When in Rome

It's a new day, and I'm feeling way better about things. It may have to do with my cutting ten pages out of my manuscript, and finally figuring out what I need to do to bring more conflict into the story. Or it may have to do with a request from another agent for a partial, making me three for three so far. However, she wants an exclusive, and I already have the manuscript out to two other agents, so I think I have to wait until I hear from them either yea or nay!

It's four days and counting to the release of War of the Worlds. Will Tom prevail over Batman and his new fiancee Katie (Kate) Holmes? Will Brangelina rise and crush them both? Does anyone really care after seeing Tom Cruise's performance on the Today show on Friday. Either this guy is having a total meltdown or he's so arrogant that he thinks that he can just say any ole crap and it doesn't matter.

Johanna Edwards has a really good description of what goes on in Scientology here. Her descriptions remind me of the crap that we had to go through in my acting classes my freshman year at Syracuse. It makes me wonder if L. Ron Hubbard ever studied at the Actors Studio or with Sanford Meisner. The whole 'do birds fly' thing is a perversion of a classic Meisner technique.

I'm very excited because night ABC is rolling out Empire which from the previews looks like Gladiator crossed with a big chunk of Velveeta.

The plot is that just before he died (after being stabbed numerous times) Julius Caesar manages to entrust his nephew Octavius to Tryannus, his bodyguard/gladiator. There's also something about a Vestal Virgin, that confused me, but you get the drift.

The handsome hunk pictured here is Jonathan Cake. He plays Tyrannus. He also has the distinction of playing the hero in the TV movie of Diana Palmer's Diamond Girl on Showtime. A movie that had very little do with the actual plot of the book. I think they just kept the hero's name.

I actually had the great pleasure of meeting Mr. Cake in London a few years ago. He was appearing in Baby Doll. My impossibly handsome British friend knew him from Cambridge, so I thought here was my chance to make a personal connection. I sent him a note backstage mentioning IHBF, and suggested that we get together to chat. I wasn't really expecting more than that. I was still with ex-sweetie pie at the time.

Still, I wore my green leopard print Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress, and sexy black sandals. I didn't want to show up looking like a drudge! I was feeling particularly good that day. My waiter at afternoon tea had brought me a whole tray full of sweets, because he told the chef I was pretty, and a waiter had chased me up Charing Cross because he thought I was pretty.

Well, it was a bust. When I met Mr. Cake after the show, and mentioned that I had sent him a note, he told me that he was confused because he'd never actually known Simon's last name, so he had no idea who I was talking about. And then he walked off, leaving me with egg all over my face.

Still, I plan to park myself down in front of the TV tonight, with my summer cocktail, a Midori Melon Ball (vodka, Midori, and Orange Pineapple juice) to watch Hollywood's latest version of Ancient Rome.