints he did as a personal project on the seven deadly sins-grotesque, yes, but with an underlying understanding of spirituality and the human condition. When I mentioned my most recent presentation at the Southwest Texas American and Popular Culture Association, he asked if he could read the paper so I was delighted to send a copy a few days later. I look forward to hearing what he has to say.

Right next to Christopher's table was that of Georges Jeanty, artist on the Buffy Season 8 comics. He pencils and creates an alternate cover for almost every issue. Since it was still early in the day, there were not too many people around his table, so I was able to engage him on a number of points about the production of a comic book. I didn't realize, for one, that for mainstream comics, artists produce their layouts on an 11x17 scale. Georges had a sizable stack of original penciled and inked pages from the comics that were available for purchase at $100 each-a little steep for me, but they were stunning, despite not being colored. I did however, get Georges to sign a copy of an issue of Buffy and include an original head sketch on one of his sketchbooks for me. I asked for Willow. He was very nice and touched on the work that goes on between the writer and artist and it sounds like a very organic process. I brought up the fact that I mentioned in my Columbia interview how much I would love to work with Jane Espenson one day and he then talked to me extensively about his work with her, specifically regarding her upcoming 5-issue story arc surrounding the character of Oz. He exchanges emails with PDFs and JPEGs of his work and phone calls with her on a daily basis. The script he receives for the comic book is very similar to a television script and the creation of an issue is extremely collaborative with ideas being constantly exchanged. He'll draw little thumbnails in the margins of the script, map out some layouts and scan them so Jane can make comments. According to Georges, Jane is incredibly warm and unassuming. He explained how Joss is much like that too and because he surrounds himself with such talented and caring individuals, every team he creates is solid creatively and socially.

From Georges' table it was just a few steps away to Jewel "Kaylee" Staite's signing table, so I coughed up the fee and had her sign a copy of my Firefly Visual Companion: Volume 1, which I spent a great deal of time with when working on my Firefly paper. "For Ian: Stay Shiny! Jewel Staite." I admit I was a little giddy, so I kind of awkwardly scampered off after she signed my book-and I didn't want to hold up the people behind me. She was absolutely gorgeous and most friendly.

Later that day, I attended the following panels:

11:00am SKEWED AND REVIEWED MOVIE PREVIEW
A look at the movies of 2009-2012 with a special segment on the latest news on the status of many Super Hero movies. Plus a Q&A with host Gareth Von Kallenbach, syndicated film reviewer & radio personality

At this panel, I may have scored a free Watchmen t-shirt, thus clenching my rightful status as a fan at the Con.

1:00pm DARK HORSE COMICS PANEL
Director of publicity Jeremy Atkins, along with Senior Managing Editor Scott Allie, present an exclusive preview of all that Dark Horse has to offer in the coming year. With breaking news on all of your favorite Dark Horse titles, and exciting new projects to be announced, be the first to know about everything from heroes to horror.

During the Q&A, I asked Scott Allie what the future of the Buffy comics held as far as the number of issues for Season 8 as well as the potential for Season 9. He said Season 8 has been locked in at a full 40 issues-we are currently on #24 as I write this-and Season 9 is definitely a go after a hiatus when 8 wraps up. Later I got Scott Allie's autograph on the first trade paperback of Season 8, "The Long Way Home."

Upon walking into the conference hall the next day, the first people I see are Tahmoh Penikett and Michael Hogan. In the flesh, talking to 2 or 3 people beside the front door. My peripheral vision blurred for about 10 seconds as I beelined my way to shake their hands. They said hello and were on their way to their autograph tables.

Sunday afternoon's panels were fantastic:

12:00pm SPOTLIGHT ON BATTLESTAR GALACTICA
The show is over, but questions still remain. Join three of the most popular BSG cast members, Tahmoh Penikett ("Helo"), Aaron Douglas ("Chief Tyrol") and Michael Hogan ("Colonel Tigh") for this great Q&A session!

There was a massive line even a half hour before the scheduled start time, so Mecque, Randy, Blake and I were not sure we'd make it in to get a seat. We did by about 20+ people. Aaron Douglas, Tahmoh Penikett and Michael Hogan were all present. Michael said little overall, though he did give us a classic "Fraaaaakk!" on cue. Tahmoh is just as collected, admirable and strong as his two characters, Helo on BSG and Paul Ballard on Dollhouse. He carried himself very well. And who knew Aaron was such a joker? Aaron was making cracks at every turn-reminding me that this was a "fan" convention, deviating from the more serious, analytical and creative tone I wish the panel had taken. Still, it was great to see these actors and hear them discuss the merits of each other-especially Michael's acting chops in addition to praising other actors in the show, notably Edward "Eddie" James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, who sounds like one of the most beautiful, talented women on the planet.

1:00pm SPOTLIGHT ON MIKE MIGNOLA
Join Mike Mignola as we discusses his career, his famous creation Hellboy and much more. Moderated by Hellboy editor Scott Allie.

This was actually one of the most informative panels of the weekend. One of the most interesting aspects of the discussion concerned Mike Mignola's diverse influences and research sources. I paraphrase Mike here, "I would say that about 80% of my books remained unopened, that is to say, opened past the Table of Contents. I look at that page and say, 'Oh, wow, that's like 32 Hellboy stories!'" As a dramaturg and research enthusiast, I'm fascinated by that sort of approach to intertextual storytelling. He and Scott also gave a few pointers to those individuals pursuing university programs in the creative arts. The rundown: a) you can't depend on your teachers to provide you with all the tools and guidance you need b) be specific about what you want to do creatively c) get to know people d) be dedicated and driven.

2:00pm GET YOUR GEEK ON WITH WIL WHEATON
Wil Wheaton (Author, Actor, Gamer, Geek, Blogger, Raconteur) invites you to get your geek on during this hour-long Q&A. There may or may not be punch and pie (most likely not).

Perhaps the most enjoyable hour and a half of the Con. Wil Wheaton is so much more than a figurehead for geek culture though that is a role at which he excells with humor and humility. "I don't use 'nerds' pejoratively. I use it awesomeatively." -Wil Wheaton. My friend Mecque had the opportunity to ask Wheaton the very last question of the panel-one that stemmed from a tweet wilw had sent a couple days before wherein he wished he had answered a question differently in an interview. Mecque asked that very same question again and this time Wheaton was ready. "What do you do with a twenty-sided die?" Wheaton beamed, pausing while the audience erupted in applause. "Everything."

I would say other than the two great conversations I had with John Christopher and Georges Jeanty and the encounters with celebrities, one of the best things about the whole show was the amazing artistry that was represented by all the exhibitors. The entire show room was full of talented individuals who illustrate in a wide stylistic range using an array of creative tools from digital Wacom tablets, colored pencil, collage techniques to 3 or or 4 different types of ink pens. By the end of the show on Sunday, I had acquired three striking 11x17 colored prints, each featuring-entirely by chance-a woman in some stylized representation, the first being the Emma Frost print, the second a dark sunset above a silhouette of a woman whose hair twists up into the black clouds by an artist from Vancouver, and the third, seen here, by writer and artist, Stuart Sayger, who told me that he couldn't decide between penning a horror comic or a romance. From this Shiver in the Dark was born, an evocative, sensual gothic horror with a beautiful woman at its center.

This weekend was my first and probably my last Emerald City ComiCon as I move to the other side of the country later this summer, but it will certainly not be my last ComiCon. Yesterday, I started putting a few future events of the same genre in my calendar. Boston ComiCon October 24th-25th, 2009 and New York ComiCon October 8-19, 2010 are a couple of them I hope to attend as an art enthuiast, dramaturg, writer, creative thinker, collaborator, academic and of course, a fan.

Emerald City ComiCon

Emerald City ComiCon is just one week away! I've been meaning to go for a few years now, but I've almost always had to work weekends. This year, I'm fully embracing my inner geek-as if I don't do that often enough as it is-and bought a ticket to attend both days of the event, Saturday and Sunday April 4th & 5th.

The program guide was just released earlier this week with the above X-Men-in-Seattle cover by Dennis Calero.

Right now I am most looking forward to:

Seeing Jewel "Kaylee" Staite from Firefly and Serenity.

Attending the Dark Horse Comics panel with editor Scott Allie (hopefully there will be some fun Buffy comic announcements-Buffy Season 9 perhaps?!)

Going to a Battlestar Galactica panel featuring Tahmoh Penikett ("Helo"), Aaron Douglas ("Chief Tyrol") and Michael Hogan ("Colonel Tigh")

And potentially greeting newly voted Secretary for Geek Affairs, Wil Wheaton at his Q&A on Sunday afternoon.

Other exciting guests and presentations include appearances by Georges Jeanty-artist on the Buffy Season 8 comics, Mike Mignola-creator of Hellboy, and Ray Park-who played Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace, Toad in X-Men and Snake Eyes in the upcoming G.I Joe film.

Show hours are: Saturday, April 4th 10:00am - 6:00pm and Sunday, April 5th 10:00am - 5:00pm. A two-day pass costs $25, a one day ticket is $15.

If you're going to Emerald City ComiCon next weekend and would like to meet up, let me know! I'd love to geek out together.

The Dark Passenger

I've been enjoying Dexter, more than I thought I would. The season one finale caught me off guard with a haunting reveal, further delving into what the definition of justice is and what drives us to seek it. The question is not "how far would you go?" but "when you go that far, where does that put you?" Who does it make you and can it change you as much as the world around you? Even with saying that, you have to ask, how much the world is changed. A few dozen corpses in your wake, dropped in the ocean outside of Miami. What does it matter?

The second season episode, "An Inconvenient Lie", contains one of the most mesmerizing conversations in the show so far featuring a direct, acute assessment of Dexter's deeply engrained motivations. It takes place between Dexter and an attendee of a Narcotics Anonymous group, Lila Tournay.


Lila

There’s no way that I could know what you’ve experienced right?

I couldn’t possibly fill that need.

Like a thousand hiding voices whispering, “this is who you are.”

And you fight the pressure. The growing need rising like a wave. Prickling and teasing and prodding to be fed. But the whispering gets louder until it’s screaming, “now!” And it’s the only voice you hear.

The only voice you want to hear.

And you belong to it.

To this shadow self.

To this...

Dexter

...dark passenger.

Lila

Yes.  The dark passenger.

I immediately thought of Simon & Garfunkel's, "Sound of Silence" and its reference to the "darkness" as a proximate comfort and silence that festers within the human heart. It was probably close to my mind after seeing Watchmen again. A nice moment of intertextuality.

Hello darkness, my old friend,
Ive come to talk with you again,
Because a vision softly creeping,
Left its seeds while I was sleeping,
And the vision that was planted in my brain
Still remains
Within the sound of silence.

The song closes with the words:

...whispered in the sounds of silence.

Of Dexter

When I came back from New Mexico and my short but remarkable trip to New York City, I had the first disc of the first season of Dexter waiting for me in my mail-(I am caught up on Weeds on DVD which has been fantastic and exactly what I wanted it to be).

I had read some time prior that Dexter is considered a sympathetic serial killer, but I don't think I've gotten to that emotional crux on my part. A few episodes in, I feel more numb than anything else and that could be exactly what the show is trying to do at the beginning, numb you, then slowly prick you until you start to regain feeling-albeit in a different manner. If there is one character I am most sympathetic for at this point, it is Julie Benz as Dexter's girlfriend-if you can call her that-of whom, in the pilot episode, Dexter says is

"the right woman for me. Deb saved her life on a domestic dispute call, introduced us and we've been dating for six months now. It's perfect because Rita, is, in her own way, as damaged as me."

Come to Iceland

This video brought great warmth to my week.



Kristen Wigg-many props to you.

Big Wins for Slumdog and Milk, Lisa Rinna not so much

Lisa Rinna looks like an owl exploded on her head after clawing her lips until they were all swollen and disfigured.

I think if I had seen this on the red carpet last night, I would have felt the need to have several more glasses of champagne to wipe away that image. Aren't you glad I've passed it on for your viewing pleasure?

Thankfully, I was mingling at a big Oscar party at SoDo Park in south Seattle right up until Hugh Jackman did his opening number. I thought his first performance last night set the perfect tone for the night. I appreciated the different creative decisions that were made this year in regards to presentation and entertainment. Presenting the nominees for best song as a medley was nice and I think the old way of doing it-individually-just spread out the evening unnecessarily so. I also liked the actors and actresses presenting the nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress respectively. It added another personal touch to the evening. Did anyone else think of Battlestar Galactica's reveal of the Final Five at the temple in Season 3 when the five actors stood up against the "pillars" in the background? I could have done without Beyonce's act later in the show, but I enjoyed the choreography at that point. Overall, a definite improvement of the awards show from years past.

As far as results go, I'm happy Slumdog Millionaire did as well as it did. It deserves every one of those awards. While I was rooting for Milk to win best picture, I had a feeling Slumdog would take that one in the end. The acceptance of Heath Ledger's posthumous award for Best Supporting Actor by his family was somber but well-deserved, not just for The Dark Knight, but his career. I suppose there's always a chance he will be recognized for his talent again when Terry Gilliam's, The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus comes out-which will officially be Ledger's last film role.

I could not have been happier about Dustin Lance Black's win for his screenplay for Milk and Sean Penn's award for Best Actor. Two great wins that mean a lot for so many people in this country and around the world.

Yeah, That's Right...

Dollhouse, my friends, is the number one television download on iTunes.

Tonight, the dolls come out to play.

Then

The Slayer

March 10, 1997

The Vampire

October 5, 1999

The Independent

September 20, 2002

The Doctor

July 15, 2008

Now

The Doll

February 13, 2009

9:00pm

Hosting

Summer Glau and Eliza Dushku will be hosting this Friday's duet of premieres from the set of CEO Catherine Weaver's ZeiraCorp office in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. T:SCC returns this Friday with new episodes along with Dollhouse. The action starts at 8PM on FOX.

Said: Joss Whedon

“I believe the best way to examine anything is to go to a dark place. You can't be a storyteller and a speechwriter at the same time.”

Joss Whedon

More beautiful shots of the Dollhouse set, filming and crew at the LA Times.

CW Bites Again

Almost five years ago to the day-February 14th 2004-the WB television network decided to cancel Angel. David Fury, the head writer of the show has said that if Joss and the crew had not been so adamant with the Head of Entertainment about getting an early renewal for the show that the show would have definitely been picked up for a sixth season. He also stated "The WB has since recognized…I believe Garth Ancier at The WB said that it was a big mistake to cancel Angel."

Any way it happened, it makes the news that the CW has just picked up a pilot for a new series entitled, "Vampire Diaries" all the more bitter to taste. "Vampire Diaries" is based on L.J. Smith's four-book series of the same name originally published in 1993 which as the Variety article states, the CW made clear was before Stephanie Meyer's publication of her Twilight books. But with all the vampyric media these days, it is no surprise that HarperCollins ordered three more books with the first new novel-with the unnecessary multiple-part title: The Vampire Diaries: The Return: Nightfall-coming out on Tuesday.

"Vampire Diaries" revolves around a young woman whose torn between two vampire brothers. The The brothers - one good, one evil - are battling for her soul, and the souls of her pals, family and the small town where they live.

What makes the news even more difficult to bear is the fact that this show will be birthed by writers and producers from such quality work as "Gossip Girl," "I Know What You Did Last Summer," "Dawson's Creek" and "Privileged."

Someone should point out that some vampires just suck.

Williams Talks Dolls

This interview with British actress Olivia Williams, who plays Adelle Dewitt the "madame" of the Dollhouse in the upcoming show of the same name, has made me more excited about the show than any trailer, review, or picture that has been released til this point. Her dedication to and intellectual investment in the role are made quite obvious here. Williams is so eloquent and particular in her responses and she completely opens up the mythology, intrigue and potential of the show in a way that no promotional material or interview has done for me. Excerpts below.

About her character, Williams says:

[The challenge in playing Adelle] is the combination of playing someone who’s trying to grasp on to moral explanations for her behavior while dealing with abject loneliness. She’s lonely and has great empathy with people who are prepared to pay a vast amount of money for a date. Which means she’s completely morally corrupt ultimately. It’s just such a great double-edged part and you know we actors love the subtext, darling. Joss got me with the subtext.

And in response to the question about what she would tell potential viewers of the show, Williams assures the reader:

It will pay off. It will pay off if you stick with it. The first episodes have got the action and the glamour and set up the premise: What if you could buy whatever you wanted? But then you find yourself in a moral haze. “OK, is getting what I want good for me? Is it going to make me happy? Where does it lead morally and what are the implications of creating a fake personality? Do we have souls? If our brains were being wiped, is there anything in the soul that could survive?”

I think the people who are there to see [Eliza Dushku] in a bikini –- which is a great thing-are going to find themselves with a moral dilemma that they might not expect.

Dollhouse premieres one week from tomorrow at 9PM on FOX. Also, TV Addict reports that the second episode, "The Target", is even better than the premiere.

Super Sunday

This is what my Super Bowl Sunday looked like: (Times are approximate)

9:50 Wake-up. Text Keith, "brunch?" Keith: "Yes." Me: "Grocery store. 15 minutes."

10:45 Coffee. A big plate of biscuits & gravy, eggs.

11:00 Angel Season 1, Episode 1, "City Of"



12:00 Keith: "Want to go to the gym." Me: "No." Me: "Actually, yes."

12:30 Gym. Elliptical. Weights. Balancing thingy. More weights. Abs. Shower.

2:00 Keith: "Mecquet wants to watch the Super Bowl." Me: "Oh. Okay." Mecquet: "Well maybe we don't actually have to watch it." Me: "Well, we can have it on while we do other things like filling out my FAFSA and doing Taxes." Mecquet: "I win." Keith & Mecquet: "Let's get beer and chips." Me: "Okay."

2:15 Grocery store. Walk to Keith's.

3:00 Super Bowl

3:05 Open computer. Start taxes.

3:15 Ooh, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra teaser trailer. Looks like it could be mindless summer fun. Directed by Stephen Sommers-who did The Mummy flicks.



3:16 More taxes.

3:30 Me: "Mecquet, what's a 'turnover'?" Tom: "It's like a baked crisp, apple desser-" Mecquet: "It's just when the other team gets the ball." Me: "Oh. Okay. Cool."

3:55 Ooh, new Star Trek trailer. Definitely awesome with tons of new footage.



4:00 Finish taxes.

4:05 Eat chips.

4:10 Finish beer.

4:11 At this point, I'm feeling very American-all with the taxes, beer and Super Bowl.

4:12 Start FAFSA. Not too hard now that I'm no longer an undergraduate and my taxes are done.

4:30 Ooh, Land of the Lost trailer with Will Ferrell. Does not look very good. At all.



4:50 Finish FAFSA.

4:52 Open a new beer. Surf online and come across Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen Super Bowl teaser trailer-which at this point has not even aired during the Super Bowl. I have no idea how that happens. The internet is magic. Me: "Mecquet, I found the Transformers trailer online that you've been waiting all afternoon to see." Mecquet: "I hate you. Then this whole afternoon of watching the Super Bowl has been pointless. I'm waiting."

5:15 Mecquet: "Okay if the Transformers trailer hasn't come on during this commercial break we're watching it online."

5:17 Me: "No Transformers." Hook computer up to big TV. Watch Transformers trailer on the internet. Apparently the scenes in the trailer are just from the first 20 minutes of the movie. It should make for a thrilling theatrical experience.

5:45 Transformers 2 trailer finally airs on the television. High definition one is better than the YouTube version, obviously.



6:00 Randy calls. Randy: "Car got broken into. Nothing stolen just a smashed window. Do you want to drive to the movie?" Mecquet: "I'll drive."

6:05 Pick up Randy and Lacey.

6:20 Eat at Chipotle. Delicious. Since I stopped living in the University District, going to Chipotle is always such a treat. This week I was spoiled. I went twice.

7:10 Walk to The Varsity theatre on the Ave.

7:15 Sit down in the theatre. See Were the World Mine. Trailer here. Review to come.



9:05 Leave theatre. Drive home.

9:30 Eat Trader Joes Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich. Oh my gosh. So good.

10:00 Bedtime.

Judy in January

January 2009 was a good month for the blog-with the most posts of any month so far and the most visits! Thanks for spreading the love. I think this year is off to a good start.

On this last day of January, I am pleased to give you Travel Correspondent, Judy Grimes, once again.



I want to be able to do that.