I think most people who read my blog have been referred here by a "Jenna Jameson" search (sigh snore), but whatevs - go vote in the 2006 Public Defender Blog Awards!! (you can vote anonymously)

One of the best presents I received this year was the Garfield Cat Tales DVD set. This has provided me with hours of nostalgic joy and fun. Back then, Garfield rocked! I love the sarcasm, and the little Vaudeville-esque bits he and Odie performed.

My favorite one is still Garfield in Paradise, with the intro song of "Hello Hawaii". When Garfield, Odie, and John are "stranded" in a primitive village, the villagers all bow down to his '68 chevy and chant, "Chroooome, chrooooome, chrooooome," and then someone raises his head and says in a deep voice, "Bopbop-uhdeebop," and then back to "Chrooooome . . ." Priceless.

Behold the joy that is YouTube: Garfield Christmas Special Part I, Part II, Part III - or, just the Christmas Song (I identified mightily with the ending, ha)

And, my next favorite after Garfield in Paradise: Garfield's Halloween Adventure Part I, Part II, Part III - or, if you'd just like to watch the songs: What Should I Be? and Scaredy Cat

There are probably tons more but I got tired of looking.

Incidentally, over xmas we discovered that not one but two members of the fam are full-blown, still-in-denial alcoholics. Yay. I think from now on, I'm going to leave alcohol for special occasions. Kinda sucks, but whatevs. Hey it's my first resolution, yay!!

OMG

What a wonderful holiday treat!! The 50 Greatest Cartoons, all online for our viewing pleasure!! Including The Barber of Seville, Rabbit Seasoning, The Skeleton Dance, and Duck Dodgers! Yay!!!!! I know what I'm spending the next five hours doing!! Thank you City Rag!

Our library has a neat online feature that allows you to search for any book within its sprawling system, no matter the branch location, and then request that it be put on Hold for you. What this means is that any book, no matter where, can be waiting for me at my close-by library branch; all I have to do is wait for an email notice saying the book is ready for me, then go pick it up. It's wonderful.

I'm currently readeing All Aunt Hagar's Children by Edward P. Jones and highly recommend it. His style is so rich and rewarding. But what made this book doubly interesting was that at about page 20, a slip of paper fell from between the pages. It was someone's Christmas shopping list. And I think it confirmed what I've thought all along: everybody gets (and needs?) a set of PJs for xmas, a Bath and Body Works gift certificate, and a Blockbuster one, too. It's such a common thread.

I also recommend Dark Angels by Kathleen Koen - especially for people who love lavish, sensuous, exhilerating prose. Now, I'm no Fabio-lover, but many passages of this book did give me the chills, and Koen's dialogue is masterfully seductive. The characters - especially the King - all seemed so real, and the philosophy behind the then-existing class systems and such now makes perfect sense to me, in that I understand why people liked to think it existed.

And last but not least, if you must go to the dentist and the thought of sweating your way through someone shoving their hands in your mouth kinda makes you ill, may I recommend sedation dentistry (I'm not providing a link because most are direct links to specific dentists of whom I have no knowledge or experience). You take a little pill, go to sleep, and wake up with, say, all your wisdoms having been pulled, or a deep cleaning plus fillings administered, etc. It is wonderful - no tongue cramp from holding it back, no worries at all. Give it a try - only, don't do anything that day that you need to remember doing; the drug administered gives many people giant black holes in their memory (myself included). I don't remember being driven home, or laying down on the couch, or of somehow finding and forcing my kitty Poopie to snuggle with me. And apparently I was completely awake. Not a single memory. And my memory is like a freaking digital camera it is so precise and aware. So take that into consideration. Otherwise it is a total blessing; you can have three or four visits' worth of work done in one sitting.

After drinking enough Havanan mojitos to pickle a girl twice my size, I have finished my end-of-finals celebrations and am ready to spend the weekend blissed out in bed, watching Remains of the Day and Blue Planet.

I love this time, this gorgeous, free, seemingly-infinite stretch of quiet and repose - time not well-deserved (for really, it should go to people in more difficult situations than I), but it will be well-spent, well enjoyed, and appreciated more than I can ever say.

OMG

Conan the Barbarian is on right now!!! How I love this movie. It is the perfect mythical story. I know everyone thinks it's cheese, but it has so many subtleties, exercises so much restraint - and the cinematography is just gorgeous, the soundtrack considered by many to be the best in creation, ah . . .

Don't fight it! You know you wish this was you:






even if only for a moment. :)

a tip for those of you still in school

If you should ever run over the time limit on an exam, try this. Beyond brilliant.

From Chris Stangl, in Hellzapoppin'!: The Infernal Comedy of Joe Dante:

Moment: Microwave Marge battles Daffy, Lenny and George, the set of her cable TV cooking show transformed into an apocalyptic battleground. The Gremlins fling a frying pan at Marge's face, and when she pops back into frame, two gigantic sunny-side up eggs are covering her eyes. She screams and falls over. Deleted scene, Gremlins 2: The New Batch DVD. My friend Paul Rust turns to me and says "that is the funniest joke in all of movie history. You could show that to anyone, from any culture, in any time period, across the universe - even any alien lifeforms - and they would think that's funny."

I am unable to disagree.

I've read this like a bazillion times and each time I laugh. My personal favorite moment in the movie is where Phoebe Cates gets suddenly and frighteningly trapped in the futuristic voice-activated elevator, and commands, "Elevator! Sound alarm!"

pregnant pause

"Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh! Eh!" the Gremlins yell.

Oh I could watch that all day.

Gorgeous as always:

Rion Nu

Scary Mary

mmmmm i loves me some trailer re-cuts.

Mary Poppins

this one actually gave me goosebumps. though - i am in a semi-panicked state right now, so even Chip n Dale might give me goosebumps. i kinda wish it was longer, it's more of a "teaser" trailer.

ps where the children are running at the end? :shivers: what an excellent shot

I'd forgotten how much I hate finals. I mean, like - well I tried to think of a really gory analogy/metaphor but frankly the only thing running through my head is the State Action doctrine and Dormant Commerce Clause. See - I even capitalized them! sheesh.

Anyway, I needed a wee break and discovered "Steve - Don't Eat It!" It really helped lighten my mood. And my stomach. Be sure to read about the Cuitlacoche (a strong contender for my Evidence Final experience), Natto (just like good ol Bus Assoc), and yes, Prison Wine (mmm alcohol and dirty socks)!! Steve is hilarious. I found him through Natalie Dee's website. She's one of the funniest people alive. I wish Con Law was funny.

EDIT: fixed dee's link. im dum.