Stephen King (and his family) were all but starving on a teacher's salary when he managed to sell Carrie.

It seems to me that Lady Gaga knows the business and how to create a larger than life persona. She has vocal chops (I heard her recital when she was in college), but she has surrounded herself with a key group of dancers, fashion, and creative people who all add to Gaga's mystique.

I waved her off after "Poker Face" and then I read a few articles about her and how she has crafted this persona and I think I'm kind of a fan (the kind of fan who doesn't buy her music).

She is intentionally positioning herself as the Madonna of the 2010 and you can see explicit references in her videos and music

She is celibate and sings about self-acceptance and a lot of kids like her.

She may not be relevant in 10 years, but Madonna held on a lot longer than I expected.

Has anyone posted the Bradley Cooper French interview? I surrender.

I don't get Lady Gaga at all. And I just want her to go away. What she has is overexposure. I did, however, spend $.99 on her album on Amazon. Noah actually loves her and frequently asks for Poker Face.

Yesterday was my onerous task day. But I made my students do most of my onerous tasks -- cataloguing books, labeling them, boxing them, moving them, sorting papers etc.

I had a toxic run-in with the AP and now I'm trying to figure out what I want next year.

How is being supported by your wife for five years not a Plan B?

Right? It's a parasitic Plan B, but a Plan B nonetheless. If you are (1) not succeeding at Your Great And Super Special Art, yet you are still (2) eating and have a place to live, you have a Plan B. It might not be a Plan B where you choose to work at something else, but it's still a Plan B. Right up until your wife says "Get a job, seriously, or move the hell out. The mime gig is NEVER going to happen."

Agree with both of these 100%!

I will say I read some of the things that people were posting on Amanda Palmer's feed about #FuckPlanB. And there plan As were really a Plan B, like a correction of something that went wrong. Staying with your abusive husband may have been Plan B in your head, but at some point it WAS your plan A.

Has anyone posted the Bradley Cooper French interview? I surrender.

Hmm... this part

I can decipher barely a word of this interview with Bradley Cooper, but I know one thing: he's never been more attractive.

Perhaps he's extra attractive because you CAN'T decipher a word? It's a very bland interview (at least the first half).

I like BC, but because I like Alias, far longer than I should have. I will say, if it were Michael Vartan speaking French I'd find it way more attractive.

In consulting, the saying was always that you can have two of these three: fast, cheap, good. You can't have all three, and you're stupid to try.

Also, house building/renovation.

ImememeN, I just had my six-month appoinment with my surgeon, who called me a "poster child" and said I'm doing everything right. Woot! He even reassured me that this past week has been a blip (it's the first time I've gained weight since the surgery, six pounds in a week, and I've only had a little bit of chocolate, damnit!!!) and not to stress over it. According to their computer figures, my BMI has dropped from 76 when I started the pre-op diet on 10/9/10 to 49.6 this morning. Again, woot!!

If you find pictures of Gaga w/o her getup she's pretty enough - maybe a "Looks 8, Dance 5".

If you find pictures of Gaga w/o her getup she's pretty enough - maybe a "Looks 8, Dance 5".

She's pretty, but not conventionally so at all. Closer to Dance 10, Looks 3, really.

Disclaimer: I think she's hot. But not in a standard way.

Now I'm going to have "Tits ... and assssssss" in my head all day.