trustycoffeemug

(n.) a flatbread smeared with crushed tomato and cheeses, topped with the spicier forms of meat and perhaps more exotic toppings. widely enjoyed as a form of food which the eater does not have to make themselves

was invented by italians, probably as a form of atonement for either opera or mussolini

a bit of former yugoslavia; today known for giving us spotted firefighter dogs, the necktie, and a cheap alternative for filmmakers who hoped to film in greece

(n.) speculation about how the world will eventually end, whether concerned or hopeful.

the process by which a new human being is brought into the world. traditionally occurs nine months after the act of coitus between a fertile male and female individual.

births are generally regarded as joyous occasions, until the oxytocin wears off and the dread sets in.

a genre or design aesthetic of science fiction based around the cultural fears that were endemic in the 1980s and 1990s- urban sprawl, rampant pollution, corporate deregulation, japan, etc.

cyberpunk probably originates with gibson's "neuromancer" series but the classic visual look (oppressive skyscrapers, neon lights, sordid slums, devastated and bleak environments) probably comes from "blade runner."

the main conceit of cyberpunk is 'high-tech, low-humanity;' technology is pervasive, obtrusive, integrated into every aspect of our lives, but in contrast to the optimistic sci-fi of earlier ages, it will not be able to address our myriad social ills. in other words, things will look very cyber, but people will still be punks.

inspired numerous other retrofuturism variants including steampunk, dieselpunk, atompunk, solarpunk, and other nonsense

(n.) how non-pretentious people say "film"

(n.) a thing which a reporter may report on, in the hopes of validating their career decisions

one of the most extravagantly gay artists of his time. since his time was the late 19th century, being extravagantly gay was pretty risky for him. but i'm sure it turned out all right for him in the end. heh.

known for the acerbic wit he brought to his work in both play and prose; see 'the importance of being earnest' and 'the picture of dorian gray,' respectively. roughly 80% of spurious quotes are attributed to either him or winston churchill

a mainstream religion that predominates throughout the western world. it purports to follow the teachings of jesus christ/jesus of nazareth, a sectarian leader from roman-occupied judea some 2000 years ago, regarded as a divine figure (either god or a relative of His) by christians. jesus taught many things, but since almost nobody can agree on what exactly they were, discussing these things is a bit difficult.

christianity comes in a number of flavors.
--catholicism: more or less original recipe christianity, supposedly founded by jesus' friend peter, who tried to bring his teachings to rome and in doing so was crucified upside down and became known as the first pope. catholics favor big cathedrals and elaborate vestments, and a complicated hierarchy of bishops, priests, deacons, monks and nuns, and thus they're the only denomination that gets to fight demons in the movies. practically any denomination that is not catholic is protestant.
--other episcopal denominations, who like the vestments and complicated hierarchy but don't want to follow the pope, resulting in a number of schisms. includes the egypt-based coptic church which broke away in 42 AD; the greek-based eastern orthodox church, which broke away in 1054; the german-based lutheran church that broke away in 1517; the england-based anglican church which broke away in 1534; and the episcopaleans who are basically anglican but refuse to acknowledge anything from england.
--then there's a bunch of denominations that don't like having elaborately-dressed bishops or cathedrals at all, so they settle mostly for button down shirts and office buildings: see presbyterians, baptists, and the red-headed stepchild of the family tree, the mormons

as might be inferred, it's a whole big thing.

(n.) sweet tempered animal whose various subspecies are spread across the continents of africa and asia, where they are regrettably endangered and fight a daily battle against extinction. morphologically resembles an anteater crossed with a pine cone.

(n.) a dipping device too big to be a spoon (to show you mean business) and too small to be a shovel (to show you're not insecure)

(v.) scooping things with a scooping motion often by using a scoop

i suppose i could discuss this topic here, but are you certain you could trust anything i'd say?

(n.) an edible grass that is traditionally hunted and served in a thick milky soup alongside herbs known as marshmallows

(n.) one who ensures that entertainment does not become too spicy for the mental digestion of the audience

(v.) to do what a censor does, much as an engineer engineers, or a doctor doctors. no, wait.

(n.) a variety of alcohol supposedly only made correctly in kentucky even though fifty thousand variations of the recipe can no doubt be accessed on the internet

(n.) a special kind of grown-up root beer that quenches the sweltering fires in both your throat and your loins

for some reason quite popular among cowboys in the movies. well. "some" reason.

a subspecies of clown that exhibits muted rather than garish coloration, and remains silent instead of boisterous. derives from something very french and philosophical, or so we're told.

(n.) a peculiar life form that clings to the gutters of houses and is able to remain incredibly still.

also the best cartoon disney ever did

(n.) one possible explanation for what's on the other side of a black hole, a fountain of matter and light that constantly spews forth, with such force that any attempt by an object to fight this fountain and enter the hole would be impossible.

you may titter now.

(n.) A frozen hell in the extreme north of the American continent. Inhabited primarily by roving packs of hockey fans, wolverines, and gravy.

(also: roving packs)