And now...the feats of strength!!!

In this update: we hear about festival number 3, we put our mind on our money, a quick tour around the collective, and maybe--just maybe--we'll finally get somewhere in this whole bagel strike...

First..."he finds tinsel distracting..."

Word in my email box this morning is that gravida is an Official Selection in the inaugural Festivus Film Festival, which runs from 11 January until 13 January in Denver, CO. This is obviously cool for a number of reasons, including the fact that the Festivus episode of "Seinfeld" is one the favorites of the McNelly household. It's another Festivus miracle!

If you're scoring at home, that makes gravida 2 for 3 in the festival circuit, with the one negative being Sundance, which was a long shot anyway.

And if for some strange reason you haven't yet seen gravida, don't forget that we're having a Christmas, etc. sale at the store where you can get FREE
Shipping on the DVD and the
"un filme" shirt. The sale runs until 22 December and both items would make excellent presents for everyone you know (including yourself)

On to the section of the update where we pimp our friends & fellow artists...

Ilona V's old band, the Arrangement, has posted one of their old songs (written and sung by Ilona) on the Studio Eight Boston MySpace page. The song, "Sisters of the Storm" is from the point of view of a religious extremist.

Amy Crawford is playing another show at the Bitter End in NYC on Sunday, 16 December at 9pm. Tickets are $5. To quote Amy, "I'm *thisclose* to getting a featured night there, so I would REALLY appreciate it if you came out to support!!" So, you know, go and be supportive.

Check out Amy's MySpace blog for more info:

If for some reason you're going to be anywhere near Franklin, PA tomorrow (like, say, you got lost on your way to the middle of nowhere), Jerome Wincek is going to be playing a show at the Summerhouse Coffee Shop with a special guest, the ultra-reclusive singer/songwriter/folk hero Matt Reed. There are dead musicians who play live more frequently than Matt, so don't miss out on this rare event. Doors open at 7pm. Go to Jerome's MySpace page for info, and to purchase some of his new tunes.

Our good friends far beyond frail have yet another tour lined up, this one visiting such hit towns as Nashville, Charlotte, New Orleans, Austin, and Ambridge, PA (yes, Ambridge). Check out their MySpace page to see when (or if) they're coming to a town near you.

Ok, that's it. If you'll excuse me, I'm off to buy an aluminum pole.