Look out, Hollywood! That old charmer Godzilla finally got his Walk of Fame star -- looks like L.A. will be spared his radioactive wrath. More excellent red carpet photos in the Slideshow...

"Please refile it in the fiction section." -- Excellent parodies of the Evolution Disclaimer stickers required by the Cobb County, GA school board in their science textbooks. This evolution v. creationism "debate" continues to crop up...why? Maybe because 45% of American adults believe God created humans instantaneously about 10,000 years ago. *Blinks.*

It's The Sopranos meets Howard's End -- Check out this awful movie deal, for a mobster/British romantic comedy entitled Jersey Dukes. For aspiring screenwriters, I guess this could be a good sign: Hollywood readily wastes millions on recycled dreck like this, perhaps they can be persuaded to produce your yet-unwritten sensitive indie masterpiece. Hmmm. In the meantime, see more future train wrecks (Mrs. Doubtfire 2? Gaaah!) and some possible gems (Backyard Resistance, and a new Nicole Holofcener pic w/Jennifer Aniston and Frances McDormand!) at ScriptSales.com.

It's that time of year again -- time to find something amusing, meaningful and/or relatively inexpensive to gift upon those near and dear to you. The trifecta has been achieved by this do-it-yourself origami dodecahedron desk calendar -- just click, print, snip, fold, glue, give, and it keeps on giving for twelve whole months. Be prepared for gasps of delight/horror, depending on the level of geekiness/trendiness of your recipient. Cheers!

SpongeBob's NYC Thanksgiving Massacre! Well, not really...but he did appear in the Macy's Parade, as this precarious shot shows. I also made an appearance in the tri-state area, but not along the parade route -- just at the dinner table, mmmmm. This year's Parade of Pies at my parents' house was overwhelming: pumpkin, pecan, chocolate, cherry, multi-berry, plus carrot cake or baklava, all topped off with Fat Free or Vanilla (!) Cool Whip. Oy. Actually, we did more damage at Friday's leftover dinner than on the actual day, just before driving deep into the 'burbs to see Arlo Guthrie. Nat and I managed to save room for a trip to Katz's Deli for Saturday lunch with Michelle, and then a winding, scenic, garlic-filled (I ate too many deli pickles) drive back to Boston. Many thanks!

"The class in Civil Procedure...began with a prayer." -- The NYTimes pays a visit to Liberty Law School, an un-accredited program at Jerry Falwell's Liberty U that trains lawyers with a Christian flair. Hold on to your Constitution, people.

"'PC Load Letter'? What the fuck does that mean?!" -- If you, like me, find the scene in Office Space where they beat the hell out of the malfunctioning printer deliciously satisfying, then you'll love this: a junkyard in Spain offers "damage therapy," up to 2 hours of whacking your gadget of choice with a sledgehammer. Yarr!

The future belongs to the Republicans -- well, not necessarily. But they did convince 3 million more voters than the Dems did by talking about the past. So claims this Economist piece -- maybe not entirely accurate, but there's a pointy kernel of truth in there.

It's not easy being endangered. This harlequin toad, from Central America, is on The Red List of species threatened with extinction, along with over 15,000 others. Read more here, as part of the BBC's Planet Under Pressure series.

The New York Times covers O.D.B.'s funeral -- proof positive that a) the Times is desperate to seem hip, b) hip-hop culture officially is American culture, and c) the man lived large.

"I don't think they understand radio." -- Bob Edwards tells all! The former NPR "Morning Edition" host dishes to the Globe: the real story behind his unexpected departure, his switch to XM satellite radio, and his view that NPR has lost its "playfulness" and is now "the New York Times of the air." Yet another reason not to pledge in the neverending fund drive -- if they have enough sponsorship to give away a Land Rover, they don't need my $25. Hmph.

''The hornets have been buzzing at us for 30 years." -- So says Mary Bonauto, gay rights crusader (and fellow Northeastern Law alumna, yeah!), she who won the Goodridge case. Today is the one year anniversary of that decision -- time flies when you're fighting for civil rights! As predicted, the world has not stopped rotating on its axis.

Would the French call this un croque vierge? -- That is, a toasted cheese sandwich with the Virgin Mary's face in the crust. It's ten years old and encased in plastic. And you can bid for it on EBay -- what a country!

Junk in the trunk? Enjoy today's ? du Jour, a display of "fuller figured" mannequins at Macy's in NYC. In other words, they're shaped like average women, not like Supermodel Barbie. What a concept!

The Past, Present, Future blogmeme has arrived, care of Jen's LJ. Read on, if you dare/care:

10 years ago, I was...
A junior at Tufts, working 2 or 3 part-time jobs, taking the bus everywhere, starting up an a cappella group, hosting a late night radio show, and wearing lots of plaid. Good times!
Five years ago, I was...
Working at Reebok while a 3rd year law student at Northeastern, driving this car, living with two gay housemates (not a couple) and a 22-pound cat (also probably gay).
One year ago, I was...
Working at the same place, driving the same car, and dating the same guy...hmmmm...
So far this year, I am...
...living with said guy, yay! Along with my own 9-pound cat, of course. Also teaching a class at Tufts (full circle!) and looking for more gigs. In the last 18 months, 5 babies came into my circle of friends, joining 2 older ones and soon to welcome one more, whew!
Yesterday, I...
Made an unexpectedly enormous quantity of corn chowder.
Today, I already...
Finished off the box of golden raisins in my desk. Sigh.
Today, I will...
Go see Bridget Jones 2 for Ladies Movie Night!
Tomorrow, I will...
Maybe play Scrabble with Peter, and/or work out, and/or watch Law & Order. Will definitely eat some corn chowder. Will be forced to do some laundry.
In one year, I hope I will...
Have a new day job and hopefully some new sidelines also, build up my savings, be able to share a car and get to work on the T, be in better shape, be happy.
In five years, I hope I will...
Be living in a "permanent" home, with my nascent family; be really into my work; be reaching my sexual peak, oo la la; be healthy and happy.

"Music is not a loaf of bread." -- And Jeff Tweedy, the god of Wilco, should know. Excellent interview from Wired, on their new music, new book, and new approach to copyright law.

"Human beings expend staggering amounts of time and resources on creating and experiencing art and entertainment" -- not to mention blogging. Why? An intriguing review of what sounds like a very cool book, "Literary Darwinism: Evolution, Human Nature, and Literature."

Blog Alert -- Shrinkette is a psychiatrist in the Pacific Northwest, with a black blog. Enjoy.

"Even French women's lingerie helps to keep them slim." -- Could it be that the cause of the 'French Paradox' is snug-fitting undies? Um, for les dames, at least.

It's been a long week, people -- allow me to start off this next one with some entertaining asides: A possible Swamp Ape sighting in Florida! Your stero might be staring at you! Hand-knitted wigs!

Phew...now on a cheerful note, watch some Ping-Pong in 'The Matrix.' Sort of. It's low-tech, but somehow much cooler that all that computer-generated stuff. Thanks, honey!

"Hey look, it's Frogger: The Sweater." -- One gay man and his closet...full of hideous 1980's sweaters!

EphemeraNow.com -- As they say, "For whiter teeth, for fresher breath." And for really keen photos and adverts from the Technicolor 1950's ! I love this ad for Hoover vacuums, the perfect Christmas gift...for the man who never wants to sleep with his wife again, that is.

"There is no joy quite like that of the promise of a healthy newborn, especially in a place like Darfur." -- Inspiring BBC report from the refugee camps in Sudan, written by Roberta Gately, a volunteer nurse. This one, seventh in a series, is about the midwives who help laboring women in the camps. Find out more on Darfur here.

A more purple America. It takes a graphic designer to put the election results into perspective -- far from a "broad victory," Bush's 51% of the vote turned some states "red" by a slim margin. By the same token, New Hampshire went "blue" for Kerry by a hair, so the "dueling monoliths" of red v. blue don't really exist. That means the "red states are full of idiots/blue states are full of godless yuppies" line of thinking is going to get us nowhere -- we need to reach out near and far to regain the national advantage for progressive change. Purple: the color of bipartisanship!

Jozu desu ne! -- In Japanese culture, compliments and self-deprecation, served with irony, are a highly-developed art form...hijinks ensue.

Think positive. In the wake of last night's ridiculous Electoral College showdown, and Kerry's disheartening concession today, I've decided to focus on the few bright spots to be found. One is Barack Obama (that's him and family above) and his decisive Senate win in Illinois: a progressive voice with real potential, that's a good thing. Josh Marshall over at Talking Points Memo has a dose of reality and optimism (!) for Dems today: "The other side just got the the ball a yard or two into our side of the field rather than the reverse. And we have to deal with the serious consequences of that. Tomorrow's the day to start. " Yeah! And if you're not quite up to that kind of action yet, check out Mr. Sun and his slightly insane post-election recommendations.

UPDATE: If you're in the mood for some black, black humor, try the legendary Guerilla Girls and their "Advantages of Another Bush Presidency." Ouch!

Don't rain on my parade! I didn't have a bird's eye view like these folks, but the Red Sox victory parade on Saturday morning was a smash! Nat and I staked out a corner on Boylston Street, and at 10:30 the Sox rolled along, cheered by the large, damp, enthusiastic crowds and clouded in red and blue confetti. I waved my pennant and took frantic photos of David Ortiz in his "Big Daddy" sweatshirt, Pedro dancing around with his DR flag-cape and a goofy hat, and best of all Jason Varitek pretending to "row" the boat with a little broom someone had handed up to him. Yes!

"The White House has spent four years creating a fantasy world around Bush." -- Newsweek's Eleanor Clift has a pleasantly optimistic outlook on tomorrow's Vote-ageddon: Bush's house of cards collapses, Kerry rides the no-more-spin momentum to a win. Hmmm, dare we hope? Over at Salon, there's more of the same. Though I doubt much of anything will be decided tomorrow, I'm feeling rather...Clintonian all of a sudden!

"Crack Babies" talk back -- an astonishing article on the 80's mythology of the crack epidemic, and the truth of the children who lived and sometimes thrived despite it. I remember the constant news reports about this, and now these wild pronouncements seem like the worst kind of quasi-medical hysteria, like phrenology or Social Darwinism. Which I suppose it was.

Oprah's Top 50 Chick Flicks -- via Nathaniel, who's man enough to share! :) I found this list a little baffling: where, I say where is Steel Magnolias, the greatest chick flick of all? I would also add Fried Green Tomatoes, The Object of My Affection, Enchanted April and, hello, When Harry Met Sally! I also strongly protest the inclusion of She's Gotta Have It -- a good movie, but not exactly empowering, what with the heroine being constantly called a big slut and graphically assaulted by her ex-boyfriend. Great inclusion of young women filmmakers, though. Other suggestions?