web-goddess

On one hand I loved Bridget Jones (the book). On the other hand, “chick lit” really does frickin’ annoy me. Every time I walk into Books Etc. these days there’s a table out front full of pastel-colored paperbacks with “funky” cover fonts and “punny” titles. Whatever. You know, I come across enough angsty, twenty-something women moaning about their weight, love lives, and cats on the Internet as it is. There’s no way I’d actually want to read it in a book. Literature my ass.

I’ve never thought about the Sklyarov case in terms of the “Dukes of Hazzard”, but I guess it kinda works. Kinda.

Well, I’ve officially contributed to the United Kingdom’s blood supply. There was a slight bit of scariness, though, when the nurse couldn’t decide where to stick me and pronounced that I had “small veins.” (My co-worker, Nick, looked over from the next bed and said, “It’s okay Kris. That just means they’ll have to take it from your neck.”) A few more pumps on the blood pressure cuff, though, and a big sucker popped right up. They’re so nice over here, the even provide you with a nice little old lady – mine was Judy – to sit with you and make sure you’re all right while you fill your bag. Then you get juice and cookies and a sticker to wear. Mine says “Be nice to me. I gave blood today” while Nick’s says “I’ve been a good little bleeder.” Ha!

In the course of some further research on “Indian summer”, I came across a fabulous site called The Word Detective. If you’re interested in language and you’ve got some time to spare, flip through his archives. I find it hilarious that “jump the shark” has already managed to work its way onto his list.

If you’ve ever had a person from another country rip into you for every wrong the United States has ever inflicted upon the world (and as an expat, believe me, I have), I recommend you read Sar’s essay “This American Life” and then forward it to the offending asshole. Because there really are only so many things you can apologize for, and as much as jerks like my housemate Nick would wish otherwise, Titanic, McDonald’s, and the Vietnam War are not among them.

If I was fifteen I’d have a major crush on this kid. Genius, computer nerd, teacher, surfer, and cute to boot. *sigh*

<raise eyebrow>Huh?</raise eyebrow>

I was missing home today. Alex and I got into a debate at work over the meaning of the phrase “Indian summer”. They use it here in Britain too, and he’s always thought it had something to do with India and the Raj and all that. I, on the other hand, thought it had to do with Native Americans. I think I’ve found proof that I’m right. Then the network died so Alex went to get us all iced coffees at the shop… which made me think of afternoon Dairy Queen runs at my old job. God, what I wouldn’t give for a frozen hot chocolate right now, and then to head home and dive into the lake for a swim. I never realized how nice it was where I lived before.

See, this is why I gotta donate blood here. Because they don’t even want my stuff in the U.S.!

I finally saw Planet of the Apes last night. I didn’t enjoy it. And no, it’s not because I had high expectations or anything. I just found the first 2/3 of the movie incredibly boring. You remember in school, when you drew the classic “plot” structure as a flat line that then hits a conflict and inclines up, reaches a climax, and finishes in a denouement? Well, I hate films that don’t have a clear ending to the beginning. I just never felt like, okay, we’re settling into the movie now. Maybe it’s the fact that Marky Mark’s character never really stops to try and understand what’s happened to him. If you suddenly found yourself in a completely foreign place where existence as you knew it was turned upside-down, wouldn’t you freak out a little bit? Wouldn’t you need some time to, you know, come to grips with it? Instead he’s all just “Go! Go! Go!” You start out on the incline. It’s unsettling.

That said, the ending was pretty good. And by that I mean the resolution of that situation on the “planet of the apes”, not the surprise little bit tacked on at the very end. I hated that bit. Remember at the end of Jurassic Park 2 when the T-Rex was on the rampage in Los Angeles? It felt like that. It was a cool idea, but there’s no real way to work it into the story so they just tack it on. Ebert manages to rationalize it, but I think he’s reaching. But anyway, the climax is pretty cool, even if you’d already guessed ten minutes earlier what was going to happen. My final verdict is that this one is probably a renter. If you’re gonna be bored for the first 90 minutes, you might as well be at home with a beer in one hand and the remote in the other.