Adventures in linguistics

Overheard on the radio the other night "Get your drink on (also in the infamous Will Ferrell-Pearl short), get your eat on." Homage to that great phrase "get your groove on," and so I suppose there are endless variations. "Get your infinitive verb on." "Get your swim on" would be a good one for the beach.

I think it would be absolutely brilliant if one of the winner of one of these "talent" reality shows emulated the winner of Australia's Next Top Model who, after going through medical trauma to win the honor, decided she didn't actually want to be a model. How amazing would it be if whoever won American Idol decided -- like the day after s/he won -- that s/he actually wanted to be a doctor instead and didn't want to sing anymore? Fantastic.

Attended Lucy's dance show after a day of not doing any writing whatsoever. A Jackie Brown lookalike rocked the house (re: res college) and another girl had deer-in-the-headlights eyes that seemed less a matter of nerves and more a congenital issue. The latter disturbed the hell out of me, but that's because I'm not a good person.

Must get down to business. I've been playing alternate scenes in my head daily, trying to decide how things will happen, and sometimes I get jammed into a room and I don't know what people are doing there or why, and I just have to wait for them to tell me how to get out. Sometimes things have to be thrown off of roofs, but that's life. Can't do anything about it.

The remaking of "She's Like the Wind" is the most outrageous thing I've heard in awhile, even in a musical season which has given us "This is Why I'm Hot." Not only don't I see the point of remaking a seriously cheesy song that can only be loved b/c Patrick Swayze sings it and it's Dirty Dancing's major unused anthem, but the remake of it changes the lyric from "Just a fool to believe I have anything she needs," the remark of someone insecure in love, to "Just a fool to believe she's got anything I need," which is machismo bull and makes no sense within the context of the song.

OK, doke. G'night.

Fracture plus

My temp job is backbreakingly laborious, physical manual labor, which is sort of pleasant and sort of wretched. Much like farming, I imagine, were it indoors and mustier.

The winner of the UK's National Story Contest can be read (and I advise you do so at once)at
http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/article_details.phpsearch_term=julian+gough&id=7361

It's quite entertaining. I heartily approve of their decision.

Also, last night I saw Fracture featuring the as-always lovely Mr. Gosling and, unbeknownst to me, acquaintance and fellow Yale alum Zoe Kazan. Well done, Zoe -- I'm supremely jealous right now. The film is overdramatic and the "how'd he do it" crystal clear from the get-go, but I certainly enjoyed watching it, though I felt bad that the one woman's role with anything resembling meat (and it was probably just Quorn), the lawyer-boss-g/f, was made absolutely 100% unbelievable by giving it to a Barbie doll. Deeply, deeply weird casting decision. Also, I didn't understand what Anthony Hopkins was doing with a half Scottish accent. Loved him, but the voice was bizarro-world.

six degrees of devastation

As you may know, yesterday was Earth Day (also, my uncle's birthday) and as such this column (http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/scienceandnature/story/0,,2063401,00.html
by Mark Lynas in The Guardian seems a pretty good place to catch up on reasons why you should really, really recycle, wash your clothes in cold water, and turn electric appliances off when you're not using them. Not only does it save money, it saves energy, and should help keep the almost-certain destructive 2 degree spike in temps over the next 93 years from the apocalyptic 3,4,5, or 6 degree spike that can and probably will happen if we don't reign our consumption way the hell in.
Also, wear sunblock. You're going to need it.

Oh, and I played a lovely game of tennis yesterday. Lots of fun, mostly because I creamed my opponent. Yes, I am that kind of a sportsperson, and I would be ashamed of it, but I'm not.

my sister

Went for a long walk today to enjoy the blindingly gorgeous weather, and my sister informs me that she once pronounced Ewan McGregor's first name as "OOh-an" (instead of "You-an"). Which isn't a big deal. Except that she said it in front of Ewan's cousin. This isn't as sad as the time she bumped Christopher Reeve's wheelchair during my Yale orientation, but it will do. It will do.

lovely weather - 'bout time

I was a bit knackered last night - hence, the terse post. Apologies.

My sister took me to In the Land of Women this afternoon, which is entertaining largely because of Olympia Dukakis. I didn't have a problem with any of the actors, actually, but there was nothing particularly believable or special about the movie. Young soft porn writer leaves LA for Michigan, ostensibly to take care of his grandma and find a purer form. Has a deep relationship with the troubled females in the house across the street (who seem to get attached awfully quickly and without much explanation), makes them better, gets a story out of it, and goes back to LA to hook up with a girl at a diner. Sure, it's enjoyable in a disengaging sort of way, but I wouldn't pay evening prices for that. Honestly, why would you go out to any evening movie, when you can just wait and borrow it from your library for free when it comes out on DVD? That's what I've started doing...

A bit of writing. Mostly fatigued and feeling sorry for myself. I just need money and for the ABC Talent Development Writer program to open up again.

I can't believe how little coverage the NASA hostage situation got. The Virginia Tech massacre was horrible, but the news channels make it worse, rehashing the same information over and over again, playing emotional cards by exploiting something really terrible for friends and family of the 32 victims and the shooter by creating a TV event, as if it were the twisted equivalent of "Grey's Anatomy." I wish the news stations would do their jobs, report the news, and leave the dramatic manipulation to the TV writers of the hour-long dramas. And Ryan Seacrest, natch.

A hop, skip, and a jump from Katz's Deli

Staying at a friend's in the LES. Chinese food for dinner (sweet and sour chicken, mmm). Sliced a bit of my knuckle off, not sure how. Creepy guy followed me into the apartment building and scared the weejee out of me. Watched The Lookout at the Village East Cinemas. Enjoyed, though I don't know if it was 11 dollars worth of joy...
Most of all, my thesis is officially in the hands of the powerful, and I am freed of all scholarly burdens.
That is all.

little cheese in the big apple

Going to Manhattan tomorrow to exorcise myself of my Master's thesis and some NYU library books. Not quite sure where I'm staying tomorrow night, but I suppose I'll figure it out. Somehow (Smita, this is pointed at you!).

No sleep last night (thanks to a diabetic episode, not my own), so I'm feeling like hell right now. Lowercase, not capital -- after all, I'm not a drama queen. Going to sleep the sleep of the comatose tonight.

Got alot of books on my plate, but I keep eating equal bits of each part, so as I whittle down several, I still have yet to finish one. I like variety and it keeps the meal balanced.
Or something.

I have some sort of rash or thing on my nose that's lasted a few days. Stopped using my face wash, but I'm still worried. And then I do the typical hypochondriac thing and search the Web for what it might be a symptom of (I watch too much House). Probably just my nose showing its anger at being stuck in its unenviable position... the middle of my face.

who says books can't be fun

You may have heard of Universal Studios' plan to build a Harry Potter theme park, and you may have read, if you read The Guardian (and you should) that a Dickens (yup, Chuck himself) theme park is opening in England. Which makes me wonder. What other books/writers would lend well to a theme park...

Dostoevsky World - kind of like the Dickens theme park (murder, poverty, orphanhood) but with fewer heartwarming endings

Mansfield Park -- replete with Tunnels of Love and dancehalls, this Jane Austen-inspired theme park is where women go to find husbands and a little dignity

Woman of Steele -- like Mansfield Park, but without the dignity

The Fforde -- inspired by Jasper Fforde's books, this theme park would have a giant time travel -- library ride where books fly at you, that sort of thing. Also, talking animals, rides inspired by nursery rhymes, and witty/punny police officers in damaged cars to shuttle you back and forth

Grishamania -- lots of drama, car chases, legalese; no smoking, but alcohol in abundance and the rides cost a fortune --open all night for those who don't want to be caught in attendance

King's Castle -- a horror theme park with scary clowns, crazed teenage girls, maniacal writers and, scariest of all, Kathy Bates with a tire iron

The Road -- for people who didn't find King's Castle scary enough; BYOB.

Snicket's VFD -- grab your tickets for the theme park based on A Series of Unfortunate Events - near cataclysmic adventures on Lachrymose Lake, a ride in a doomed zephyr, a chance to handle the snakes of The Reptile Room, and other almost-horrible amusements. No greedy adults allowed.

Shakes Pier -- you got your fairies in the forest, plays within plays, dancing, swordfights, ghosts, and moving speeches; just watch out if you're on a boat for sudden tempests and backstabbing minions

OK, that's all I have for now. Feel free to add your own!

Coca-Cola needs to check their innuendo meter

In keeping with my obsession with disaster movies I have taken to watching American Idol pretty regularly. My favorite part? No, it's not Simon Cowell, who must be the one person who managed to escape Britain with good teeth, though I am quite fond of him.
No, my favorite part of the hour is the Coca-Cola slogan:
"Thanks for drinking."
Not "Thanks for drinking Coca-Cola," just "Thanks for drinking."
I'm surprised they didn't have a cross-over ad with Ford. Then they could have changed the slogan to:
"Thanks for drinking and driving."

You may think this is sick, but I think it's damn hilarious.

Per EW, Will Ferrell's landlady is an alcoholic.

http://sjl.funnyordie.com//v1/view_video.php?viewkey=3efbc24c7d2583be6925

protest

I've embraced healthy eating. Hell, I've even advocated it. Egg whites, whole-grain breads and cookies, baked instead of fried, low-calorie, low-fat, organic, free-range, everything, and always, more fruits and vegetables, so on and so forth. I have no problem with this trend.

But I will not adulterate the purity of grilled cheese. White bread. American cheese. A skillet and butter. You want tomato or bacon on it, fine, whatever, but do not put your fancy breads or weird cheeses on me. If it can't be paired with Campbell's tomato soup, it's not grilled cheese. If it's bitter or not greasy, it's not grilled cheese. If it's got meat, could be sold at a nice restaurant, or even thinks about being good for you, it's not grilled cheese.

So back off the grilled cheese, NY Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/11/dining/11appe.html?ref=dining
You will not get a second warning.

according to the forecast, it should be raining just a wee bit more than this...

I don't know if you've ever been put in the position of being responsible for someone's life, but it's not a pleasant burden. Especially when that person could tear your arm off as soon as blink as you.
Anyhow, if you know anyone in the family of someone with Type 1 Diabetes, give them a hug today. They soooo deserve it.
Now I must go work on my upper body strength.

Rain!

So I guess Chumbawumba and Aqualung are off the table, then

Per the LA Times, the Swedish National Tax Board has refused a Swedish couple's petition to name their child Metallica.
I guess Jason Lee (father of Pilot Inspektor) is happy he's not Swedish right about now.

I'm not sure why Metallica is worse than Fritjof or Hampus, but I suppose that's because I'm not Swedish.
A good question is, was the rejection purely because the Board feels children shouldn't be named after bands, because the name Metallica is just plain weird, or simply because the Board doesn't like Metallica music? If it's the latter and the Board were more into Radiohead, for example, would that name be permitted? What about Switchfoot (that's kind of Native American sounding)? Wilco? Toad the Wet Sprocket? Kajagoogoo?

What band would be an acceptable name for a child? What wouldn't?
I think Procol Harum or Three Dog Night would be splendid names for a young boy, and Oasis might be a cool girl. I'd draw the line at Incubus or Garbage, though.
That would just be cruel.

No books (or elephants) were injured in the writing of this blog

I've been hunted by Jumanji-esque dreams. Often we have to hide in my old backyard, which has now turned into some sort of wildlife preserve, to escape zombies or some kind of evildoer who wants to end our lives (I'm never alone in this, which is something of a relief), only to have them go away and have to escape lions, elephants (always stampeding), tigers, snakes, and other sorts of creatures. Last night was not the first time I've had this kind of dream, but even though there's a pretty set pattern as to how these things happen, my brain doesn't always play by the rules -- for example I'm pretty sure at some point last night, I and my fellow hunted were, in fact, elephants ourselves, and we had to sidle up to a hedgerow in order to not be killed by a stampede of, that's right, other elephants. And I think we were a bookstore at that point, too...

Reading Stardust by Neil Gaiman because it's being turned into a movie I wanted to see. Trouble is, I can't go see a movie based on a book without having read the book (it's a writer thing), but now the movie isn't going to hold any surprises. Caught myself in a Catch-22. Artistic Differences was good -- but incredibly dated. I don't think it was meant to be a timeless book, so who cares? If you want to work in the television industry, it's a litmus test, I think, for how much bulls--t you're willing to take. So go check it out from the library if that's your thing. Otherwise, I'd let it alone.

Still haven't finished Baudolino or my lost Moby Dick. Will get back to Baudolino shortly. Can't make promises on the other one, though...

****
Just finished Stardust. Charming book, really (and slim). Assuming they didn't cut anything out, and they certainly wouldn't need to, I think it should be a fine film.

there's a mouth in the house

My parents have this candle that looks like gums without the teeth.

It's been on the kitchen windowsill over the sink since forever, and everytime I look at it, I half-expect it's going to attack me.

Vonne-gone

There is a tendency for us literary types to get all maudlin when one of our heroes dies, mourning the writer and not the man. Had I not met Kurt Vonnegut not too long ago, I would probably be sharing in the somewhat perverse sentimentality. But honestly, I'm relieved. Vonnegut's long life and not-too-prolonged death is something to celebrate. The man was getting quite -- well, how should I put it -- persnickety in his old age and did not appear to be enjoying his golden years. If ever there was a man in need of a little peace, it was Vonnegut, and I'm glad he's no longer in pain.

So, rest in peace, Kurt. And God bless.

in which we learn why Snoop can talk s--t about black girls but Imus can't

Via MTV News:
"It's a completely different scenario," said Snoop, barking over the phone from a hotel room in L.A. "[Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We're talking about ho's that's in the 'hood that ain't doing sh--, that's trying to get a n---a for his money. These are two separate things. First of all, we ain't no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC going hard on black girls. We are rappers that have these songs coming from our minds and our souls that are relevant to what we feel. I will not let them mutha----as say we in the same league as him."

That's right. Permissable targets for derision: poor single mothers in the hood who can't get their rap gangsta superstar boyfriends to spend a weekend with the kid let alone cut a check. Not permissable: basketball players...
Also, what middle-aged black men can say about black women is very different from what old white men can say about black women. Though it seems that in their "minds" and "souls," Snoop and Imus are equally full of it.

Thanks to Nathan Francis for the quote.

lit blitz

Took a walk today to crack some writer's block, and I managed to do just that. So I worked on my outline, and now I'm reading Artistic Differences by Charlie Hauck -- cuz Jane Espenson mentioned it on her brilliant, incredibly useful blog.

Tonight is the season finale of Friday Night Lights. You heard right, season finale. Not series. NBC's giving it a short pickup for the fall, which is both a good and a bad thing. Good because more FNL is more FNL, bad because, only six? The constant will-they, won't-they cancel Arrested Development nearly killed me back in the day. And I didn't love AD half as much. So people, don't put me through this, give FNL a shot, so I don't have to worry about it being taken out back and shot between the eyes every six episodes. Especially if you have a Nielsen box.

Interested in Eton and some nice Brit prose? Tobias Hill provides as much in the Guardian 3-parter, while Dan Rhodes shares his opinion on bloated books, which I believe I wrote about earlier in my blog.
http://books.guardian.co.uk/

Apparently, it's also National Grilled Cheese Month

Not that anyone needs an excuse to celebrate the grilled cheese sandwich, arguably the pinnacle of meatless sandwiches (and only arguably because of the peanut butter and jelly sandwich, which is more classic, but not as delicious).

So many National ___ _____ Months. I love that we as a species and specifically as Americans are always looking for another way to celebrate or honor that which we love.

As far as I know there is no National Comedy Month, which is probably something that needs to be rectified. Also, National Chocolate-Chip Cookie Dough Month (according to this, http://www.candyusa.org/Classroom/calendar.asp ever candy has her day, sometimes several) and National Quicksand Awareness Month are needed, as any chocaholic or R.O.U.S. will tell you.

April is National Poetry Month

OK, rather than point you in the direction of good poetry, I will point you in the direction of poetry that, frankly, should not have been published.

This week's TLS, for example, has a poem by a writer who I actually quite like, Derek Mahon. Unfortunately, his poem is an example of the biz publishing a name without actually debating the quality of the poem. The poet is clearly pandering the subject of the poem to an ill-fitting form that would have been better off discarded.

Here it is, and if you disagree, please educate me as to why.
http://tls.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25345-2631226,00.html

more commentary on "planet earth"

Right now, I'm glad I'm a Bank of America member.

Also, go grass! No one can keep you down! You're the cockroaches of the plant world! Grow on with your bad selves.

---

Holy crap, what are those lions doing to this poor elephant? Get off! OhmyGod! Oh my God, how is this allowed on TV????

craziest thing

Holy Spielberg, did you just see that, the Great White Shark caught on ultra-high speed film leaping out of the ocean and catching a seal with its mouth?
This is friggin' unreal!

Shallow Seas

Humpback whale mating song sounds like Adam Sandler flipping out. Seriously. Which may suddenly explain alot about Adam Sandler.

Pysanky You Very Much

Did a chicken pysanky today. No, it's not what you think. Classical Easter egg designing. But there's something about the word "pysanky" that makes me not want to have my mother around, watching.

So hope you had a nice spring day. It's a bit cold in my neck of the woods, but if the crocuses can handle it, so can I.

Planet Earth on Discovery Channel right now! Let the awesomeness commence.

Hiya, Yale Class of '11

So you just heard you got into Yale, and you're thinking, Oh my God, I just convinced one of the best universities in the world that I am worthy of their education. There is no way in hell I am not going to blow this.

Well... this is what you need to know right now.

1) Grades only matter if you are planning to go to graduate school. If you aren't, take classes that interest you and inspire you, not based on what subject they're in but by the class description and the syllabus (remember to shop classes! as great as a class may sound, if the teacher's a dud, the semester will be a nightmare), do the work, but do not sacrifice your extracurricular education for long nights of studying.

2) Whatever you want to be, forget about it. Do not join a club or a publication or a team because it will look good on some resume. Do what sounds fun, what you love. Commit to that. It will be alot less likely that you will give up something that makes you happy.

3) Unless you're a major math/econ geek, do not, do not, do not take an econ class and a stats class at the same time. You will never recover.

4) Learn a foreign language really, really well. Unless you loved your high school language, don't continue with it just so you can pass out of the requirement. Nothing is more useful in this global community than becoming fluent in an exotic foreign language. I know they meet every day early in the morning, but you will be so happy in 2011 when you graduate and can speak Mandarin or Korean or Farsi or Arabic really, really well and hence, have at least one very marketable skill.

5) Go see a play or a comedy improv show, a concert at Woolsey, and so on. One day one of these guys is going to win an Oscar. I got to watch Fran Kranz back in the day, and now he's an up-and-comer in Hollywood with several major films under his belt, or just about to be.

6) The Halloween show. A tradition not to be missed.

7) Binge drinking. Do not do it. If you drink too much, pass out, and have to go to the hospital, that will suck.

8) Don't sweat what everyone else is doing. It's hard not to be jealous when alot of other Yalies already have record contracts or come from richy-rich families or have celebrities for parents, but you can't change any of that, so don't be stand-offish towards them and don't be a sycophant. Just be you. It'll be fine, it's why you're at Yale to begin with.

9) Best Chinese food ever (and cheapest) -- the Yale-New Haven hospital/med school carts. Open weekdays during lunch (I don't know about weekends). Total deliciousness. Best pizza doesn't require going to Wooster St. Just go to Bar. It's awesome.

10) Yale is not like The Gilmore Girls. Especially the YDN. The YDN is where neuroses go to serial kill anything approaching normalcy, so enter with caution. Once it gets its claws in you, it's hard to escape, so you must, must, must love journalism more than anything else because the YDN will become your first home. The Record is great for those who want to work on their comedy chops, while Rumpus is for mean-spirited assholes. The Herald is a weekly and has all the problems inherent to the format. The Book Review is pretty good, and the Literary Journal has a tendency to be overrun by the kind of New York bookophiles who give well-rounded writers a bad name (the English major in general is a little diseased and claustrophobic, which is why I escaped to anthropology, something I recommend highly).

11) Do not try to eat a shake, burger, and fries all at the same time at The Educated Burgher (or however it's spelled). You will feel sick afterwards.

12) Walk to East Rock. It's fun.

13) Go to the men's hockey games. They're even better.

14) You will come to love your roommates, most likely, but it's good to have friends outside of your college suite. Over four years, people can get on your nerves if you don't have a little space.

15) Diner 21 downtown is mucho awesome.

16) Don't fret the Flower Lady. She's harmless, just annoying. Also, you think you will never get used to all the ambulance sirens and (if you live on the New Haven Green side of Old Campus) drug addicts screaming, until you get home for Thanksgiving and can't sleep because it's too quiet.

17) Homesickness. Yeah, me, too, and my family only lived 20 minutes away.

18) Make friends with the Master and Dean of your college. I also recommend being a Master's Aide. It gives you untold amounts of power and pays decently considering how little work you have to do most of the time.

19) The New Haven train station is within walking distance, as long as you don't scare too easily, and is accessible by taxi or the Yale shuttle. NYC is an hour and forty minute ride. You can go other places, too, like Boston, though I've never tried. Go to NYC sometime. It's a cool place to hang out and half of the Yalies you meet will be from there or moving there after graduation.

20) Yale clothes are expensive. Wait til the holidays and have your family buy you a sweatshirt if you want one so bad. In the meantime alot of crap Yale clothes get handed out by clubs and your residential clothes. Make do with those until your cash flow improves.

21) Yale Career Center -- good luck with that. It's way downtown and a pain in the ass. Online doesn't help much, but I would go there super-early to talk about summer plans because nothing is quite as difficult as getting a summer job. You're lucky and can take non-paying intern jobs in the fields that interest you or go abroad, even if poor, because Yale will pay you back. Take advantage of that. For those of us who didn't have that opportunity, trying to find a job is much, much, much harder.

22) I hope all the library construction is done by the time you get here in September. Otherwise, just know that it hasn't always been that way, and eventually Cross Campus will be accessible

23) DS is cool. DS is also wicked hard. And comprehensive as hell. If you can survive DS, you can survive anything. If you don't choose to take it, it's still wise to read Herodotus, Cervantes, and Tolstoy, just so you can enjoy some Very Important Books.

24) Unless you're going to become an architect, do not take a class with Vincent Scully.

25) Eat at the law school, HGS or the business school once in a while. For a change of pace. The cafe at the top of the science building blows, so don't bother there unless you're already in the area for class.

26) Don't take a job with Accounts Payable. You will fail all your classes and contemplate suicide.

27) Yale-in-London. Do it.

28) Hit the gym (in your college or Payne Whitney). They offer classes for a small fee, as well, and you will gain the Freshman 15 if you don't exercise. Intramural Sports are always underattended too, so jump in, even if you suck.

29) Recycle. It will never be easier to recycle than at Yale, so don't be lazy. Just do it.

30) Volunteer. It's good for your soul, and there are literally dozens of different ways to make a difference. And if you can't find one you like, invent something. You can probably get money for it. That's what makes Yale such a joy.

31) Yale politics: soul-killing. Ignore them. Completely. But don't forget to vote next fall in the real elections. Those actually matter.

32) Keep a constant eye on the poster boards and the YDN ads for master's teas and other cool things going on at Yale. You won't regret it.

Uh, that's all I have for now. I'd be happy to answer any other questions about Yale.

If a thesis doesn't make you stronger, it will kill you

I feel like crap right now. It might be from leaving wonderful Florida weather for cold Connecticut springlessness, but I think it's just from breakneck thesis writing the first half of the week. I honestly don't know how to get myself feeling less icky. I want to go see Grindhouse, but not now. Not like this...

rounding out the top 5 comedies of the 21st century

I completed my thesis!
Hoorah!
While it get velo bound at the local print shop (apparently, Staples doesn't do that anymore), I'm finally getting around to eating today, only to find that there is little more in the house than Kapop 94% Fat-Free Butter Microwave Popcorn, which, to this microwave popcorn conoisseur, tastes like dishtowel.

In other news I'm plum worn-out.

Tuesday I took time out of my thesis-writing bonanza to go see Blades of Glory, which is a sublimely ridiculous film. I don't quite get the appeal of Jon Heder, and Jenna Fischer has the thankless task of playing the straight woman in this crazy caper, but Will Ferrell delivers. Despite its painful "let's parody The Cutting Edge" premise and general stupidity, the chase scene between Will Arnett and Ferrell is comic gold.

On that note, my list of top 4 comedic films made since 2000 (in no particular order):

Dodgeball
The 40 Year-Old Virgin
Wedding Crashers
Zoolander

I also admire Talladega Nights and Elf a great deal, but the former is a little too long and Elf I would categorize under a family film, as opposed to straight up comedy, which is also how I feel about the divine Little Miss Sunshine. Bridget Jones' Diary was too much a romantic comedy and all Wes Anderson's stuff is too clever. Identity was damn funny, but it wasn't supposed to be. Anchorman is better the second-time around, but I still have trouble putting it in the same league as the others. Anyone care to help me think of a good #5 (best comedic film of the 21st century). Dude, Where's My Car? doesn't qualify because it came out in 2000, which, technically, to be a total geek is still the 20th century. Also unacceptable, any Mike Myers films, any American Pie movie, any Scary Movie-type film, and Old School.

I have faith in Jason Bateman, so The Ex could be good...

reason to celebrate

30 Rock will be back for a second season! There is a God!

pizza plus religion equals "quote of the day"

Grandfather: You don't believe in St. Patrick?

Michelle: Well, I love what he stood for -- you know, beer... and shamrocks.

Only You Can Prevent Public Health Threats

Just when you had exorcised the Donnie Darko rabbit from your nightmares, he's back -- and he has a new job!

http://www.kget.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=2104a5db-9da1-4127-80d3-60072a0696a4
(courtesy Dave Barry's blog)

i'd make myself useful. but i have a

headache

had a bad day

Back in CT. Drove Route 66 today through Virginia and the breathtaking Shenandoah Valley (after flat Florida, the curves and hills were a welcome relief). Gorgeous day. But didn't change the fact that I left some library books (and Moby Dick!) back in Florida, my sister trashed my bedroom, and my grandparents have not been the best road companions, to say the least.

Grr.

But one of my student loans has been mysteriously paid off. Normally, I'd be elated. But honestly, right now, I'm only a little less unhappy.

Fredericksburg, VA

It would have made sense to drive further than this, but when has my family used sense where good old-fashioned nonsense will do? Rather than explore the area, since we got here at 2:30, my grandparents have decided to sit on their bed, argue about how long our trip to CT will be, and watch TV (including the 7,000th repeat of Miss Congenality). I worked out at the closet they call a gym at this lovely Fairfield Inn, but that only took me til 4:00. So the rest of the night looks bleak. In the mean time...

Look who's back! JOHN CUSACK. With Grace is Gone, Martian Child, and 1408, it looks like everyone's favorite stereo-lifter is back in the saddle, assuming the saddle is "lead role in a film that may not actually suck." Check out the trailers at the usual sites. If you don't know where to look, we're probably not friends anyway, so what do I care?