So Sad

I was literally sitting down to blog about the recent disappearance of Andrew "Stabone" Koenig when I saw the terribly sad news on Yahoo that his body has been found outside of Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

R.I.P., Stabone. What a wonderful TV pal you were to one of it's greatest pranksters-turned-youth-worker, Mike Seaver. And, what a totally awesome dad you had in Chekhov. :(

Life's too short. Hug someone you LOVE.

Getting His Due

It's been almost half a year since the passing of uber-80's-sensation, John Hughes, and this month's Vanity Fair has an excellent spread on the man, his obsessive writing habit, and his life after the movies. It's a wonderful article, and it was wonderful to read about this screenwrite who has been shrouded in mystery for so long. There are lots of links to share with you, so peruse them if you want:

• The VF Article
  
• Hughes's Actors on Hughes
  
• A Sample of Hughes's Fiction

FINALLY!

Well, it took his death, but Michael Jackson's "Captain EO" will finally be back at Walt Disney World! HUZZAH! When can I get my ticket? Is it too late to plan a trip for Spring Break? The one and only time I saw "Captain EO" was my first trip to WDW, Spring Break '90, so it would be very appropriate to see the show again on a Spring Break. What's it replacing, you might ask? The lamer than lame "Honey I Shrunk the Audience." Sorry, Moranis, but I didn't even like that when I was 10.

The Olympics' Fashion Show

Ah, the Men's Short Program. It's a veritable fashion show of do's and don't's...but mostly don't's. When preparing your costume, there are many options.

You could go for the crow look. Caw-caw! Caw-caw!

You could be a chipper sailor. Ahoy, matey!

Or, you could simply look...FABULOUS!

We Are The World 25 For Haiti - Official Video

WOW. WOW. WOWEE WOW WOW. Um...I don't know where to start. My head is about to explode.

1) Justin freaking Bieber starts this whole thing off??? REALLY!?!
2) Miley Cyrus follows. I mean if the Quince lets Bieber in, he has to let Horsey, I mean MILEY, in. I think it's classic that she follows Babs.
3) Speaking of old school...Tony Bennett. Yeah, THAT Tony Bennett. I wonder how many of my students will know who he is.
4) Glad the Jonas Bros. made the cut, if only in the background choral vocals.
5) This year's Dan Aykroyd? The Dude himself--Jeff Bridges. He's holdin' down the backrow fort like Aykroyd did 25 years ago.
6) Did we REALLY have to do this? I'm just glad M.J.'s spliced in at appropriate places.
7) Oh, Celine. Grand Canadian goddess that you are. Your solo gets cut up with some plasticy Fergie face. I'm even sorry about that.

There are so many things I'm forgetting, but these are the top few I could remember after the first viewing. The first may be the only, cause really? Read #6 again.

Lookie Look-a-Like

The Master & the Baby. They will both make you submit with their stare. One uses fear; the other uses uber cuteness.

The Joy of Cooking

Have you ever stopped to think what a blessing it is to be able to cook? So many people take it for granted, or complain about doing it. Others would rather run out to the closest fast food place or phone in a pizza to be delivered than cook. Don't get me wrong: I'm not perfect. I call in for take out, but everytime I do I feel guilty. Instead of exercising the gift I have to prepare food with love, care, and thought for my family, I have someone who may not have washed their hands after the last time they went to the toilet prepare it for me. Yuck.

My mind's been bombarded with a load of foodie stuff lately. (Don't you just love the inexactitude of "stuff?") I'm reading Julie & Julia, rewatching Jamie's Kitchen, and my student observer is about to have one of my classes compile a cookbook. Pair all of these with the fact that we have a highly at-risk diabetic on our team at school now, and I'm semi-obsessed. We live in a land of plenty where NO ONE should go hungry. If we don't refine and practice our own cooking skills, it's like throwing it in the face of others around this world who are starving.

It doesn't have to be complicated. Take tonight, for instance. Flank steak prepared with a bit of salt and pepper on a stovetop grill, served in a French bread bun with fresh veggies sauteed in olive oil. I made oven chips to go with it, but the sandwich was superb on its own. The whole meal took approximately 35 minutes, and I feel absolutely over-the-moon now. It was tasty, appreciated by husband, and a better use of time than dialing Pizza Hut.

The next time you're reaching for the phone, rummage through the cupboard, look through the fridge, and dig deep into your heart. You'll probably see that everything you need for a simple, homemade meal is right in front of you.

A Sci-Fi Staple

Another sci-fi show-another Marsters role.

Sy-Fy's newest addition to its lineup, Caprica, is the prequel series to the HUGELY popular Battlestar Galactica. The show is only on its third episode tonight, and James Marsters is already showing up as a guest star. Cause, apparently, it isn't a sci-fi show without Marsters on the roster somewhere.

To date, Marsters has shown up on Buffyina, A Angel, Torchwood, Smallville, and now, Caprica. He's made a healthy career out of being a sci-fi staple, and this will keep in coin for the rest of his life. For even after the shows stop, and his crow's feet wrinkle even more, there will always be ComiCon and other conventions for him to attend. He's quite savvy when you come to think of it.

Temperature Rises on Chuck

Chuck just became the HOTTEST show on TV. Well, not literally, but figuratively. Within the last three weeks, Chuck has acquired two very attractive guest stars in the figures of Brandon Routh and Kristin Kreuk. The fact that both of these actors have Superman ties just makes it oh so much sweeter for yours truly. They are both very, very pretty on the screen, and the other co-stars pale in comparison. The show has always been pretty entertaining, but I'm making sure not to miss an episode now. I have a strong feeling Routh is going to turn out bad, but I'm crossing my fingers that lovely Canuck Kreuk can land a permanent spot on the Monday night spy show.

As far as other Superman stuff goes...I'm totally behind on Smallville, and I fear I may have given up. After that zombie episode earlier this season, I think I may have finally hung up my Smallville hat. Sorry, "Co-Executive Producer" Welling. (What DOES a co-executive producer DO anyway?)