The Ledge - Year of the Rat

From the San Antonio Express News, February 8, 2008

http://www.mysanantonio.com/salife/s...t.12427c0.html

The Rat pack

Calling all Rats: This is your time in the sunshine.

Not only did the Year of the Rat on the lunar calendar begin Thursday, but some of your rodent relatives are making a big splash.

"Ratatouille," the Disney movie featuring a rat in a restaurant chef's hat, was a box office and DVD smash. And "The Sopranos," a TV series that features lots of rats and ratting, ended last year and has gone into reruns with heavy rotation.

As they say in Chinese during New Year's: "Gung hei fat choi." It means "congratulations and be prosperous."

You lucky Rats.

Profile of a Rat

By nature, Rats are ambitious, crafty and love to collect things. They are quick-witted and love to take risks, but they also are perfectionists, always making sure every 't' is crossed. As a result, they often do well financially and make good business leaders and politicians -- not to mention underworld stool pigeons and cartoon characters.

Are you a Rat?

You're a Rat if you were born between:

- Feb. 19, 1996, and Feb. 6, 1997

- Feb. 2, 1984, and Feb. 19, 1985

- Feb. 15, 1972, and Feb. 2, 1973

- Jan. 28, 1960, and Feb. 14, 1961

- Feb. 10, 1948, and Jan. 28, 1949

- Jan. 24, 1936, and Feb. 10, 1937

- Feb. 5, 1924, and Jan. 24, 1925

>> Feb. 18, 1912, and Feb. 5, 1913

Rat rhetoric

- "Don't rat on me."

- "I don't give a rat's [bleep]."

- "I smell a rat."

- "Like rats leaving a sinking ship."

- Mall rat

- Gym rat

- Rat race

Famous Rats

Ben Affleck

Jimmy Carter

Sasha Cohen

Toni Collette

Cameron Diaz

Eminem

Jennie Garth

Al Gore

Scarlett Johansson

Samuel L. Jackson

Avril Lavigne

Alyssa Milano

Stevie Nicks

Richard Nixon

Ashlee Simpson

Carlos Tevez