T.I.L.T. Things I've Learned Thursday IX

Things I've Learned Thursday is back! If nothing else, these posts will ensure that I don't forget what I've learned. Maybe. What was I saying?

* Venom might be spun off into his own film.

* The Northern State Parkway, while mostly parallel with the L.I.E., runs sharply South at one point because when it was being constructed, it would have run into an estate owned by Marcus Loew, best remembered for his legacy of movie theaters. After veering around the area that once was this estate, the Parkway eventually meets up with the L.I.E. again and crosses it, switching places to become the Northern most highway as you travel East on Long Island. I can't confirm that it was Loew's estate the builders were avoiding, but my friend Bill the trumpet player is in his 80s and has a good memory for this sort of thing.

* There are some benefits to having missed certain movies growing up, as actors take on more significance in hindsight when you get to see what they did before they were stars. Such was the case when I finally saw Adventures in Babysitting last night and realized why some of the young cast looked familiar, including Anthony Rapp, Bradley Whitford, George Newbern, and Vincent (Phillip) D'Onofrio as “Thor”. Actually, I wasn't sure if Newbern's character was Noah Wyle, Paul Rudd, or Jonathan M. Woodward. I mainly know Newbern for his voice work, so when I saw the credits I was like, “That's what that guy looks like!”

* By the way, a sequel/remake called “Further Adventures in Babysitting” is planned starring Raven Symoné. WHY?

* When I watched Bridget Jones's Diary last week, I thought for sure I spotted Steven Weber, and wondered why they had two Americans putting on British accents. Then I realized it was James Callis. Who knew Brian from Wings looked so much like Gaius Baltar?

* If you don't check your Netflix queue for a few months and don't move new additions to the top immediately, chances are movies lurking at the bottom of your list will finally start slipping through.

* The New York Post has awesome headlines. I actually saw that cat cover that while I was standing in line at a deli on Wednesday and had to do a double take. Seriously, it's like something I or my college friends would come up with for a spoof.

* That reminds me of a joke I caught recently on a Family Guy rerun. At an awards show, Madonna objects when Ja Rule wins the award for “Biggest Posse”, so the presenter has to clarify that he said ”Posse”. No, I'm not explaining that.

* Subdivide. It's one of the greatest lessons my late music teacher taught me. “You're not Superman; don't try to do everything at once.” Though the focus was on music, breaking down a complex piece measure by measure, and note by note, the applications are endless. Worried about a long drive? Just think about getting to the next traffic light, and worry about the one after that when you get there. Overwhelmed because you have twelve flyers to design? Just think about one or you'll never get started. When you break a large task down into its component elements, it's never as daunting as it might seem, and it's done before you know it.