The latest member of the lineup at the end of which people make inane comments about Quantum of Solace: Jian Ghomeshi. In today's National Post he writes in reference to QoS, and I quote, "only the James Bond franchise could get away with a pretentious title that is incoherent to anyone without a combined PhD in physics and linguistics." Now, I'm a college drop-out, but somehow have the magical ability to comprehend this contentious phrase. A reasonable vocabulary built through reading not forced on me by school may have contributed here, along with the supernatural powers of looking words up if I don't understand them, and asking Corey's grandma to save the New York Times Sunday crossword for me. I didn't take physics in high school, but somehow, magically, have still learned enough about its most basic principles and ideas on my own time (and because I'm a sci-fi geek, but that's another matter). In my mind, it's a pretty big leap to justify (and project) one's laziness by claiming the most basic research (i.e. looking words up in the dictionary) to be something of doctoral proportions. In the words of the great philosopher Homestar Runner: sewiously.
Speaking of dictionaries, the Post also reports today that the latest edition of the Collins English Dictionary will now include, by popular vote, the word "meh" - as in, "Isn't Quantum of Solace a great title?" "Meh.". I am pleased by this development.
On a note entirely unrelated to vocabulary, check out the first half of Entertainment Weekly's list of 50 greatest sidekicks. I've got to hand it to these people: when paying tribute to Jimmy Olsen, they used a photo from Lois and Clark. Now that's class. I make Corey wear headphones if he's going to watch Smallville in my presence. Though I've got to give Smallville credit where credit's due: they've just introduced Doomsday. It takes a lot of guts and other things to introduce what may very well me the most reviled Superman storyline of all time, and partway into their final season, too.
On a note unrelated to Superman, but not to vocabulary, my new job has seriously cut into my reading-for-fun time, and is probably incurring library fines as I write, but by the weekend I should finally be done Alastair Reynolds' latest gift to everyone, The Prefect. Seriously. This guy.
And the title of this odds-and-ends post? One of the few useable out of context quotes from my all-time favourite tragicomic TV character, Futurama's Doctor Zoidberg.
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