Best: "Eye of the Storm" by the Cruxshadows excellent song on the duality of life and the way we treat our heroes.

Worst: "Dixie". I had to watch Birth of a Nation and I grew to despise that song for reminding me of the wretched film. They played it every few minutes without fail.

I hereby declare the next Thing to be:

Road trips!

Best: For Christmas, I gave my mother a skeen (sp?) of yarn (my mother loved to knit) - it was nice and fuzzy, but that's not what made it the best present.  What made it the best present is that I told her a few weeks before Christmas that I had yet to get her present.  She suggested that I come with her while she went to Other Lands (a store that specialized in souvenirs from around the world - it went out of business a few years before my mother died - she was one of the invited customers to take part of the closing sales).  Once there, she would get out her "wish list" (something the store had - an index cardbox for the customers to put down their name and a list of things they liked on an index card), update it, and then go next door.

But first, we had to stop by Mission Mill, which was a small, somewhat historical/quaint collection of shops (yes, I know - historical for Oregon is nothing compared to historical for the East Coast, to say nothing at all of Europe).  While we were there, she dropped by a yarn shop to admire some yarn.  I noticed one of the skeens (okay, call it a "ball" of yarn, even though it wasn't in ball form) that she really liked (it was pink and fuzzy, if I recall).  So while her back was turned, I snuck the ball into another place closer to the cash register, whispered to the attendant that I would be back, and went to join her at another store.  I pleaded a need to go to the bathroom, ran back to the yarn shop, and quickly bought the yarn and placed the ball in my jacket.

So my mother, unknowingly, takes me to Other Land and updates her wish list, and then I tell her to go next door while I figure out what to get her.

The moment my mother is gone, William, the owner, asks me, "So, what will it be?"

Me: "Actually, I already got it."

William (and one of his assistants) crack up laughing, and then proceed to get in on the joke by giving me an "Other Lands" box just big enough for her yarn.  For the record, Other Lands does NOT deal with yarn.  I looked around for a bit (to fool my mother into thinking I was mulling over her selection, although I liked to window-shop there too), then I went to get her.

Once home, I let my brother and my father in on the joke, which gets a good laugh.

Christmas Day arrives and the four of us (my father, my mother, my brother, and I) are all sitting around the Christmas tree, and the time comes to open my present to her.  My mother says, and I quote, "I don't know what it is, but I know it's from Other Lands!", followed by her unwrapping the present, picking up the box that says, "Other Lands" on it, and saying (with a gleeful grin) "See!"

Then she actually opens the box and finds the yarn inside.

The look of surprise on her face made my Christmas.


Worst: For a graduation gift to his daughter, an estranged father gave her a bunch of money.  Now, I have nothing against money as a gift, since it usually is something that a more-well-off family member gives to a less-well-off family member as a way of saying, "I don't know what you need, but you might need a little financial help, so here you go..."  And as a less-well-off family member... well, I'm sure you see my viewpoint.

But in this case, it was a matter of said father trying to buy his daughter's love, as well as being a case of him not knowing what to get her because he didn't even know what she liked.

She accepted it (as polite), after a quick "Oh, Dad, you shouldn't have", but it was really a case of her not being impressed or happy with her father (and for good reason too).


I notice that in both best/worse cases, it isn't the gift that matters, but the presentation.


Anyway!
Next:  Best and Worst ROLE-PLAYING GAMES!

(I think the objective worst RPG is FATAL).

Best Keanu Reeves: The Matrix.

Worst Keanu Reeves: Why the hell did anyone feel the need to remake Day The Earth Stood Still, why did they cast Keanu, and why the hell did they feel okay making him a conqueror and thus breaking the whole point?

Best and worst: Beatles songs

Worst: Pretty much any futon mattress ever, especially if it's not on an actual futon frame.

Best: Memory foam.  My friend has one.  She spent more than I could ever imagine spending on a mattress, but when I lay on it I never want to get off.


Best and worst dog breeds.

Best: The Best of Both Worlds. The episode that put a hitherto obscure red dwarf star on every geek's mental map of the Galaxy. REMEMBER WOLF 359! Also gave somebody an excuse to newgroup alt.french.captain.borg.borg.borg.

Worst: Up the Long Ladder. I mean for fuck's sake what was this supposed to be? Planet of the Stupid Backward Irish is what it was. Oh, and not to forget their neighbours the inbred arrogant sophisticates.

Best and worst episodes, or serials, of Doctor Who.

Best episode of Doctor Who: Dalek, from series one. I just... man, I was alternately squealing and staring and laughing and cringing. It had the perfect mix of callbacks to the past for longtime fans and awesomeness for new viewers. The Doctor ranting at the chained Dalek was awesome in its own right; even if you weren't really familiar with the Whoniverse it was nevertheless an emotional and exciting scene. But if you were familiar with the setting, my god it was amazing. And the scene where the Dalek hovers up the stairs? Holy shit, man. Holy shit.

Worst: The Twin Dilemma. Jesus Christ in wicker handbasket.  Somehow, even with all the right elements, something about it was just so off and wrong that it didn't even feel like Doctor Who. Maybe it was how the Doctor was manic-depressive-paranoid from a bad regeneration... or something. Maybe it was that the plot was idiotic. Or that the acting was horrible. Or maybe it was just infested by suck demons. I dunno. But it needs to be burned or something.

Best and worst cakes you've ever had.