sweet dreams, great teacher

Want to feed the hungry and build your vocab?

Check it out. I can't seem to break through level 45, but the night is young.

ohio's agriculture's based on grain

First Brad, then Heath. Geez. Rough week for celebrities.

I'm quite a bit more shocked/saddened by Heath's passing, mostly because he was the better/more famous actor, but also because I just loved 10 Things I Hate About You. The whole movie will be harder to watch, but particularly that wonderful, exuberant scene where he's singing to Kat in the stadium while she's at soccer practice, his running the lengths of the concrete benches and being carried off by security, so damn full of life--gah. Salon had a nice tribute to him that more or less sums up the way I feel about it--though I've only seen about three of his movies. I'm looking forward to his turn as the Joker, for what it's worth.

Anyway. There's a lot I could be talking about here, like R.E.M.'s shenanigans on the Lower East Side filming their video for "Supernatural Superserious," or the start of Wigmore Follies rehearsals, or volunteering with the kitties again--but my heart's not in it right now. So I'll leave you with two videos: the first, a trailer for Get Smart (which looks pretty darn good, and I'm getting over the casting of Anne Hathaway); and the second, a ridiculous ad for a pretty damn good beverage. But then, I'm generally a sucker for the Diet Dr. Pepper spinoffs.

over just before you look

I'm spending my Saturday evening watching Lasagna Cat and doing laundry.

What's new with you?

money was everything

Oh, my gosh. Brad Renfro has died.

You may remember, a scant year and a half ago, that I lamented his addictions on this very blog. I guess my sympathies weren't enough to save him.

Child stars, huh? The Boy and I caught part of an episode of VH1's Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew on Sunday, and SO MANY of them had great success at an early age and just couldn't deal with it.

So, yeah. Sad. Anyway. To lighten the mood, how about... a VIDEO kitten break? With one of Foxy's, um, addictions?

workers are going home

I am a hero of guitars. *metal sign*

Well, ok--I'm fairly awesome at Guitar Hero III (the Boy's birfday present)... on Easy. I'm still learning to handle Medium with any real grace/accuracy. It's SO MUCH FUN, though. Makes me want to get back to playing my real guitar. That way, maybe I'll stop co-opting the Boy's gift...

Otherwise, I survived the first week of classes (if anyone cares, those classes are Federal Jurisdiction ("Fed Jur"), Evidence, ITP Thailand ("trip to Thailand class"), and Mediation Practicum). Was not as productive overall as I'd hoped I'd be, but I'm not beating myself up over it. Yet, anyway. Went to court on Tuesday to do what I'd hoped would be my first mediation with real, live parties... only to find that no one needed us. Oh, well. Better luck next week?

I spent a good part of the day today socializing with kitties at PAWS Chicago--I did not adopt any kitties, but it was sorely tempting, I assure you. There were some very sweet, affectionate little boy and girl kitties available. Not to mention some really, really cute puppies and some good dogs that the Boy got to interact with. I've had to bail on one of my volunteer opportunities this semester because of a class conflict (er, a conflict with one of my classes, not an upstairs/downstairs thing), so I'm hoping to volunteer with PAWS at least once a week instead.

Also, this writers' strike is really bumming me out. Now the word on the street is that Scrubs might just... stop? Since this is the last season? Sad! Not a very dignified ending for that little show. I don't know what I'm going to do when I run out of Gossip Girl, Ugly Betty or Project Runway episodes. Cry, I guess. Then watch a lot of DVDs.

so many possibilities

Hey, kids. I'm back!

Mostly back to say that R.E.M.'s new album, slated for April release, will be called Accelerate, and "I'm Gonna DJ" is going to be on it, and they say that they recorded it quickly, according to this article. All of this leads me to believe that they've abandoned some of the studio overproduction that has plagued their last couple of albums, so I'm VERY optimistic that the ROCK sound of their live show will be evident in this new album. Next question: a tour? That I can attend? Pretty please?

Also, when Ken Stringfellow mentions in the article that he called Mike Mills for his birthday? Mr. Mills's birthday happens to be December 17, as is a certain other very important person's. Ahem. *tosses hair and preens*

Anyway, holidays were lovely, family is great, kitty is playful and seems to be doing well, I managed to catch a terrible cold from which I'm still recovering, friends descended upon Chicago and we tore up this city for New Year's, I pulled every muscle in my back playing Wii Sports yesterday (that says more about how out of shape I am than how vigorous the Wii games are), and I've been dithering online for the last hour and a half rather than doing my reading for tomorrow. So, really, nothing new.

Quick holiday movie update: saw The Golden Compass, Sweeney Todd, Beowulf, I Am Legend, and No Country for Old Men, all of which I enjoyed (though Sweeney Todd and No Country were the best of the bunch). Still want to see Atonement, There Will Be Blood, Juno, Charlie Wilson's War, and Walk Hard, among others. Chances are school will catch up with me before I see even half of those, but I guess that's what DVD rentals are for.

Finally: Britney, wtf? I stop reading my gossip blogs for a week and all hell breaks loose. No matter how stressed out I get, I can take solace in the fact that I have never been ambushed for an intervention by Dr. Phil, thank god.