And good taste surrenders…
Posted on May 31, 2005
Music fans across the pond vote Oasis’ 1995 hit “Wonderwall” as the greatest British song of all time. Suck it, entire song catalogs of the Beatles and Rolling Stones combined! [via]
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | 7 Comments
Double the Paris, double the fun
Posted on May 31, 2005
Hotel heiress Paris Hilton is engaged to a shipping heir who’s also named Paris? Okay, this is just getting ridiculous now.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | 2 Comments
Smells like Shat
Posted on May 30, 2005
What, pray tell, does William Shatner smell like? According to Boston Legal co-star James Spader, “He had a very sort of, a strangely very attractive sort of pungent sort of gamey, sort of a venison or a lamb sausage…and a little bit of rosemary with a touch of ranch dressing.” Wow. That’s hot! [via]
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | Comments Off
Darth Kate
Posted on May 30, 2005
All hail Darth Kate, Dark Lord of the Sith! “There are two basic methods by which people attain power. The first is through fear and intimidation. The Sith (i.e. Me) haven’t really learned how to use the Force yet. Which means we can’t go around choking people with our minds. Also, we don’t have a lightsaber. So we’ll have to put fear and intimidation on hold for now. The second method is through respect. The new order of Sith plan on ruling through the power of Transformational Leadership, which I learned about in a Political Science class I took in college.” [via]
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | Comments Off
w00t!
Posted on May 29, 2005
It seems that “w00t” (an exclamation of joy or excitement) ranks just behind “ginormous” and “confuzzled” in Merriam-Webster’s survey of favorite words not found in the dictionary. So, what’s your favorite not-in-the-dictionary word? “Redonkulous” and “quyzbuk” are two of my personal faves.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | 8 Comments
My secret shame
Posted on May 27, 2005
In my last entry, I expressed admiration for the beard Ewan McGregor sported in Revenge of the Sith. To be entirely honest, however, my statement was born as much from envy as admiration. You see, I live with a secret shame.
I can’t grow facial hair.
No beard. No Van Dyke. No soul patch. I can’t even manage sideburns.
Don’t get me wrong — if my utter inability to grow a beard saved me the hassle of shaving on a regular basis, that would be completely awesome. I would fall down on my knees each morning and thank the Lord for sparing me from the travails of shaving for another day. It doesn’t, though. I still grow just enough facial hair to look scruffy and unkempt, but it stops there. After the first three days of growth, I can wait months and my facial hair never turns into something even vaguely resembling a beard or moustache.
I had a bit part in a play when I was a senior in college. The director wanted me to grow a goatee for the role. I got a month’s head start on the task and still found myself sitting in a makeup chair on opening night and having my goatee painted on with mascara. I was 21 years old at the time.
So, I’m 27 years old now and the closest I’ve ever come to respectable facial hair was My First Moustache(R) back when I was 14. After I shaved for the first time, I’ve never soared to such heights again. Such is my lot in life.
There — that’s my secret shame. I feel much better now.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Life in a Nutshell | 6 Comments
Episode III
Posted on May 26, 2005
My Sith boycott officially ended last night after a less-than-impressive six days. Some things I liked about Episode III (spoiler-free):
Yoda: Yoda didn’t seem nearly as cartoonish as he did in Attack of the Clones. The animators did a particularly great job conveying his sorrow as the Jedi Order fell around him. Outside of Gollum, Yoda is easily one of my favorite CGI characters of all time.
Anakin’s turn: Kudos to Lucas for eschewing a presto change-o conversion to the Dark Side for Anakin and taking a more subtle approach instead. I know Hayden Christensen catches a lot of flak for his performance in geek circles, but I thought his acting was completely serviceable in this installment.
The political angle: I wasn’t sure if Lucas could pull off a satisfying resolution to Palpatine’s political machinations from the first two prequels in Episode III, but I was pleasantly surprised.
The pacing: Revenge of the Sith had much better pacing than the first two prequels, both of which dragged quite a bit at times. Crosscutting between the two climactic battles was a particularly effective directorial decision.
The overall dark vibe: Taking Revenge of the Sith in PG-13 territory definitely paid off. I have to admit that I got chills down my spine during the “Order 66″ montage.
That being said, there were also several things I didn’t like about Episode III:
The Emperor: I’ve loved Ian McDiarmid’s understated performance as Senator Palpatine throughout the prequels, but I thought he went a little too far over the top as he transitioned to the Emperor we all know and love from the Original Trilogy. Yeah, you’re evil; we get it. Now, stop chewing the scenery.
The lack of Jar Jar: I’m not a Jar Jar fan, but the fact that he didn’t even utter a line in Episode III just makes his inclusion in Episodes I and II all the more unnecessary. Meesa disappointed.
Natalie Portman: Sure, she’s been stuck with horrible dialogue throughout the prequels, but an actress of her skill really should be able to rise above it. Look at Ewan McGregor!
The scene transitions: I realize that screen wipes are a directorial hallmark of the Star Wars series. Still, when I saw the “vertical blinds” wipe in Episode III for the first time, I began to feel like I was watching a PowerPoint presentation delivered by someone who’s just figured out how to animate his slides. And…star wipe!
The lack of a Han Solo character: This is more of a criticism of the prequels as a whole. Han Solo was, of course, an integral part of what made the Original Trilogy so special. Whenever things got too corny in the original films, Han was there with a sarcastic wisecrack to at least acknowledge that yes, things are corny, but we should just sit back and enjoy the ride (e.g. “Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”). I got the impression that Lucas tried to incorporate this into Obi-Wan, but the results are mixed at best. The lack of a sarcastic voice in the prequels really takes away from the fun.
Overall, though, I thought that Revenge of the Sith was a huge improvement over the first two prequels. It still falls short of the Original Trilogy (Ewoks and all), but it’s a perfectly good way to spend eight bucks.
The verdict: B
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Geek, Pop Culture | 6 Comments
The Dumb Side of the Force
Posted on May 26, 2005
Caution, my young Padawan: build not your lightsaber from a fluorescent light tube filled with liquid fuel. Explode, it might.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | Comments Off
Domestic bliss
Posted on May 25, 2005
Sure, being married to a veterinarian may seem glamorous, but it also leads to conversations like this one I had when I called my wife at work earlier today…
Her: Looking at a microscope.
Me: Cool! Whatcha lookin’ at?
Her: Urine.
Me: Oh.
This kind of thing happens more often than you might expect.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Life in a Nutshell | 5 Comments
Nobody cares to handle her truth
Posted on May 25, 2005
Britney Spears’ reality series faces cancellation due to low ratings? Britney needs therapy to come to grips with her waning popularity? Don’t worry, Brit — I still love you! Wait, did I say love? I meant to say despise.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | 2 Comments
You’ve been a beary bad boy…
Posted on May 24, 2005
Zurich, Switzerland, sticks by its zero-tolerance policy regarding publicly-displayed six-foot tall teddy bears brandishing handcuffs and dressed as dominatrices. It looks like someone has been a beary bad boy. *dodges rotten tomatoes thrown by readers*
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | 4 Comments
I’m in carbohydrate heaven!
Posted on May 24, 2005
The K-Girl returned from New Jersey yesterday and managed to slip through airport security with a dozen fresh bagels. You know, real bagels — the kind you can only get in the North. I’m officially in heaven (albeit with a sore jaw from the chewing).
Mmm…poppy-seed.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Life in a Nutshell | 3 Comments
I suffer from a very sexy learning disability…
Posted on May 23, 2005
Sweet zombie Jesus! Futurama may return as a series of straight-to-DVD releases!
Just call me Lizzie McGuire
Posted on May 23, 2005
Which celebrity “It Girl” are you? Apparently, I’m Hilary Duff.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Asides | 3 Comments
That’s So Vader!
Posted on May 22, 2005
Alternate title: “Star Warsbucks.” The Apropos Comics archive is here.
Posted by Jess | Filed Under Apropos Comics | 3 Comments
| Older Entries » |
