“Scientists” (which actually seems to mean “a life coach”) have figured out a simple equation to answer that ages-old question: How happy am I? I got a 61. I kind of thought I was happier than that.

From today’s book of the day, Frightening the Horses: Gay Icons of the Cinema by Eric Braun:

“Oscar Wilde’s association with mainstream cinema dates back to 1923, when the most flamboyant of all Hollywood’s silent female stars, Alla Nazimova, directed, under the name of her husband, Charles Bryant, an all gay/lesbian verson of Salome. It seems that not only were all the cast homosexual, but also the crew. It was the first production after Nazimova left Metro, the studio at which all her films since 1916 had been made.”

The costumes were designed by Nazimova’s lover, Natasha Rambova- Rudolph Valentino’s wife!

Check it out: Rhino Handmade sells boutique CDs- short runs of that stuff you’ve been looking for forever, including Dan Hicks’ It Happened One Bite!

Scroll about 2/3rds of the way down this story on American values, and click to enlarge the map of colored blobs- it’s a map of where different countries fall on axes of traditional versus secular-rational values and survival versus self-expression values. It’s a fascinating way to group ways of thinking, based on a particular way of looking at the development of nations.

I second Craig’s sentiment, and start the new year off with my new favorite web-celeb, Bambi. She’s a part of Smoking Gun’s year-end display of mug shots. Her face speaks volumes.

While we here at FP don’t so much do New Year’s resolutions, 2002 was a terribly interesting year, and I for one am looking forward to more of the same in ’03. Happiness and good health to all in the coming year.