Baked Beans

I used to love baked beans when I was very young, and then, for some reason, I started to hate them. I couldn't stand it when I ordered something from the Western food stall at school, and there were baked beans on the plate. They were yucky and watery and... ugh!

Fast forward to now, 24 year old me watching old episodes of QI (a fantastic show, go watch it). In one episode, permanent panelist Alan Davies asked, somewhat randomly, "Why can't other bean manufacturers make their beans taste like Heinz beans?" While not meant as an advertisement, it did have the effect that the next time I was in a supermarket, I went out of my way to include a can of Heinz baked beans in my shopping. And you know what?

Heinz baked beans are bloody delicious.

(MLIA)

And Sometimes, Dispassionately...

...they had to weed.

I remember preparing for my confirmation of candidature. I remember the sheer terror, that when you come into the room after the panel has convened, they'll tell you that you're not up to scratch. It doesn't matter that most students do get confirmed. You're always thinking you'll be the one who doesn't.

I remembered this today, sitting on the panel for another student, as the panel chair calmly informed her that she would not be confirmed.

The panel chair explained it to her, explained why, explained that the panel would re-convene in a few months and make a second decision, based on any further progress she had made. But looking at her face, I knew she hadn't heard a word after he had stated the panel's decision.

Confirmation of candidature happens after the student's first year. It's an assessment of whether a student appears to be able to handle another two or three years of a PhD course. Stopping someone from wasting a lot of effort on something they can't handle is a kindness, really. And if the title of Doctor is to mean something, it can only go to those who deserve it.

Not that it makes dropping the axe any easier.

Men in Black III

It has seriously been fifteen years since the first Men in Black film was released, and ten years since the second one.

Seriously?

Seriously.

I watched the third instalment yesterday, and I have to say I loved it, even to the point that it's my favourite of the three. I'm always happy to see a comedy film which doesn't rely on gross-out humour or slapstick, and which is backed up by a good plot. The story had a few holes here and there, but they were easy to forgive in light of how entertaining the whole thing was, start to finish.

Naturally, the story was helped along by the excellent characters. There was a notable lack of plot-induced stupidity in the lead characters - none of them inspired moments where I thought to myself, "No, you idiot, you should obviously...!" (The minor characters were a different story - but then again, without their mistakes, there would be no plot.) Intelligent characters catch on very quickly, as they should, and authority figures don't unnecessarily get in the way of the heroes beyond the demands of their duty. The cast was believable, aliens and all.

Will Smith played an older, more experienced but still smart-mouthed Agent J to perfection. Tommy Lee Jones is excellent as the stoic Agent K - there are a couple of brilliant scenes where J despairs over K's apparent lack of emotion, even as Jones is able to convey that K is indeed affected. Together, it is easy to believe that the two agents had been partners for fourteen years - J's ribbing of K's faults is good-natured, they cover each other during battle almost seamlessly, and their determination to keep each other safe is heartwarming.

I should mention that Josh Brolin is utterly, utterly brilliant as the younger Agent K. His performance is spot-on. The bad guy, Boris, was also great. He reached a level of sheer repulsiveness which even the villain from the first film didn't achieve. (Incidentally, Boris is played by Jermaine Clement, from Flight of the Conchords. I didn't even recognise him!)

The film kept many of the staples of the series - sly jokes about disguised aliens, shiny technology, good old-fashioned detective work, pie - and built a clever story which forces you to rethink what you may have assumed earlier in the film. It was by turns exciting, suspenseful, intelligent, funny and yet full of heart. I'll be getting this one on DVD.