Tuesday, May 31, 2005

The Human Adventure is Just Beginning

Greetings, Gentle Readers, and welcome to the final Louisiana entry from your friendly, neighborhood Marius. The truck is packed tighter than a Green Day concert, the house is an off-white echo chamber, my back is killing me from sleeping on the floor last night, and we are in the final pre-launch countdown. Within 4 hours we shall bid farewell to Pineville, and wend our way southward to the sun-drenched shores of our beloved Florida. There is a kind of anesthesia in the moving process, since I am so freaking exhausted it's dulling the ache of saying good bye to so many friends. But they know how dearly they shall be missed, and that I will be staying in close contact. And for those from whose bosoms we have been so long separated, we'll see you soon. :-)

Next entry: The Journey!

Fare thee well.

Marius the Weary

Sunday, May 29, 2005

Moving Sucks

I just wanted to point that out.

Saturday, May 28, 2005

Thought for the Day

Pity Darth Vader, don't fear him. After watching him get put back together it occurrs to me that there must be a few catheters involved in that suit. No wonder he's blowing up planets. And don't even get me started on the jock itch potential of all that leather.

Marius

Friday, May 27, 2005

Deconstruction Of The Jedi Master

Ok, here's my theory on why George Lucas seems to have gone insane since 1983. I have now heard many, many interviews with Mr. Lucas, and he seems genuinely puzzled by the poor reception of episodes I and II. If you go back to things he said back when he was making episode IV you will find that he said he wanted to make films that harkened back to the serials of the 40's and 50's. He then created three(some might say 2) films that effectively captured the excitement, and adventurous nature of a Buck Rogers, or Captain Video serial, but without the major dose of cheese that encompassed those Saturday morning diversions. The first trilogy far surpassed the seeds that spawned it, and created for us a mythology that insinuated itself into the very fibers of our cultural being.

Fast forward a decade or so. Lucas decides to finally do the prequels he once promised. Unfortunately he chose to direct them himself. Interviews with the original actors tell how Lucas isn't much of a director. He knows what he wants, but he rarely says anything to his actors except 'faster and more intensity'. Is it any wonder that as soon as technology allowed him to create characters that could be manipulated using a mouse and keyboard he would pounce on it. He also stayed with his initial goal of recreating the feeling of the Saturday morning serial, but this time he did not stay away from the cheese shop. Episodes I and II were certainly superior to the lightning bolt helmets, and cardboard robots of Flash Gordon, but the plots weren't. The villains were less menacing, and the bad guys were mostly robots, so he could have the heroes kill them without tarnishing their white hats(and don't get me started on making Greedo shoot first). Admittedly the Darth Maul/Qui Gong arc was darker, but only barely. Then, in episode II, we found out just how awful Lucas is at writing a love story. When you combine hackneyed dialogue, and two young actors(Portman and Christensen) who obviously need more than 'faster and more intensity' from the director, you get a love story that's about as compelling as abowl of tepid oatmeal. Even in episode III, which I loved, the scenes between Padme and Annakin were at best boring, at worst nauseating. "Hold me like you did by the lake on Naboo." Barf!

Now lest it be said that Marius is a whiner, I offer a solution. There is soon to be a tv series that will bridge the gaps between episodes III and IV, and I pray that George Lucas oversees the thing, but leaves the writing and direction to others. The first time he did that, with the Empire Strikes Back, it gave birth to arguably the best film of the franchise. Let's hope that he learns from that. I finally love Star Wars again, and I'd like to keep that feeling.

May the Force be with you.
Darth Marius

Wednesday, May 25, 2005

Drivel

Greetings, Gentle Readers, and welcome to some random thoughts.(well, perhaps 'thoughts' is too grandiose a term for what follows)

Not all who wander are lost, but many who wander and mumble while wearing aluminum foil on their heads are.

The phrase 'works like a dog' is complete bullshit.

The vapor that comes off of a block of dry ice is just sublime. (physics joke, sorry)

For the last time, the Peter Principle has nothing to do with natural male enhancement!

And while we are talking about big dicks, has anyone heard from Dick Cheney lately?

If you take a large enough dose of amphetamines while on Prozac you can actually pass between universes.

Life would be much less stressful if all eulogies started with a fart joke.

This entry is pretty lame, so I'm going to stop now. Please talk amongst yourselves.

Marius

Tuesday, May 24, 2005

Star Wars = War On Terror? (supplemental)

Ok, so I just watched ROTS with the mindset that it was a jab at the current world situation. And my response to that is thus: ANYONE WHO THINKS THAT THIS MOVIE IS ABOUT THE WAR IN IRAQ IS HIGHER THAN KEITH RICHARDS IN AMSTERDAM DURING MARDI GRAS!!!!!

Thank you.
Marius

Star Wars = War On Terror?

Give me a fucking break, people!! Yes, I enjoyed Revenge of the Sith. Yes, I despise just about everything George W. Bush has done, or represents. No, I did NOT see anything in that movie that made me think about Iraq. Let's be real here. George Lucas has had trouble just making these movies vaguely intelligible, let alone slipping in real social commentary. If you really want to see the inspiration for our historical re-run, just go back to the late 60's, or the early 90's, or hell, go back to the frickin' crusades. Wars, and their causes are fairly homogeneous. If we weren't currently involved in a war, the pundits might have said Lucas was commenting on the first Gulf War, or Viet Nam, or the War of 1812 for crying out loud! IT'S A FUCKING MOVIE!!!!!

Sorry, I got a little carried away there.

I'm going to see it again in a few hours, and I'll try my best to find Saddam inside Jar Jar, but I doubt I'll succeed.

Love and kisses,
Marius

Monday, May 23, 2005

Planes, Light Sabers, and Shrubberies

Greetings, Gentle Readers, and welcome to a tale of great adventure, excellent theatre, camaraderie, and sleep deprivation. On Friday afternoon I began my journey at Alexandria International Airport. The name belies the place, as I have been to larger Wal-Marts, but be that as it may, I was soon airborne upon a fairly comfortable twin-engine turbo prop (puddle jumper to you non-aircraft savvy readers). Touchdown in Memphis came much more quickly than I expected, and I was soon looking down upon the clouds in a larger jet, this one headed directly for Gotham. (I will not use that fruit-based appellation for NYC as I find it both stupid and overused) The landing at LaGuardia was smooth, and as I only had carry-on luggage I headed directly to the rendezvous point. Jeff and Keith soon arrived, and we found that Steve, and David (our benefactor, and organizer of this whole affair) were delayed in Atlanta, and since LaGuardia closes at Midnight, because terrorists do their best work in the wee small hours) they were re-routed to JFK. Dave had tickets to see Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith at 1am, so there was still a slim chance that we would make it. We grabbed a cab, checked in at the hotel, and then found a nice Irish pub and settled in to wait. Dave and Steve arrived about three rounds later, too late, alas, to see the movie. So we just drank, wandered a bit, then went back to the hotel to catch up. Since it had been somewhere in the vicinity of two decades since we had all been in the same room together there was much catching up to do. I was amazed at how easily the years dropped away. We had all stayed more or less in touch, so we didn’t waste much time with ‘so, what are you doing now’ talk. Instead we just bullshitted. I cannot recommend highly enough the therapeutic benefits of bullshitting. There were a few references made to our collective adolescence and events that took place then, but mostly we just joked around and realized how much our relationships had not changed much. I think I was expecting there to be lots of forced conviviality, surrounded by numerous awkward silences, but that never happened. We stayed up as late as any of us could manage (my watch broke in Alexandria so all times are approximate), I think somewhere in the area of 4:30am, then we crashed.
Saturday morning we got up around 9ish, and Dave found that he could exchange his ROTS tickets for an 11am show. Showers, coffee, breakfast on the run, and we went to the theater. NYC is interesting in that most buildings go up, instead of out, so theatre 12 was up 4 escalators. It was an all digital theatre, so the sound and picture was awesome. We were a bit early, so we joked and threatened grave consequences should this movie suck too. By the time the lights dimmed the place was full, and got very quiet. After many previews, and NO COMMERCIALS (thank Ipthar), that familiar drum riff, followed by the horn fanfare told us that a 20th Century Fox film was about to begin. Then, 10 words in blue appeared on the black screen. A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away…
My friends, I will not tell of the events that transpired during that magical morning lest any of you read this before you see the movie, but I will say this. Had Lucas made only this movie, with some flashbacks to nutshell the events of the first two, I would still genuflect at the mention of his name. Sure, there is still no chemistry between Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen, and the battle droids would still seem more at home in a Ninja Turtles episode than a multi-million dollar epic, but this is the movie for which we have waited. The space battles are incredible. The lightsaber duels are beautifully choreographed, and the storyline is understandable. Unlike Eps. I and 2, there were no moments where I had to go ‘oh please!’ It does get quite gruesome at the end, so this is definitely not one for the kiddies. Whether or not the movie was any good I have to see it again with my wife, and now I can look forward to it with anticipation rather than dread. And, while this is a slight spoiler I don’t think it will ruin anything for you. JarJar has no dialogue!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!(I still want to see him fed into a lightsaber powered wood chipper, though) The rest of that afternoon was spent wandering the streets of New York, and getting souvenirs for our loved ones at home. The Toys R Us there is a huge, three story affair with a giant Ferris Wheel at the center, and a life sized animatronic T-Rex. It was cool. Then we went back to the room and got cleaned up for the evening. Some folks napped others of us just sat around talking. By the time I decided to nap it was too late…ah well. Dave wanted to take us to a place called Carmine’s for dinner, as it had been recommended to him by one of his associates. He had called to make a reservation, but was told that they don’t take reservations for less than six. As we were only five it was suggested that we arrive early to ensure getting a table. When we arrived at 5:05 we were told by the stereotypical Maitre’d that we needed a reservation. When Dave explained that we tried to make a reservation the guy told us that they were booked solid three months in advance anyway, and the guy on the phone should have told us that. So we found a nice, quiet, and friendly Italian restaurant across the street and had a great meal, with some great wine, and great conversation.
So, about an hour later, stuffed with veal and ready to go, we sallied forth to infiltrate the Shubert Theatre and see Spamalot! It was getting very windy, and we could feel a spot or two of rain, when we took our place in line outside the theatre. We had about 15 minutes to wait before they opened the doors, so we just enjoyed the show that is the streets of NYC. Shortly after we got undercover a mighty wind blew up, and it started raining like there should have been an ark coming down the street. It was weird watching the rain shoot almost horizontally past us, and then actually go around the corner of a building. Lots of inside out umbrellas with people hunched behind them went running by, and then the doors opened and we went in.
It is always a strange sensation for me to be in an audience. Fortunately I was so psyched about seeing the show that I wasn’t at all uncomfortable. The Shubert is a beautiful space, with lots of sculptures and paintings on the house walls and proscenium. The set was hidden by a show curtain that looked like a huge portcullis, and had ‘stone’ walls that extended out beyond the proscenium. There were very pythonesque clouds over the stage and along the top of the proscenium. Large Verilites abounded, and there were air cannons in the on-stage boxes. Our seats were beautiful! Dead center about 10 rows from the stage. We waited and watched the crowd. At one point I saw a familiar face a few rows ahead of us, and I asked Keith to see if he agreed. Sure enough, it was Sigourney Weaver. She is as lovely in person as she is on screen. Later we realized that her companion was Alan Rickman. Then, off to our right, a few rows ahead of us, was Colin Mocherie (Who’s Line Is It Anyway?). We briefly considered approaching them, but decided that they were just trying to enjoy a night out, and since most other folks were not disturbing them, why should we. Then the lights dimmed, and hilarity ensued.
I don’t think I had any preconceptions about the show, but I was totally unprepared for just how funny it was. The show opened with a number about Finland, which was quickly stopped so the ‘real’ show could begin. Tim Curry as Arthur ‘rode’ onto the stage, with his faithful servant, Patsy, clopping the requisite coconuts behind him. David Hyde Pierce begins the show as Guard 1, asking Arthur where he got the coconuts, and Hank Azaria, as Guard 2, begins discussing the carrying capacities of various species of swallow. The audience applauded each time one of these three made their first appearance, and I surprised myself by clapping right along with them. (I generally disdain such displays) Again, I won’t ruin the show for any of you who might get to see it, and I suggest that you move Heaven and Earth to do so, but I will say this. Azaria was born to be a Python. He played Lancelot, The Knight of Ni, and Tim The Enchanter almost as well as Cleese himself. His ability to play the absurd as if it were real is brilliant, and he is totally without self-consciousness on stage. David Hyde Pierce, for all his stuffy pomposity on TV, gives a very relaxed, ‘wink, wink, nudge, nudge’ performance that will be tough to replace once he moves on. And who knew he could play the piano so well. The only real low point, alas, was Tim Curry. He seemed either tired or bemused while on stage. His songs were powerful, and his acting was fine, but he frequently seemed more amused by his fellows on stage than focused on his own performance. I don’t know if he just didn’t get it, or if we saw him on a bad night, but if that is how he always is, perhaps a different Arthur wouldn’t hurt the show. The most standout performance, to me, was by Sara Ramirez, who played The Lady of the Lake. Her vocal prowess was as powerful as her grasp of the ridiculous. The show has a few slow moments, but overall it is a brilliant night of theatre; by the end of the play my face ached from laughing. It not only brings “Holy Grail” to the stage, it also skewers the whole Broadway machine, while never ignoring the fact that it is biting the hand that feeds it. I earnestly hope it tours, but if you can possibly get to New York to catch it, do so. (oh, those air cannons I mentioned fired about a billion bits of confetti onto the audience at the end of the curtain call)
After the show we tried to find a bar that was quiet enough to be heard in, but to no avail. So we bought some beer and munchies and went back to the hotel for more bullshitting, fart jokes, political debate, and general silliness. We stayed up as long as our middle-aged bodies would let us, about 3am, and then crashed.
6am sucks even in NYC. We slowly crawled from bed, showered, packed, and were downstairs to get the limo at 7. And when I say limo, I’m not talking about the euphemistically named busses airports use to shuttle passengers to and fro. Dave got a real stretch limo to take us to the airport. It’s just a shame we were all too exhausted to misbehave as much as I have always wanted to in such a vehicle, although there was the one moment when, at a stop light, Jeff puts his window down and says, “Hey, should I start yelling ‘fuck you’ to people?” We decided that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea, so he went to put the window back up, and it wouldn’t work. He then said it was a good thing he didn’t tell anyone to fuck off after all. Everything from then on was pretty standard. Good-byes were said, and the seeds of the next gathering planted (this time in FL). The flights home were uneventful, and as this narrative is already too long, I shan’t go into them. I slept most of the way home, anyway, and was in bed by 8:30 last night.
This trip shall remain one of the highlights of my life, and I want to thank everyone who was involved, especially Dave. This gathering was everything we all hoped it would be, and a great deal more. There is only one aspect of this great journey that remains unfulfilled. We never did find a truly hillarious fart joke. ;-)

Marius

Thursday, May 19, 2005

Boxes...Boxes...Boxes...My Life in a Cardboard Cube

Bubble wrap...why'd it have to be bubble wrap? We here at The Corner are in full-on packing mode. The Mother-In-Law is here to assist in the move, which is a very welcome thing. My wife's mom and I get along very well, so I'm glad for the help. The only downside is that this little house in which we live is cramped when it's just the three of us. With four of us we are constantly bumping into each other.

Tonight Tammy is hosting a party for us, and has invited the entire local theatre community. I am both looking forward to it, since it will be our last chance to see most of these folks, but I am also dreading it for exactly the same reason. I'm sure that it will, ultimately, be a fun event. I just hope I don't get all weepy and stuff. ;-)

Ok, time to continue packing. Take care, gentle readers.

Marius

Saturday, May 14, 2005

Tink

Old soul glimmers through sparkling young eyes
She skips down the halls of darkness, a free-range photon in denim
Paint and light and cigarette smoke
Helper, learner, friend
Burning, grumbling, "damn these CD's!"
A giggle in the night, laughter from the ceiling
Swinging pendulum of feline grace yet unfound
Your journey's just begun

Adios, mi amiga. Vaya con Dios.

Friday, May 13, 2005

These Were The Voyages...

It was the Summer of 1969, and one of my earliest memories came from a vacation to Florida. We were in a hotel room, and there was a TV show on with three space explorers in brightly colored uniforms, and they were trying to help a strange, mute girl. I didn't understand it, but I was fascinated by it. It was years before I knew that the show I had seen was Star Trek, and by the time I was aware of it consciously it was off the air. But every week night at 5 it was on, and I watched it faithfully. I soon discovered the novelizations of the series, which I collected and still proudly own today. I even enjoyed the abysmal animated series. Even as a child I felt that bad Trek was better than no Trek. One of my most cherished memories of my late father was going with him to see Gene Roddenberry at the Bushnell auditorium in Hartford, Conn. Gene was touring with the blooper reels, and a recently unearthed, black and white print of the original pilot. I was 11.
Then in 1977 George Lucas knocked the movie world for a loop with Star Wars, and suddenly producers realized that there money to be made with this science fiction stuff. Fast forward to December, 1979. I stood in line for an hour outside of the Village Green movie theatre(now a Best Buy) with my brother to see Star Trek: The Motion Picture. I still feel the goosebumps when I remember the first time the new Enterprise appeared on the screen. Damn but she was a fine ship! Matt Jeffries was inspired when he designed her. The movie itself was deeply flawed, but it did well enough to garner funding for the second, and far superior Wrath of Kahn. Who cared about plot holes you could pilot a starship through, Star Trek was back.
In 1987 Gene Roddenberry took us further into the future with Star Trek: The Next Generation. As an original series purist(read: snob) I shunned the show after watching the pilot. For the next two and a half years I decried the show as crap, and even now I feel that the first two and a half seasons pretty much sucked, but slowly, inexorably the stories got better. As the cast found their footing, I found myself tolerating, then liking, and finally loving the show. So many of Trek's finest moments occurred aboard Enterprise D, although I still hate the design of that ship. Tin Man, Measure of a Man, Yesterday's Enterprise, Best of Both Worlds. ST:TNG came to represent all that was best about science fiction. Then they did the unthinkable. They announced that season 7 would be the last season. I was crestfallen, but then they also announced a new show that would take place on a space station called Deep Space 9.
DS9 overlapped ST:TNG and hit the ground running. I had learned my lesson with the Next Generation, and I withheld judgment for a season or two. Once DS9 found her feet the show rocked! Granted their re-opening of the parallel universe got pretty silly, but they also had some very powerful episodes, with some of the finest performances ever in a Star Trek series. And they also did the requisite 7 seasons, but then they handed the torch to a small, tadpole shaped ship called Voyager.
Captain Katherine Janeway, not the first female captain on board a Starfleet vessel, but the first female lead of a Star Trek series. Again it took a couple of seasons to solidify, but then the crew, under Roddenberry's heir Rick Berman, gave us the same high quality Trek we had come to expect. And then, the number 7 came round again, and Voyager came home.
There was a brief gap after Voyager went off, but Next Generation movies kept us occupied while Enterprise was being created. This prequel to all previous incarnations promised to show the beginnings of the Federation, but the ratings were never very good. Each season the show got better, while the ratings got worse. Maybe if Capt. Archer were courting a dozen Orion women who all thought he was a millionaire it might have done better. Tonight was the final episode of Enterprise. Series finales are never as good as you would want them to be, but this one was all right. But now we head into a situation that hasn't existed since 1986. Next season there will be no first run Star Trek series, or movie in production. Forgive my nerdish tears, but I am deeply saddened by that.
Star Trek was always more than just a TV show to me. It was something that I could share with my Dad, it was a role model in a world with very few role models. It was a beacon that got me through some of the darkest periods in my life. It was that rarest of things, an optimistic view of the future that said "Hey, guess what? We didn't kill ourselves after all!"
I used to be embarrassed by my fondness for the show, but the one Star Trek convention I attended(yes, only one) showed me just how very normal I am...at least in reference to Star Trek fandom. I cannot remember a time when I didn't know who Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Scotty and the rest were. The shows have inspired me to look for the positive whenever I can, and to watch out for those who can't watch out for themselves. Star Trek made me interested in science, and learning, and bettering myself. I am a better person today for watching Star Trek, and I truly hope that this will merely be a brief pause between series, because my daughter is finally old enough to start watching the shows with me.
Live long and prosper, my friends.

Marius

Heil Joe

Greetings, Friends, and welcome back,
Well, it’s been a few days since last we met. I have been slowly wrapping up my affairs at dear old LC, and getting more and more frustrated as I go. The Board of Trustees, and their meat-puppet Joe Aguillard, has decided that it is not in the best interests of the school to replace me. At first I thought this was simple bean counting, but it has become painfully obvious that the motivation is much more insidious. Most totalitarian regimes want to keep a tight reign on free speech, and the arts are usually the first place to feel the squeeze. The Board has essentially created a hit list of departments that can expect to experience severe budget cuts over the next year. Communication Arts, Fine Arts, and Music are all close to the top of the list. They have also put all faculty and staff on notice that due to budgetary concerns, their contracts might be subject to non-renewal at any time, and with little to no warning. So I'm thinking that by leaving now I am going to miss the upcoming purge. I predict that after the Fall semester, when students are most reluctant to change schools, the 'financial crisis' will become so extreme that many positions in the arts, social work, and education departments will just not be fiscally supportable. There is a silver lining, however. The football team’s equipment, being all of 5 years old, is obsolete, so they are getting all new gear. Praise Jesus!
To my colleagues and students I say thank you for three of the most professionally fulfilling years of my life. It has been an honor and pleasure to work with you, and I earnestly wish you all the best of luck in the future. And to The Board, and Gollum…I mean Joe, may you all get that wish you claim to so dearly want…Jesus’ return. Although I have a feeling that He’s not going to be as happy with your actions as you might imagine. From what Moses said, He gets a bit testy when people misuse His name.
Marius

Tuesday, May 10, 2005

Kingdom of Heaven Rocks!

Ok, so I've blown the cliff hanger for this installment of The Corner, but I really enjoyed Ridley Scott's latest epic. Most of you know that I am a big fan of the medieval period, but most of the sword and sandal movies that have been released in the last few years have been, to say the least, disappointing. Hollywood seems to have developed this need to 'humanize' legendary stories, thus draining them of all majesty, mystery, and fun. In Troy they took the archetypical battle between the gods, using men as pawns, and turned it into a petty land dispute. In King Arthur they distilled centuries of tales of chivalry, wizardry, and betrayal down to two hours of watching bored, angry men trudge through the snow, with the only real payoff at the end being the leather body thong Keira Knightly wore at the very end. I didn't even bother with either Alexander the Great pic.

Then along came Ridley.

Ridley Scott has shown us that Gladiator was no fluke. Sure, authenticity nazis might quibble about who was really emperor of Rome, or when Saladin laid siege to Jerusalem, but who cares?! The stories in both Gladiator and Kingdom of Heaven were riveting. I have never had anything against Orlando Bloom, but his portrayals up till now have not overly impressed me either.(yes, I know ladies. he was dreamy as Legolas) Especially since he has been thoroughly eclipsed by the likes of Vigo Mortensen and Johnny Depp. But he absolutely shines in Kingdom of Heaven. His rise from lowly blacksmith to great knight is the stuff of legends. Don't sweat the historical accuracy. This isn't a documentary. This is a fairy tale, filled with larger than life good guys and bad guys, with honor and treachery around every corner. This is a well told story, with great acting, huge battles, and enough blood to be believable, but not so gory that you can't take the older kids to see it. I highly recommend it.

See ya,
Marius

Sunday, May 08, 2005

Parental Milestone

Greetings, Gentle Readers,
Well, last night I had a remarkable experience. I showed Star Wars(ep. IV, if you must) to our 7 year old for the first time. I was somewhat skeptical about her ability to sit through it(she got scared during the freaking SpongeBob movie) but she said she wanted to try. So after dinner I made some popcorn, popped the DVD into the player, and sat back to see if it had as much of an effect on her as it had on me. Much to my surprise she didn't get scared, even when Darth Vader interrogated the captain of the rebel blockade runner. She asked what the interrogation droid was going to do to Princess Leia, and I told her it was just going to give her a shot to make her talk, and that seemed sufficient. She laughed at Chewbacca a lot. The best part was during the final battle, after Red Leader made his failed attack run on the Death Star trench, she turned to me and said very seriously, "they're not doing so well anymore." It was all I could do to not burst out laughing. She was very happy when Han Solo came back to help Luke destroy the Death Star.

I asked her tonight, as I tucked her in, what her favorite part of the movie was. She said that she liked it when Darth Vader's planet was destroyed. I was puzzled, and then asked her if she meant the Death Star. She said yes, but she forgot what it was called. I then asked her who her favorite character was. She said that Princess Leia was the prettiest(an important distinction to a 7 year old girl) and of the men she liked Luke, because he was very good, since whatever ship he was in never got blown up.

If you ever have the chance to be present when child views A New Hope for the first time, I highly recommend it. It's almost like seeing it for the first time yourself.

Good night.
Marius

Happy Momma's Day

To all of you beloved mothers out there I wish you a lazy, stress-free, breakfast-in-bed kinda day with lots of dotage and pampering. Lord knows you deserve it.

And now some Sunday morning ruminations:

It should rain soon, since I just washed my car.

If any of you aren't familiar with Green Day, I suggest you go to your nearest CD retailer and pick up both American Idiot and International SuperHits. And if your headphones are not working well, get some new ones. You won't regret it.

Stephen King rocks. I just wish I liked his books. (I feel the same way about John Mellancamp, too)(well, about his music...I don't know if he has written any books)

K-Mart, even though they are currently subsidizing our extravagant lifestyle, sucks.

Come to think of it, so do remoras, lampreys, leeches, vampires, and babies.

If you keep picking at that, it will never heal.

I am reading The Catcher In The Rye and, much to my surprise, enjoying it.

Leaving Pineville will rock, but leaving my friends here will suck more than the above listed creatures.

Let's talk about marsupials!!

Spleen!(isn't that the funniest word in the English language?)

There isn't much point to this particular blog entry.

If you are still reading this, you rock.

If you quit reading this you smell of elderberries, and you are married to a hamster.

Anyone who dies of autoerotic asphyxiation deserves to be ridiculed at their funeral, possibly by having their corpse propped up in a dunking booth at the viewing, and charging the mourners $1 for three balls.

Ok, I've wasted enough of your time. Go back to your porn and chat rooms. ;-)

To Yetis and Dirigibles!!
Marius

Thursday, May 05, 2005

Catching Up

Greetings, and welcome back to The Corner. Well, it has been quite a week for your friendly neighborhood Marius. My 42nd year started with a flurry of activity. Last weekend saw the birth, and all too soon, death of our 'Student Directed One Acts'. Actually only one of them was directed by a student, since we only have one graduating senior this year, but she did a magnificent job. The second show was directed by one of our former students, and the third was directed by yours truly. I was blessed with two magnificent students who brought the characters to life in a way that I could not have envisioned, but thoroughly enjoyed. Jessica, in particular, took on a very difficult role and gave the best performance of her scholastic career. She gave the character a wonderful, childlike innocence that neither I, nor the playwright(a friend of mine) had forseen. Tracy gave a valient performance in the often thankless part of the 'straight man', and dove in with gusto and enthusiasm, and managed to squeeze in her own share of humor. To both ladies I say thank you, thank you, thank you! :-)

On my birthday Em and I saw The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy. I first read the books back in high school(yeah, they were etched into stone tablets) and have loved all the different incarnations that I have seen...until now. As happens all too often when the Hollywood machine gets hold of something, things get changed that shouldn't. I didn't mind the altering of the story line, since the source material is so varied, and I had no problems with the casting, or the over-emphasis on the Arthur/Trillian romance. I loved the opening dolphin production number, and Alan Rickman as the voice of Marvin was, as always, brilliant. What spoiled the film for me was the changing of Zaphod Beeblebrox from a fairly confused, but completely self-confident, 'so hip he has trouble seeing over his own pelvis', totally hoopy frood, to a bumbling, mumbling, half-lobotomized idiot. Zaphod is supposed to be the coolest being in the multiverse, not a delusional, ineffective moron who seems to be equal parts Captain Jack Sparrow and Mr. Magoo. I loved that the voice of The Guide is the same as in the radio/tv series, and the cameo by the original Marvin in the crowd at the Vogon police station, and the use of the original Arthur Dent as the holographic messenger for Magrathea, but without a good Zaphod it seemed to be just another silly space movie. In my humble opinion, of course.

Launch is set for May 31st, with arrival in Tampa scheduled for sometime on June 1st. We would appreciate any assistance at either end of our journey, and will show that appreciation with food and beverage(most likely pizza, beer, and soda).

Ok, that's it for now. See ya soon.

Don't Panic.
Marius

Monday, May 02, 2005

Funny

Hi Folks,
Sorry to have been so silent, but we had our one act play fest at school this weekend, and as I had the huge honor of direction two very talented young ladies, I was rather occupied. Here's a little something to tide you over till I can sit down and think again. I did not write this, but I wish I did.

Marius

You Know You're From Florida When...
You own at least five pairs of flip flops
You know someone who's been struck by lightning
You're more scared of the freaks who live down the street than gators
Your backyard is sometimes a swamp
You're officially sick of Disney
You shrug off hurricane warnings
You've been permanently blinded by fat men in speedos
There are only two seasons - hot and hotter
You've drank a flaming alligator.
You actually get these jokes and pass them on to other friends from Florida.


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