"Almost Famous"

Greetings, oh faithful readers! I know some of you are expecting to find another quiz about Israelis, but since I do not have my handy-dandy list on me, I do not want to run the risk of writing an incorrect fact, or worse, incorrectly identifying someone. So later on the quizzes.

Tonight being Thursday, the Americans just concluded a showing of "Almost Famous," a Cameron Crowe picture with Billy Crudup, Kate Hudson, Patrick Fugit, and Frances McDormand. Jimmy Fallon also made an appearance and, as he usually does, managed to detract from a relatively good piece of film. If you wanted a summary of the movie here, you can find yourself an online summary or, better yet, rent the movie. For me, "Almost Famous" represented the following values: journalism and truth, living in reality and illusion, requited and unrequited love, identity, the meaning and reason of art, loving music, finding your own way, going with the flow, true friendship, and being yourself. And, in what I'm sure will become a movie tradition, a few of my favorite quotes from the movie:

William: Do you have to be depressed to write a sad song? Do you have to be in love to write a love song? Is a song better when it really happened to you? Like "Love Thing," where did you write that and who was it about?
Russell: When did you get so professional?

Russel: And you can tell Rolling Stone magazine that my last words were... I'm on drugs! [crowd cheers]
William: Russell! I think we should work on those last words!
Russell: I got it, I got it. Last words - I dig music. [a few claps]
Russell: I'm on drugs!

Penny Lane: I always tell the girls, never take it seriously, if ya never take it seriosuly, ya never get hurt, ya never get hurt, ya always have fun, and if you ever get lonely, just got to the record store and visit your friends.

By the way, there is a tiyul tomorrow, or make that, tonight, starting at 3:00 a.m. Yes, 3:00 a.m. So that's why I am not going to sleep now, but I'll hit the hay when we get back Friday morning, I mean, this morning around 7:30. We're going to this place called Arbell, and I'm told it should be amazing. What I guess what I'm trying to say is if I don't write before Shabbat, you'll know where I was.

Last thing:
Back to back birthdays! Yesterday was my cousin Michael; today it is my Aunt Janet! Huzzah! Where would we be without Janet? The brunches, the cruises, the discussions with a professor of literature... yes, I think these are just some of the many reasons we should all sing in musical harmony:

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to Janet,
Happy birthday to you!