Losing Faith In Medical Science
Sep 26So, Grey’s Anatomy had its fifth season premiere last night, and it further confirmed my desire to never be hospitalized for any reason.
Now, don’t get me wrong – I love every poorly-lit juke and jink in Meredith Grey’s tortured, self-obsessed psyche, and the sassy TV banter that’s the closest I can come to wit on basic cable now that Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars have had their genius transmuted into ephemera.
What struck me during this two hour festival of emotional tragedy in which affairs are revealed, people are impaled with icicles and the phrase “You’re my person” or some variation of it is uttered something like 80 times, is mostly the sheer idiocy of every single one of the characters. Except for Dr. Journeyman, who is apparently only around for this episode, if IMDB is to be believed.
GA used to have a cast of relatively normal people that provided a stark contrast to Meredith Grey’s angry, frustrated megalomaniac depression. Over time, though, every character on the show has become so tainted by her contagious insanity that none of them are capable of behaving like adults any longer. The Chief, the brilliant surgeons, the nursing staff, the interns, the residents – all of them are idiots. Of course Seattle Grace isn’t a top-tier hospital any longer – the best heart surgeon in the country quit because of a bad break-up, one of their interns murdered a patient, and the nurses are too busy having sex to remember to pass meds on a good day. And the Chief is right, it’s all Meredith’s fault.
God, do I love this show.
Extra! Extra! Alert Nerdian for May-June '08!
Sep 25
Download: Alert Nerdian broadside PDF – May-June 2008
Download: Alert Nerdian broadside PNG – May-June 2008
Download: Alert Nerdian broadside GIF – May-June 2008
Like Sargent Rock, we refuse to go down! But, there will be much whining – it will sound a lot like, “Maaan, these broadsides are haaard.” They are not, in fact, hard, but they do take some amount of time and time has been tight of late – but they’re still here! We can take no credit for the concept – this is Warren Ellis’ brainchild and if his madness and alcohol consumption (it’s not slander if someone Twitters about it all the time, is it?) doesn’t interfere with his prolific production of prose, then py polly pe’ll peep paking these proadsides. Sleep be damned.
Nonsense alliteration is awesome.
Here is the fifth issue of the Alert Nerdian broadside, representing May and June of 2008. Expect another for July and August, and then we’ll be back to singles (and a Halloween issue! Fun!) As always, we encourage you to print a copy or two (or ten) out and share with the world. Leave them in the pooper or someplace equally cool. It’s up to you!
The plan will be to formally publish a year’s bushel of broadsides along with our upcoming Alert Nerd quarterly ‘zine – which is looking for clever people, it should be said.
Until next month… LOOK OUT! NERDS!
Blue=Boys, Pink=Girls
Sep 24Because an officemate is a compulsive toy addict, I spend quite a lot of time joining him on lunchtime toy runs, if only to get my lethargic ass out of my desk chair and shuffle the ripples of phat around a bit so they don’t get too sedentary.
Yesterday I noticed some new (or at least, new to me) packaging strategies from perennial kids toy giant Fisher Price. We all know the familiar blue and red and yellow Fisher Price color scheme, right?
What you may not know is that they’ve now started releasing the exact same toys in alternate packaging, shelved directly next to the identical products in traditional packaging.
The Most Important Post You'll Read All Year: New Nerd Jeff Tackles YOUR Tough Questions
Sep 19Hey, look at all those questions! Except for the creepy “What’s your address/what side of the bed do you prefer?” comments that I deleted. You know who you are.
First, one from Charley: Wow, you’re 6′5″? Question: Do you hit your head a lot?
Yes, I am 6’5″. Yes, I hit my head a lot. The stairwell that leads down into my basement has a low ceiling, and I hit my head there all the time.
Sarah wants to know Hey, what happened to Dazzler Fan Blog?
Nothing gold can stay, Pony Boy. Dazzler Fan was just too beautiful to thrive in this harsh world.
Marjie asks a literal ton of questions. Maybe she has a crush on me. I get that a lot.
1. What is the most mortifying nickname you’ve ever been given? Nicknames given by yourself don’t count.
As a fat kid growing up, I got called ‘Stolardass’ – a play on my last name – and that was not cool at all. More recent nicknames that irritate me are ‘Stoli’ and ‘Stick’.
2. Cake or pie?
Why can’t I have both? If I have to pick one, I’m gonna go with cake.
3. How do you feel about symmetry?
I believe in it. And find it fearful.
4. If you had to have sex with a director, who would it be? Please specify pre- or post-death if they have passed on
After standing in front of a mirror psyching myself up to not say Spielberg or Nolan, I’m gonna pick Diane English. It’s a strict PF based on the critical reception of The Women, though.
5. Can you navigate your home in the dark? Does it make you nervous when people ask that?
Yes. Yes.
6. Favorite exclamation (e.g. “egads!†“holy jesus fuck truck!†“great googly mooglyâ€)?
Giant Dancing Christ!
7. How do you feel about the majestic turkey vulture?
Jesus would totally have adopted one.
And Matt asks, What makes you cry?
James Lipton. Sunrises. “Brandy” by Looking Glass. The end of The Lost Boys.
