Joss Whedon

So, as we all know (right?), brilliant Buffy creator Joss Whedon has a new show in the works: Dollhouse, which I believe is scheduled to debut mid-season, in early 2009. (Do take a peek at BoingBoing's take on Whedon fans' nervousness re: its cancellation chances). A while back I posted a link to the Dollhouse trailer, and I do repeat myself here, but still: AWESOME.

But wait! This isn't the only awesomesauce on the Whedon front. There's also the internet-only Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, which, frankly, I can't decide whether to italicize, put in quotes or leave alone (oh, the trials of the editor-brain. I went with italics because Suzi said so). Dr. Horrible stars Doogie Howser Neil Patrick Harris, Captain Tightpants Nathan Fillion and potential slayer Vi "The Guild" creator Felicia Day, which makes it several different kinds of exciting. As you can see, there's very little on Dr. Horrible's website — yet. However, the good horrible doctor does have a Facebook page and — even better! — a preview:

Teaser from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog on Vimeo..

Personally, I'm really interested in the Motion Picture Association of My House, Inc.

Gimme more. Please.

Apart from one misguided font selection (dude, is that Papyrus?), the trailer for Joss Whedon's Dollhouse looks downright stunning.

Can't wait. Can't wait. Trying not to get hopes up. But they didn't cancel The Sarah Connor Chronicles! So sometimes they can get things right! Right?

Can't wait.

Now we're talking.

(I also love the Campion/St Vier shirts another online shop seems to have run out of, but that's a wee bit more obscure.)

It may be time for me to actually put my "Republicans for Voldemort" sticker on my car...

Do you heart Chiwetel Eijofor as much as we do?

He's the man who played Okwe, the hotel night clerk and doctor, in 2002's brilliant Dirty Pretty Things, the super-creepy Operative in Serenity and the also-creepy Luke in the woefully under-awarded (HELLO! SHOULD HAVE WON THE OSCAR FOR BEST FILM!) Children of Men. He's also been in a ton of other movies, two of which — Talk to Me and American Gangster — are sort of out right now (depending on how long they linger at the dollar theaters, sadly).

But it's his performance in a London stage show of Othello that has people paying, yes, up to £800 a ticket (that's about $1623, according to this second's currency calculator; by the time you read this, it may be oh so much more).

Anyway, here's a great article about him. It includes this awesome quote from director Stephen Frears:
"He's just a very splendid person. Denzel [Washington] told me that he'd have him assassinated - Chiwe is the one he's threatened by."

Go read it. Then snag his movies from the library because you probably aren't getting tix to the play anytime soon.

(Also, hurray! We have the same birthday! Only, um, he's a little younger. And, um, a little more successful. But I still heart him.)

• Bacon Salt "is a zero calorie, vegetarian, Kosher certified seasoning salt that makes everything taste like real bacon." Seriously? Gimme some. Let me try it.

• Newsflash: Publishers sometimes reject things that go on to be classics! OK, all sarcasm aside, it's true, and the rejections quoted in this story make me want to go paw through the Knopf archives discussed in the story. Rejection letters — any kind of editorial letters, really — are always fascinating, both for what they say and what they don't say, and for the examination of the editing and writing process. And for the simple fact that sometimes people make mistakes, but other times, they pass on things because the time or the publisher isn't right. If someone other than Scholastic had published Harry Potter, would it still be a phenomenon? I want to think so, but it doesn't always work that way.

• Still on the topic of books, the Booker Prize list has been narrowed to the shortlist. Surprise! Ian McEwan is still on it! I need to read that book. And re-read the wonderful, gorgeous Atonement before I have to arm-wrestle Jason for the right to review December's film adaptation.

• How to be a good restaurant patron: Don't say any of these things. I heart Waiter Rant.

• Today's aggravating news: Southwest Airlines would like to tell you how to dress.

• Today's not-that-surprising news that's probably only of interest to my former-New Yorker self: The Village Voice reports on a study showing that "Four years later, relatively healthy and seemingly resilient 9/11 witnesses near the twin towers—people who witnessed the events with their own eyes—were more sensitive to certain emotional stimuli than people several miles away who learned of the events secondhand."

• And to counter that sad reminder, I leave you with today's dose of awesomeness: Brian K. Vaughan and Joss Whedon, together! I've been saving this one ’til the end of the day. Dessert, if you will.