And Now For Something Completely Madonna

Yessss! And awww. And ohthankgoodness.
Sunday, January 21, 2001 11:00 a.m.

Benicio Del Toro
Is for sure the big, hot character actor of the moment. He's up for a Golden Globe tonight for his excellent performance in Traffic. And he seems like a decent guy. So, um, read about him.
Sunday, January 21, 2001 10:58 a.m.

B&S work with Producer of "Downtown"
Can this be a sign of more modish mid-60s sounds to come from the Twee-est Band Ever? I really hope so. I felt so let down when Fold Your Hands, Child turned out to be all about "The Chalet Lines" and not "Legal Man". Give me some of that high-gloss, hoopy-shoopy production!
Sunday, January 21, 2001 10:57 a.m.

Show Me Love

I am basking in the glow of compliments today. Nice folks keep saying nice things about and to me. And it appears that someone (possessed of rare judgement & superior taste) may have nominated this very blog for something related to fairvue.com's Bloggies, which is just such a lovely thing to do. Whoever you are, kind anonymous admirer person, please come forward, so I can thank you properly.
Friday, January 19, 2001 04:51 p.m.

Institute of Official Cheer
James Lileks is one of those guys who really ought to be on everyone's bookmarks list, but isn't. I can't look at a single page of his Institute of Official Cheer without cracking a grin. His assessment of the uber-cheesecakey work of Art Frahm, King of Celery-Induced Panty Dropping Scenarios, is particularly hilarious.
Thursday, January 18, 2001 11:24 p.m.

Oscar Buzz Galaxy of Fame
No awards ceremony watching would be complete without multiple-source handicapping. Here, Fametracker weighs in with their snarkalicious picks & disses.
Thursday, January 18, 2001 11:21 p.m.

Lego Chef!
Fans of Iron Chef, take note: little Lego people can create insane dishes, too. One guy, an obsession, and lots and lots of free time make brilliantly funny short films like this possible. Via PCJM.
Thursday, January 18, 2001 11:19 p.m.

Nuntii Latini!
Hey, kids, wanna get your news in Latin? Well, thanks to clever Finns, now you can! Max Fischer would certainly approve.
Wednesday, January 17, 2001 05:41 p.m.

Slayage: International Online Journal of Buffy Studies
It's now gone live for your reading & obsessing pleasure. I'm particularly fond of this little article, all about what Giles has done for the image of librarians (we're full of arcane knowledge, yes, but look how badass we can be!). The author says, "Giles is icon and image for us; in him we see our quotidian struggles to provide the right information and the right data resolved into a cosmic drama with the forces of darkness, some of which are extremely attractive, by the way. We love Giles because at last we have a pop image for our uneasy relationship with dark and light, information and story, books and technology." That sexy accent doesn't hurt, either. Rowr.
Wednesday, January 17, 2001 05:39 p.m.

The Sundance Buzz Begins
Stockard Channing, who is cruelly underused on The West Wing, has a starring role in a new movie with Julia Stiles. I disagree with EW that Stiles hasn't got much of a track record - her resume may be brief, but she's consistently risen above some pretty crappy material. So I'm psyched about that one.
Wednesday, January 17, 2001 05:36 p.m.

More Pink, Please, We're Torontonian
Maybe it's all the grey I see around me right now that makes me crave colour so badly, but I really do believe that It Does Not Get Better Than This. Or this. Or maybe this. Or perhaps this. In fact, could I just have one of each? I want to hang them around my drab little poured concrete room.
Monday, January 15, 2001 09:39 p.m.

John Singer Sargent: Naughtier Than Previously Thought
I used to think John Singer Sargent was the American Renoir: a glamourizer of useless, if attractively dressed, upper-crusty types. If he were alive today, I thought, he'd be a photographer for Vanity Fair. In short, eh. And then I went to see this exhibit at the National Gallery in DC. And I saw that not only did Sargent paint the glitterati of his day, both in the United States and abroad, but he was also a serious sensualist devoted to reworking and modernizing classical themes and images. Not only that, he was extraordinarily dedicated to his craft. I retracted my pooh-poohing stance and was won over. And now there's a big book all about the previously secret, slightly naughty side of Sargent. Hooray for research! Both links have slide shows - check 'em out. And a big thank-you to Miss A for pointing out the Salon link.
Monday, January 15, 2001 09:32 p.m.