Announcing Another BLOG!

Over the last while I've noticed that the Agatha Project Blog was getting a little cluttered with postings unrelated Agatha Christie. I've decided that I need another place to express myself, someplace that I don't feel the need to censor what I'm thinking or posting. Enter The HMS Hyperbole Blog, a place for ponderous items, racier pictures and anything a little off topic. Between the two pages I will attempt to make 5 entries a week. Sometime postings will appear in both places, but generally anything related will go here on the Agatha Project page and everything else on the HMS Hyperbole page.

Happy Birthday Mom!

Today is my mother's birthday. In honour of her birthday, I thought I'd share this charming inscription I found inside a Nancy Drew book. See, Norton loves Becky SO much he stole Noelle's book, a gift from her grandmother, cleverly scratched out her name, and then gave it to Becky. I love my mom so much I paid $3.99 for this book for her. In both cases, it's the thought that counts.

Happy 120th Birthday Agatha Christie!

...or more accurately Happy Birthday Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Mallowan nee Miller aka Dame Agatha Christie aka Mary Westmacott.

Hello Miss Marple!

Having deviated again from the reading plan prescribed by the Official Agatha Christie website, I cracked open The Thirteen Problems this week. I loved it so much that I deviated slightly from my own list and read the first six stories before The Mystery of the Blue Train.

It is obvious from reading these first Miss Marple stories that Agatha Christie must have enjoyed writing them. They are full of colour and energy, unlike The Big Four where she can barely manages to conceal her weariness of Hercule Poirot. I'm interested to see if Christie's desire for a paycheque is as apparent in The Mystery of the Blue Train.

Debbie Reynolds Plays the CNE!?!?!?

Yes, entertainer Debbie Reynolds played the Canadian National Exhibition bandshell tonight. And if that fact alone wasn't shocking enough, it cost me all of $5 to see. There was a nice mix of old standards and Hollywood reminiscences to satisfy even the passing fan. While I enjoyed it, her performance just didn't have the zing I expected from an old showbiz pro.

To cut the lady some slack, Debbie Reynolds is 78 years old and the weather was crap. Except for the unfortunate foray into country music, she had a solid act. But I have a suspicion that the great Ms. Reynolds just phoned her performance in. I could almost hear her backstage after the final number saying: "Make the cheque payable to Debbie Reynolds, that's D-E-B-B......"

At one point Reynolds did a spot on impression of Marlene Dietrich, and in so doing called attention to Dietrich's limited vocal range. I'm going to lose my gay card for uttering this but, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. That might be unduly harsh, it may have just been an off night for her. And, for the purposes of full disclosure I did miss the opening of Reynolds act where she could have explained that she was suffering from flu or allergies.

Whatever the problem was, Debbie Reynolds looked FANTASTIC. I spent the show off to the side in the beer garden, but for her final number a bunch of people went to the front of the stage and I thought, what the heck. I wish I had brought my camera, instead you'll have to content yourselves with the blotchy iPhone 3G photo above.