Don McKellar spearheaded the adaptation of Blindness, getting approval from the author and subsequently writing the screenplay. He has written a few so-so films (Last Night, Highway 61), but he also won a Tony in 2006 for the musical The Drowsy Chaperone. I think that McKellar is generally focussed on entertaining, and, as for Mireilles, I have complete confidence in his ability to avoid an excess of artiness. I am looking forward to this film!

I have dated a few guys in the past who were miserly (skin-flints, stingy, whatever). It is a deal-breaker for me. It is literally a personality trait that I find revolting - one whiff and all attraction, physical and otherwise, evaporates. Generosity with money is part of a bigger mind-set, that is often linked to empathy. Ever date a relatively wealthy guy who invites you out to something he knows you cannot afford (or ought to know), then doesn't think to offer to pay? Ever had to reach into your wallet for an extra $10 at the end of the evening because your companion wouldn't leave an adequate tip? What about someone who clearly thinks you are sucker for buying fresh flowers once a month? Who never treats to a nice restaurant, but is happy to eat if you're paying? Yuck.

I've got friends who are sarcastic, neurotic, unreliable, and obnoxiously self-centered. I can live with these faults because lord knows I've got my own. Bottom line though, they're also smart and generous. If I know a friend is broke, I don't hesitate to call them up and treat them to a meal or a film, or a phone bill payment, and I know that they would reciprocate if I hit on hard times. Best of all, they never leave me wondering who didn't tip when we settle up at the end of the evening.

I want to be clear that I do not include those who are 'frugal' either by necessity or inclination. My mother is frugal in the sense that she lives a pretty moderate lifestyle but she is also generous to the core, and has no problem splashing out on occasion.

While I loved the Lord of the Rings adaptations, I truly did find that at times they were overly maudlin without truly capturing the horror of the wars they were depicting. This may echo the overall feeling of Tolkein's books (it's been years since I read them), but I wouldn't have minded a darker, more magical vision. Maybe Del Toro is the man. I should say that, in spite of the above criticism, I think that Jackson did an amazing job, possibly the best job that can be done on such a labyrinthine book.

I expected to hate it, but found it mesmerizing. It wasn't about a stereotypical Americana, nor any Americana in particular. It was more like a fairy-tale, or poem, about fathers and children, and creating your own family when the one you got dealt lets you down. The filming was beautiful and Sarah Polley looked like a luminous angel, which is sort of what she was. Sam Sheppard was superb, as usual.

I was really moved, but then I probably have some father-issues. I would never have seen it, except that my sister called me up to recommend it, and certainly I've got friends who hated it, but I wouldn't write it off as dull. A bit pretentious, maybe, but worth the time.

How do they explain Posh Spice's brood of boys? My guess is she's skipping breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Maybe there's a correlation between male progeny and mass doses of effedrin combined with a lettuce only diet and 2 hours daily on the stair-climber? Or maybe it's genetic? Hmm...No one in my family ever turned down a slab of pate on french stick, and we've had nothing but girls for 3 generations.

I realize that this evidence is only anecdotal, but, if the study really has a grain of truth, then why aren't the women of poor countries with lower caloric intake giving birth to way more girls than boys?

Above. I was not seriously considering reading this book, just thought your observations about Austen and Mystery writing were spot on.

When we were in our early 20s, my sister was unemployed and I had a low-paying service job. My sister's apartment was close to where I worked, and, in order to save money, she would cook me lunch each day (I would give her money from my pay cheque, and that way we both ate on the cheap). We would buy veggies from a chinese grocer near us who sold slightly rotten or spotted vegetables (you'd get a zuchinni or tomato for 10 cents, an eggplant for 50 cents etc..) Here is a yummy dish we used to eat:

Fry a chopped zuchinni, tomato, some eggplant and an onion lightly in a bit of any kind of oil. Add some chopped dill. Open a pack of ramen, and throw in the soup mix. Add a cup of water and the juice of half a lemon, as well as the noodles. Simmer till liquid thickens to a gravy consistency.

We called it Greek sloppy joes. It cost about 50 cents per large bowl. I actually still like it now that I can actually afford produce that isn't past its prime.