Thursday, April 28, 2005

There are lots of little tidbits running around inside my head right now, but none meaty enough to warrant more than a line or two. Sounds like its time for me to once again Clear Out The Brain Buffer™.

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Congratulations to Tina Fey and her husband, who've just announced they're expecting their first child. I have no doubt that my favorite TV girlfriend will make a great mom.

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After taking a week or so to mull it over, I'm coming around on Brandon Routh's costume for the new Superman movie. At first I didn't like the smallish "S" symbol and the muted color palette, but now that I've had to some time to get used to the changes, they're growing on me.

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Scientists have discovered why caffeine makes us more alert, and I found the conclusion surprising. Apparently, caffeine inhibits the brain chemical adenosine, which tells us when we're tired.

So if I read this correctly, caffeine is a depressant, not a stimulant. Weird.

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The trailer for Serenity, Joss Whedon's film follow-up to the brilliant, short-lived series Firefly, hit the Web this week. I'm stoked. Now I just have suffer through the next five months until it premieres.

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I'm in another show. Yeah, I know I was supposed to retire from community theater, like, two years ago, but I can see now that just isn't going to happen. This one is Kiss of the Spider Woman at Kensington Arts Theatre. We open in about two weeks, and it promises to be a good one. If you're in the area, come on by and see us.

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And that's the state of my cranium on this April 28th. We now return you to the confines of your own skull.

Posted @ 1:29 PM

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Thursday, April 21, 2005

Adam Felber hits the nail on the head with his take on the story of the "Virgin Mary" image appearing on the wall of a Chicago highway underpass.

Personally, I see a Ring Wraith. Or maybe Cousin It.

Posted @ 6:34 AM

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Monday, April 18, 2005

For years I've had tons of earnest, well-intentioned folks tell me how much they adore Disney World. Invariably, when I reveal that I've never been there, these boosters are shocked and amazed. They insist that I must go because they're certain I'll love it.

When I point out that I've been to plenty of amusement parks, I'm assured they can't possibly come close. When I protest that I'm really more of a Looney Tunes guy, I'm told it doesn't matter and that the minute I set foot in Orlando's biggest draw I will be swept up in a wave of delight.

The net result of this effusive praise has been to instill a contrarian reaction in me; I'm very skeptical of the Magic Kingdom's charms. I will go, when I go, with an open mind and every intention of enjoying myself thoroughly. But after the years of overt gushing I've heard, the deck is stacked against me warming to the place. Surely there must be some people who aren't enthralled by it? (And in fact, there's one brave soul who's been voicing a dissenting opinion for as long as I've known him.)

So it was with a light and snarky heart today that I explored this trove of pics showing dour-looking guests of the Happiest Place on Earth. Seems The Mouse and his cohorts aren't able to inspire rapturous glee in everyone who visits their domain.

Since I've gone out on a limb and publicly voiced this opinion, I fully expect that I will actually love WDW once I finally have a chance to visit. But for now, I'm just glad this evidence is out there to prove that having a blissful time there isn't a mortal lock.

(link via The Morning News)

Posted @ 4:45 PM

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Friday, April 15, 2005

A little Friday fun pilfered from The Morning News, in the form of an Animaniacs' tribute: a seemingly comprehensive listing of the ponderings of The Brain and Pinky's responses.

Reading these took me right back to the early 90s - for half a second, I was worried that I'd be late for my Friday morning film studies lecture.

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Speaking of film studies, I want to offer a hearty congrats to my old Communications prof and honors program advisor, Dr. Jeffrey Chown. Earlier this week, Dr. Chown was named a Presidential Teaching Professor at my alma mater, Northern Illinois University. Well earned, sir!

Posted @ 6:47 AM

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Thursday, April 14, 2005

There's a store called Booktopia in the mall portion* of my office building. It deals in kids' stuff: books, toys, clothing, et cetera. Having worked in a small high-end toy store at one time, I recognize a lot of the things they carry. It's boutique-oriented merchandise that seems unique when you first encounter it, but which you quickly realize is essentially ubiquitous outside of Toys R Us and Wal-Mart.

However, Booktopia does carry one product line with which I was previously unfamiliar. It's called Wry Baby. If you're the parent of someone in the toddler stage or younger, or know parents who are, I urge you to check them out. The particular item that first caught my eye was this toddler t-shirt emblazoned with the words "I Can't Read." I just about fell down laughing the first time I saw it.

The Wry Baby site has many other fine items displaying a similar dry wit, and a couple things which might not fly everywhere in these United States but should be big sellers in Connecticut and Vermont.

If you're looking to help a kid build an aptitude for snarkiness early in life, Wry Baby is worth a look.

* ::in my best Amy Poehler voice:: Yes, I work above a mall. Jealous?

Posted @ 6:43 AM

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Wednesday, April 06, 2005

Well that didn't take long. Even as I wrote up my post about Superman Returns needing a new Perry White, director Bryan Singer was announcing he'd acquired one. And while it's not one of my suggestions, it's another excellent choice.

The new Perry White is stage, television and film star Frank Langella, a man who's played everyone from Sherlock Holmes to Dracula to Ebenezer Scrooge. But I always think of him as power-drunk chief of staff Bob Alexander in Dave, one of my favorite presidentially-themed films.

My inner fanboy is ever so slightly bugged by the fact that Langella is an inch and a half taller than Brandon Routh, the guy playing Superman, but I'm sure I'll get over that quickly. In fact, I think I got over it in the time it took me to type the last sentence.

Posted @ 5:13 PM

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Monday, April 04, 2005

This is a bit of a bummer. It seems that Hugh Laurie will not be playing Perry White in the Superman movie after all. His committment to the FOX hit series House (a bandwagon I'll be jumping on soonly) will make him unavailable for the shoot.

Sad as it is to lose Laurie as the Planet's managing editor, it gives me a chance to lobby once again three other men I'd love to see fill the roll. Anybody for Stephen Root, Bruce McGill, or John Mahoney?

This also gives me a chance to pimp a new site I ran across last week, the Blue Tights Nework. It's your source for the latest, hottest, jiggiest Superman Returns news. Be like me and check it daily!

Posted @ 5:49 PM

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