While the writers strike I wonder, "Will we also see re-runs this summer? Or will there be new episodes then?"

I hope for new episodes to my favorite shows like Boston Legal and Grey's Anatomy. But mean while I must make up my own stories in my head about what is happening to these characters. I am picturing an episode I am calling "Where's the Beef?"

In the offices of Crane, Poole and Schmidt, I am picturing Alan Shore and Denny Crane walking down the hallway when they get wind that the firm is representing a case of Mad Cow. (or should I say "tipped off") Denny obviously feels that he should be a part of this case having suffered with the disease himself. Shirley appears and objects telling Denny, "Yes, you are mad thinking we will allow you to have any part of this case." As the three are walking to their respective offices discussing this- another mad cow situation is taking place in the office of Jerry Espenson.

Jerry is crying on Katie Lloyd's shoulder telling Katie that his ex-girl friend Alice (I think that was her name) had dumped his alarm clock she was dating and had taken up with a golden calf. (This girl has some crazy fascination with objects.)

During the episode, there are plays on words and flash backs. The flash backs are to the characters performances in Pretty in Pink and Star Trek. Shirley complains that the painter who is painting her house may never leave (Murphy Brown)... There is a guest appearance of Molly Ringwald -who may be the client with mad cow. And there is much discussion of ladies calves by Denny.

The episode wraps up on Denny's balcony as usual with his dear friend Alan Shore. The pair discusses the upcoming election and the question of what the country really wants change or experience? The discussion is then brought back to the question of the entire show and with a toast Denny and Alan ask, "Where's the Beef?"

www.PrincessBubble.com

Synopsis: This modern-day fairy tale features an independent princess named Princess Bubble. She is a flight attendant for the Royal Heir Line and travels all over the world. Many of her princess friends are getting married, and Princess Bubble’s mother, the queen, urges her to find her own prince. She searches high and low, and even on the internet, for her perfect prince. She tries to find clues in the fairy tales, but she eventually learns that “happily ever after” doesn’t have to come from a prince. It comes from being happy in your own life and doing good things for others. Princess Bubble realizes that she is already happy and finds her own “happily ever after”.

Review: Bubble Gum Press was kind enough to send me this book, and I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I was surprised to find a thoroughly modern princess (she wears jeans!) and no Price Charming, which was very refreshing. Traditional fairy tales too often focus on a “damsel in distress” and a brave prince who must face many dangers to rescue her. Princess Bubble does not need rescuing. She has a job, she has friends, and when she searches for her prince, she takes them on dates to football games and the movies.

The message that this book conveys is that an independent, modern girl does not need a man to be happy with her life. Princess Bubble is happy with the way her life is, and although falling in love with a handsome prince can certainly enhance her happiness, it does not define it. This is a very positive message for the young girls who read this book. It further teaches young readers that they can find their own “happily ever after” in their lives by simply living good lives and helping others. Princess Bubble is such an optimistic characters and a wonderful role model for any young girl. The authors have succeeded in turning the old fairy tales upside down and have created something entirely new. The illustrations by Maria Tonelli are wonderful and add a richness to the storytelling. I’m looking forward to more adventures with Princess Bubble, and I’m sure I’m not the only one!

Rating: 9/10

Reviewed by Sarah

http://bcfreviews.wordpress.com/2008/01/11/princess-bubble-by-susan-johnston-and-kimberly-webb/

www.PrincessBubble.com

Having grown up in the south and not far from the fictional plantation Tara, from Gone With The Wind. I have always been a fan of Scarlett O'Hara.

I loved that Scarlett was beautiful, flawed, strong, loyal and a spitfire. I always cringed when I read or saw (in the book or video) Rhett giving his most noted line, "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn!" Each time I secretly hoped for an alternative ending. But I know Scarlett will be fine and probably even end up with Rhett.

Is G.W.T.W. a fairy tale? Scarlett was a victim. But she ended up rescuing herself for the most part. And causing a lot of trouble as well. Scarlett had a fairy tale like home and parties before the war. But she did not end up with the prince.

This is somewhat like our fairy tale, Princess Bubble. Obviously not in the quality of writing but in the actual storyline.

Princess Bubble and Scarlett both are survivors. They both heeded advice from their parents and do not end up with the prince. Will Princess Bubble ever end up with a prince? Your guess is as good as mine. We don't know what life has in store for her or us down the road. But I do know she will make it and be happy.

Funny thing, do you ever think about Snow White or Sleeping Beauty and think, "Did they have a happy life? Or were they just thrilled to wake up from the coma?" I don't think about the stories much where you know what is suppose to happen.There is something about the unknown that reminds of us of our own life and has us rooting for the character past the words "The End"

We know Rhett gave a damn. How could he not? And we know Scarlett was thinking, "I will just think about this tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day." I love that we always have another day with Scarlett.

As I look for ways to promote our modern day fairy tale, Princess Bubble, I continued to see the term "Fractured Fairy Tale." I thought, "What exactly is a fractured fairy tale?" I found this definition online:
"Fractured fairy tales are traditional fairy tales, rearranged to create new plots with fundamentally different meanings or messages. Fractured fairy tales are closely related to fairy-tale parodies, but the two serve different purposes: parodies mock individual tales and the genre as a whole; fractured fairy tales, with a reforming intent, seek to impart updated social and moral messages."

I guess Princess Bubble is a fractured fairy tale. Bubble finds true happiness comes from loving God, helping others and liking who you are already. This princess mocks the old tales by re-reading the old tales to look for hints on where to find a prince. She could not relate to any of the old tales because she was not a victim. She was not trapped in a dungeon, she did not have a wicked step mother or wicked step sisters, and she did not even know any dwarfs!
Princess Bubble is also seeking to impart an updated social and moral message. Our girls do not need to hear that if they find a prince they will live happily ever after! Not only is this a lie; but it puts a tremendous amount of responsibility on our boys. No human can be everything to us. We must be happy first and then share our happiness with a spouse, friend, family....
The irony of this title "Fractured Fairy Tale" is that our new message is one of wholeness and confidence. The old messages are fractured in my opinion!
Happily Ever After!
www.PrincessBubble.com

Fairy Tales;Both New and Old

Below, I have copied the orginal version of Cinderella by

The Grimm Brothers. This story is much different than the Disney version. Having written a modern day fairy tale, Princess Bubble; I enjoyed reading this version. The theme of this story is good wins out over evil. But I was shocked at the lengths the wicked step sisters were willing to go to get their foot in the glass slipper. This is yet another reminder that there is nothing new under the sun. Girls today are willing to starve themselves, put themselves at risk of diseases and pregnancy to capture the attention of much less than a prince.

Cinderella

The wife of a rich man fell sick, and as she felt that her end was drawing near, she called her only daughter to her bedside and said, "Dear child, be good and pious, and then the good God will always protect you, and I will look down on you from heaven and be near you."

Thereupon she closed her eyes and departed. Every day the maiden went out to her mother's grave, and wept, and she remained pious and good. When winter came the snow spread a white sheet over the grave, and by the time the spring sun had drawn it off again, the man had taken another wife.

The woman had brought with her into the house two daughters, who were beautiful and fair of face, but vile and black of heart. Now began a bad time for the poor step-child. "Is the stupid goose to sit in the parlor with us," they said. "He who wants to eat bread must earn it. Out with the kitchen-wench." They took her pretty clothes away from her, put an old grey bedgown on her, and gave her wooden shoes.

"Just look at the proud princess, how decked out she is," they cried, and laughed, and led her into the kitchen. There she had to do hard work from morning till night, get up before daybreak, carry water, light fires, cook and wash. Besides this, the sisters did her every imaginable injury - they mocked her and emptied her peas and lentils into the ashes, so that she was forced to sit and pick them out again. In the evening when she had worked till she was weary she had no bed to go to, but had to sleep by the hearth in the cinders. And as on that account she always looked dusty and dirty, they called her Cinderella.

It happened that the father was once going to the fair, and he asked his two step-daughters what he should bring back for them.

"Beautiful dresses," said one, "Pearls and jewels," said the second.

"And you, Cinderella," said he, "what will you have?"

"Father break off for me the first branch which knocks against your hat on your way home."

So he bought beautiful dresses, pearls and jewels for his two step-daughters, and on his way home, as he was riding through a green thicket, a hazel twig brushed against him and knocked off his hat. Then he broke off the branch and took it with him. When he reached home he gave his step-daughters the things which they had wished for, and to Cinderella he gave the branch from the hazel-bush. Cinderella thanked him, went to her mother's grave and planted the branch on it, and wept so much that the tears fell down on it and watered it. And it grew and became a handsome tree. Thrice a day Cinderella went and sat beneath it, and wept and prayed, and a little white bird always came on the tree, and if Cinderella expressed a wish, the bird threw down to her what she had wished for.

It happened, however, that the king gave orders for a festival which was to last three days, and to which all the beautiful young girls in the country were invited, in order that his son might choose himself a bride. When the two step-sisters heard that they too were to appear among the number, they were delighted, called Cinderella and said, "comb our hair for us, brush our shoes and fasten our buckles, for we are going to the wedding at the king's palace."

Cinderella obeyed, but wept, because she too would have liked to go with them to the dance, and begged her step-mother to allow her to do so.

"You go, Cinderella," said she, "covered in dust and dirt as you are, and would go to the festival. You have no clothes and shoes, and yet would dance." As, however, Cinderella went on asking, the step-mother said at last, "I have emptied a dish of lentils into the ashes for you, if you have picked them out again in two hours, you shall go with us."

The maiden went through the back-door into the garden, and called, "You tame pigeons, you turtle-doves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to pick


the good into the pot,
the bad into the crop."
Then two white pigeons came in by the kitchen window, and afterwards the turtle-doves, and at last all the birds beneath the sky, came whirring and crowding in, and alighted amongst the ashes. And the pigeons nodded with their heads and began pick, pick, pick, pick, and the rest began also pick, pick, pick, pick, and gathered all the good grains into the dish. Hardly had one hour passed before they had finished, and all flew out again.
Then the girl took the dish to her step-mother, and was glad, and believed that now she would be allowed to go with them to the festival.

But the step-mother said, "No, Cinderella, you have no clothes and you can not dance. You would only be laughed at." And as Cinderella wept at this, the step-mother said, if you can pick two dishes of lentils out of the ashes for me in one hour, you shall go with us. And she thought to herself, that she most certainly cannot do again.

When the step-mother had emptied the two dishes of lentils amongst the ashes, the maiden went through the back-door into the garden and cried, "You tame pigeons, you turtle-doves, and all you birds beneath the sky, come and help me to pick


the good into the pot,
the bad into the crop."
Then two white pigeons came in by the kitchen-window, and afterwards the turtle-doves, and at length all the birds beneath the sky, came whirring and crowding in, and alighted amongst the ashes. And the doves nodded with their heads and began pick, pick, pick, pick, and the others began also pick, pick, pick, pick, and gathered all the good seeds into the dishes, and before half an hour was over they had already finished, and all flew out again. Then the maiden was delighted, and believed that she might now go with them to the wedding.
But the step-mother said, "All this will not help. You cannot go with us, for you have no clothes and can not dance. We should be ashamed of you." On this she turned her back on Cinderella, and hurried away with her two proud daughters.

As no one was now at home, Cinderella went to her mother's grave beneath the hazel-tree, and cried,


"Shiver and quiver, little tree,
Silver and gold throw down over me."
Then the bird threw a gold and silver dress down to her, and slippers embroidered with silk and silver. She put on the dress with all speed, and went to the wedding. Her step-sisters and the step-mother however did not know her, and thought she must be a foreign princess, for she looked so beautiful in the golden dress. They never once thought of Cinderella, and believed that she was sitting at home in the dirt, picking lentils out of the ashes. The prince approached her, took her by the hand and danced with her. He would dance with no other maiden, and never let loose of her hand, and if any one else came to invite her, he said, "This is my partner."
She danced till it was evening, and then she wanted to go home. But the king's son said, "I will go with you and bear you company," for he wished to see to whom the beautiful maiden belonged. She escaped from him, however, and sprang into the pigeon-house. The king's son waited until her father came, and then he told him that the unknown maiden had leapt into the pigeon-house. The old man thought, "Can it be Cinderella." And they had to bring him an axe and a pickaxe that he might hew the pigeon-house to pieces, but no one was inside it. And when they got home Cinderella lay in her dirty clothes among the ashes, and a dim little oil-lamp was burning on the mantle-piece, for Cinderella had jumped quickly down from the back of the pigeon-house and had run to the little hazel-tree, and there she had taken off her beautiful clothes and laid them on the grave, and the bird had taken them away again, and then she had seated herself in the kitchen amongst the ashes in her grey gown.

Next day when the festival began afresh, and her parents and the step-sisters had gone once more, Cinderella went to the hazel-tree and said,


"Shiver and quiver, my little tree,
Silver and gold throw down over me."
Then the bird threw down a much more beautiful dress than on the preceding day. And when Cinderella appeared at the wedding in this dress, every one was astonished at her beauty. The king's son had waited until she came, and instantly took her by the hand and danced with no one but her. When others came and invited her, he said, "This is my partner." When evening came she wished to leave, and the king's son followed her and wanted to see into which house she went. But she sprang away from him, and into the garden behind the house. Therein stood a beautiful tall tree on which hung the most magnificent pears. She clambered so nimbly between the branches like a squirrel that the king's son did not know where she was gone. He waited until her father came, and said to him, "The unknown maiden has escaped from me, and I believe she has climbed up the pear-tree." The father thought, "Can it be Cinderella." And had an axe brought and cut the tree down, but no one was on it. And when they got into the kitchen, Cinderella lay there among the ashes, as usual, for she had jumped down on the other side of the tree, had taken the beautiful dress to the bird on the little hazel-tree, and put on her grey gown.
On the third day, when the parents and sisters had gone away, Cinderella went once more to her mother's grave and said to the little tree,


"Shiver and quiver, my little tree,
silver and gold throw down over me."
And now the bird threw down to her a dress which was more splendid and magnificent than any she had yet had, and the slippers were golden. And when she went to the festival in the dress, no one knew how to speak for astonishment. The king's son danced with her only, and if any one invited her to dance, he said this is my partner.
When evening came, Cinderella wished to leave, and the king's son was anxious to go with her, but she escaped from him so quickly that he could not follow her. The king's son, however, had employed a ruse, and had caused the whole staircase to be smeared with pitch, and there, when she ran down, had the maiden's left slipper remained stuck. The king's son picked it up, and it was small and dainty, and all golden.

Next morning, he went with it to the father, and said to him, no one shall be my wife but she whose foot this golden slipper fits. Then were the two sisters glad, for they had pretty feet. The eldest went with the shoe into her room and wanted to try it on, and her mother stood by. But she could not get her big toe into it, and the shoe was too small for her. Then her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut the toe off, when you are queen you will have no more need to go on foot." The maiden cut the toe off, forced the foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the king's son. Then he took her on his his horse as his bride and rode away with her. They were obliged, however, to pass the grave, and there, on the hazel-tree, sat the two pigeons and cried,


"Turn and peep, turn and peep,
there's blood within the shoe,
the shoe it is too small for her,
the true bride waits for you."
Then he looked at her foot and saw how the blood was trickling from it. He turned his horse round and took the false bride home again, and said she was not the true one, and that the other sister was to put the shoe on. Then this one went into her chamber and got her toes safely into the shoe, but her heel was too large. So her mother gave her a knife and said, "Cut a bit off your heel, when you are queen you will have no more need to go on foot." The maiden cut a bit off her heel, forced her foot into the shoe, swallowed the pain, and went out to the king's son. He took her on his horse as his bride, and rode away with her, but when they passed by the hazel-tree, the two pigeons sat on it and cried,

"Turn and peep, turn and peep,
there's blood within the shoe,
the shoe it is too small for her,
the true bride waits for you."
He looked down at her foot and saw how the blood was running out of her shoe, and how it had stained her white stocking quite red. Then he turned his horse and took the false bride home again. "This also is not the right one," said he, "have you no other daughter." "No," said the man, "there is still a little stunted kitchen-wench which my late wife left behind her, but she cannot possibly be the bride." The king's son said he was to send her up to him, but the mother answered, oh, no, she is much too dirty, she cannot show herself. But he absolutely insisted on it, and Cinderella had to be called.
She first washed her hands and face clean, and then went and bowed down before the king's son, who gave her the golden shoe. Then she seated herself on a stool, drew her foot out of the heavy wooden shoe, and put it into the slipper, which fitted like a glove. And when she rose up and the king's son looked at her face he recognized the beautiful maiden who had danced with him and cried, "That is the true bride." The step-mother and the two sisters were horrified and became pale with rage, he, however, took Cinderella on his horse and rode away with her. As they passed by the hazel-tree, the two white doves cried,


"Turn and peep, turn and peep,
no blood is in the shoe,
the shoe is not too small for her,
the true bride rides with you."
And when they had cried that, the two came flying down and placed themselves on Cinderella's shoulders, one on the right, the other on the left, and remained sitting there. When the wedding with the king's son was to be celebrated, the two false sisters came and wanted to get into favor with Cinderella and share her good fortune. When the betrothed couple went to church, the elder was at the right side and the younger at the left, and the pigeons pecked out one eye from each of them. Afterwards as they came back the elder was at the left, and the younger at the right, and then the pigeons pecked out the other eye from each. And thus, for their wickedness and falsehood, they were punished with blindness all their days.