Star Wars Death Star Cookie Jar

It might be a little too much for the conventional cookie muncher, but for the die-hard Jedi freak, this is heaven-sent. Viewed from afar (it measures 12x12), it’s almost as tall as Yoda — lying I am not.

Although its sculpted ceramic frame makes it the ideal ice-cooler and candy bowl, its death-like veneer makes it inappropriate for children’s parties and bar mitzvahs. Save this for Halloween and Star Wars sleepovers (Palpatine will be thrilled).

Magical Realms UK Stamp Set (2011)

Michael Gambon (Albus Dumbledore), Ralph Fiennes (Lord Voldemort) and

Tilda Swinton (The White Witch) in UK's Magical Realms UK Stamp Set

Thanks to the Internet, courier services and portable communication devices, postal stamps have been relegated to the Almost Obsolete Club. In its heyday, stamps from the Isle of Man were the Holy Grail. Now-a-days, kids are going nuts with the glitzy Katy Perry Electronic Gift Certificate card. The digital era is in full swing and the odds are stacked against anything tedious, tangible and cumbersome. With the help of moneyed retirees and avid collectors, stamps managed to evade a bleak appointment with the Grim Reaper. Hallelujah!

Now back to more pressing matters....

Today's youth market is as bratty and finicky as ever. It's hard to get noticed when you're not Robert Pattinson, SpongeBob Square Pants or Justin Bieber. That doesn't mean stamps can't try, though. Innovations were made to make snail mail less tiresome. Sticker stamps were developed to address the mess of having to deal with the conventional self-adhesive stamp. Steps were also made to encourage young people to take up philately. (Although I'm not part of the J.K. Rowling target demographic, I found myself rushing online to buy the 2007 FrenchHarry Potter series.)

Most recently, the UK Royal Mail has released the Magical Realms Stamp collection, an eight-piece set featuring wizened wizards, hot witches and a talking lion. Although the legend of King Arthur, Narnia, Discworld and Harry Potter are well-represented, J.R.R. Tolkien's Rings trilogy is not. Where's Gandalf (Ian McKellen) and Saruman (Christopher Lee) when you need them? Sunbathing at the Grey Havens spa?

For now, the icy gaze of the White Witch (Tilda Swinton) is more than enough.

Nice.

Essential Movie Lines: 2009

When it comes to picking the year's best screenplays, comedies are usually overlooked in favor of heartrending, cry-till-your-kidneys-burst dramas. Too much value is placed on depth and sobriety that we forget how hard it is to come up with a good punchline. Just when we think all is lost,Brüno sashays into our lives and zaps our inner zen. Kudos to scriptwriters Sacha Baron Cohen, Anthony Hines, Dan Mazer and Jeff Schaffer for making crass, deeply offensive jokes slightly bearable. Here's something to remember them by:

Brüno: "So, you were never gay?"
Pastor Jody Trautwein: "Mm-hm."
Brüno: "It's ironic that you should have amazing blowjob lips."
Pastor Jody Trautwein: "These lips were made to praise Jesus!"

Here are more memorable lines from some of 2009's best written movies. Let's start the year with fun and laughter — and, hopefully, less gas.

•••

Mark: "When my grandfather died, there was one candle next to his bed. And the candle started flickering. We all thought it was him going to Heaven, you know?"

Leo: "You don't pass through fire to get to Heaven. I think he went to Hell."

—from Funny People (screenplay by Judd Apatow)

Lt. Gen. George Miller: "You're beautiful."

Karen Clarke: "Oh, thank you. I'm sure you say that to all the girls."

Lt. Gen. George Miller: "Yes, I do, and some of the soldiers, too."

—from In the Loop (screenplay by Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Armando

Iannucci and Tony Roche)

Headmistress: "He's a Jew? You're aware, I take it, that the Jews killed our Lord?"

Jenny: "And you're aware, I suppose, that our Lord was Jewish?"

—from An Education (screenplay by Nick Hornby)

Sam Bell: "You look like a radioactive tampon—like a banana with a yeast infection."

—from Moon (screenplay by Nathan Parker)

Ryan Bingham: "I thought I was a part of your life."
Alex Goran: "You are an escape. You're a break from our normal lives. You're a parenthesis."

Ryan Bingham: "I'm a parenthesis?"

—from Up in the Air (screenplay by Jason Reitman and Sheldon Turner)

Essential Movie Posters: 2009