In case you missed the directive at the end of last year, I have decided that everyone should call me Blaniac from now on.

Bow low.

One of the podcasts that I’ve come across, and listen to sporadically (depending on the guests) is Studio 360, which broadcasts on the National Public Radio in the U.S.

A few weeks ago, host Kurt Anderson (who was a cofounder of Spy magazine, by the way) was joined by filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, the brains behind the movies Pi, Requiem for a Dream, and the recently released The Fountain.

Among other things the two talked about was the use of music and sound in Aronofsky’s films. He was clear that he felt that the auditory experience was essential to creating an emotional response in his audience.

I remembered watching Pi for the first time, and being captivated by how Aronofsky used simple, repetitive sound effects to create patterns in that film. His composer, Clint Mansell (who was vocalist for Pop Will Eat Itself, once upon a time) worked with the Kronos Quartet string ensemble for Requiem, which was the perfect dark, sinister sound to accompany the despair in that story.

Believe it or not, Aronofsky came to believe so strongly in sound design because of Star Wars. Not just the film, either, but an insignificant documentary about the making of the film that aired on television in the late ’70s.

Which is weird, because I actually remember seeing that documentary, too, and the only thing about it that has stuck with me is the segment about the sound designers, and how they created the sound effects for the laser cannon on the X-wing fighters by banging on telephone cables in the Californian desert.

Which is exactly what Aronofky mentioned was such a strong influence on him.

We were both born in February 1969, it turns out, so the fact that we are both fans of the original trilogy is not a surprise. That we both remember the same small clip from a forgotten television documentary, however, just seems weird to me.

The Strokes have been handcuffed, not by their male model looks, but the insistence of their fans that they not change.

I’m one of them.

With some musicians, like the Flaming Lips or Afghan Whigs or U2 or Nick Cave or David Bowie, I appreciate the experimentation, the changes. But with other bands, like the Strokes, I only want one thing from them.

Which is probably why I like First Impressions of Earth as much as I do: it sounds like Is This It.

And You Only Live Once, which was in my head as I woke up today – knowing that my holiday is over and I’ve got to get back to work – sounds like it belongs on that first album.

Here’s how to create a good super-villain’s name for yourself.

First, think of a verb. Any verb.

Second, append “-or” to the end of your verb of choice: chop becomes Chop-or, sit becomes Sit-or, wash becomes Wash-or. You get the idea.

Pronounciation of your new super-villain’s name is as simple as pronouncing the verb and adding a separate and distinct “ore” at the end.

That just goes to show you how influential a rough-and-ready cartoon like He-Man actually was.

I am quite comfortable saying that Aaron Sorkin’s first creative invention in the land of television – Sports Night – is the best thing he’s ever done. It’s better than West Wing and better than Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip.

Too bad it only lasted for two seasons.

You can read my full review of Sports Night, the show that made a star out of Peter Krause and Felicity Huffman, in this week’s Channel Changer.