Reasons I love the internet, part 6,423

I was watching Water for Elephants on cable last week. I kind of love Reese Witherspoon’s makeup in the whole film so I thought I’d google for that and see if I could find tips, pointers or product recs.

Y’all, the internet is amazing – especially if (like me) you are makeup challenged. Not only did I find some fantastic suggestions for how to get similar (though not identical ) makeup looks, I found a great one that uses a product I’ve already got for a wicked easy, super-polished daytime look. I’ve got some cream shadows from Benefit and basically just put some Skinny Jeans on my lids and barely in the crease. Add mascara and done. So easy and looks fantastic.

I’ve also got a better idea now how to replicate the look from the dancehall and I’m stoked about trying it soon.

I successfully got all the new work laptops up to date and with all the software we need. I added drivers we didn’t previously use so I think we’ll increase productivity as well. Last but not least I also got a couple of pieces of long-ago purchased but as-yet unused equipment up and running so that yay- new and improved diagnostic tools!

I rocked Friday like a boss and didn’t do much with my weekend. I’m about to finish making some pants and maybe a couple of work shirts before I start the slightly-more-work but significantly-more-reward projects. I also found a cute purse picture at Target.com and I feel like I can probably make said purse out of an old pair of khaki pants. It’ll be my first upcycle project.

I’ve got some work to do for the end of the semester and we’re getting closer to our Lubbock trip. I’m a nerd because I’m actually kind of excited to go to Lubbock (which people keep telling me is the asshole of Texas). As I’ve never been to Texas, but moved here from the asshole of Michigan, I feel like it has to be at least okay. Also, they’ve got a college and two great Thai restaurants. How bad can it be?

Grimm is wrapping up its season and I have to say, it’s become my go-to Friday show. The Vampire Diaries is still managing to be incredibly awesome and I’ve got mad love for the new Shonda Rhimes series – Scandal. Other things which are sweet – I found a couple of super-cute bags for a steal.

I was mostly domestic today – laundry and dishes – before work so I’m kinda hyped about finishing my current sewing project. In all likelihood I’ll do so while re-watching last night’s Game of Thrones, thus cementing my epic nerdery. At least I’m not making something for cosplay. Yet.

Last but not least, the new Internet Explorer 9 had has generated zero interest in me for Internet Explorer 9. It did, however, prompt me to buy the Alex Clare album which is about six shades of excellent. I have even already dropboxed it to friends.

The Gotye album is great, if a bit schizophrenic, and I Feel Better is my new phone ringtone. As yet I am still not sick of Someone I Used to Know. I’m also reading the 7-12 Dresden books.

I’ve got a working theory

That Monday nights are my night for Tossing, Turning and Fucked Up Dreams. Terrible for sleep, but clearly my brain is working some shit out.

Unrelated, I got half a dozen compliments on my Sugar Skull shirt at work – from patients. Sweet.

My current sewing project plans: another scrub shirt (or two) and two pairs of scrub pants. This will be new material and a new pattern (pants) as well as adapting the shirt pattern. That should be followed by two pairs of slacks (thanks Vogue!) and a knit shirt (and possibly a summer dress). Provided I get through all these things without wanting to kill myself, I just got a pattern for a weekender bag that I’m pretty stoked about but will be more complicated. This is all by way of working up to my silk shantung Victorian steampunk costume, which I’d like to have done by the beginning of August. I figure at least a month for that project, so that means I’ve got April through July to crank through the rest of my project list. Do-able, I think.

In scrub pattern adaptation, I’ve noticed that I prefer double pockets low on my shirts and rarely use the ‘traditional’ pants pockets. I’m planning on moving the side pants pockets up and potentially dropping the traditional pockets altogether. I’m also sorely tempted to add an additional low pocket on the back of my shirt as a place to chuck my phone, though I suspect raising the pants side-pockets will solve that problem for me.

I apologize to all of you who don’t give a shit about sewing things but I AM pretty excited about the Vogue pants, as I’ve got some bitchin’ houndstooth and charcoal lightweight tweed. I may become one of those people who stops wearing jeans.

Nah. But there’s potential that I’ll make my own. Incidentally, if you’re interested in the sewing stuff that I’m interested in, I’ve been using my pinterest account as a sort of inspiration board for things that I’ll be searching out patterns or patterns I already have.

We watched The Descendants and it was pretty much as good as everyone said it was. It was, I think, a pretty realistic depiction of teenagers today. It didn’t shirk the difficulties of relationships and it did a pretty great job of characterizing all the shitty things about a familial death without being too maudlin or twee. In short, worth a watch.

Our companion rental, The Immortals, was on the other hand a HOT MESS. It started strong and then fell apart somewhere around the last third and for a movie that was goddamn loud, there was A LOT OF FUCKING MUMBLING. Movie-watching pet peeve. Not worth what you’d pay to rent it. Wait for cable.

Incidentally, every single movie with big battles since Gladiator has tried to recapture the intensity and awesome of the Maximus pep talk but has failed gloriously. I think it’s in part because they are clearly trying to recapture that moment at the Very Important Moment, whereas in Gladiator he does it a couple of times with different audiences at non-lynchpin moments and it’s believable precisely because he’s not trying so hard and because the entire success doesn’t hinge on it.

Clearly I’ve spent more time thinking about this than anyone should bother doing. Related, the pep talk scene in Immortal is egregiously bad despite the presence of Stephen Dorff.

There is currently a plan afoot to make a movie trip to see The Hunger Games this weekend. I do not care that I am a studio mark. No, I do not have a costume.

In TV news, I’ve been sucked into Smash entirely against my will. I have no explanation.

The Walking Dead had a whipass finale and Justified has been six kinds of awesome.

I’ve updated Goodreads (and by proxy, Facebook) with my 2012 reads and reviews. Most recently, Still Missing and Penumbra both got 5 stars from me. Vastly different but interesting and evocative reads, both.

In music news, I have been OBSESSED with the Gotye and Kimbra song “Someone I Used to Know.” I CAN’T GET SICK OF IT.

Things I have loved this year- web and music

Websites:

I found Forever YA through my mad love of the Hunger Games series and this post pretty much sums up what I love about the site. Their recs of the best of the year cover a wide range of topics, narrators and genres. The conversations I’ve seen and participated in have been interesting and I frequently found myself bookmarking their recommendations.

Jezebel continues to be my go-to pop culture website. I love the snark and social consciousness and their no-holds-barred shouting about those who belittle/denigrate/reduce/disempower women. Also, the snark.

The Daily Dish has provided interesting political commentary from many sides (I rarely click through from my RSS feed, but still) and Questionable Content remains my favorite webcomic despite having flirted with a few others this year.

Paste has filled my GReader with lovely music tidbits and the BrokeAss Gourmet has given me good recipes as well as some culinary inspiration.

Possibly my single favorite recipe of the year is this one for General Tso’s Chicken, which proves that you CAN make takeout in your kitchen that tastes JUST as good as the restaurant.

Goodreads has not only been great for conversation about books but their book challenges (self-determining) and bookshelves have made a nice way to keep track of what I find interesting and what I’ve been reading. Twitter and Google Plus require no links but are my social media outlets of choice. My twitter feed is embedded on this site and it’s my first line social updating mechanism on my phone. I like Google Plus for different reasons – I’m more likely to share things there (links, comments) because it feels more like conversations and has far less asshats than does facebook (which I log into – at most – once a week).

Music:

This was an amazing year in music helped in no small part by the early 2011 release of The King is Dead by The Decemberists. It’s a fantastic and engaging album which even turned Spouse on to their tunes. In concert, they were every bit as amazing as their recordings and the house-crushing rendition of The Mariner’s Revenge is one of my favorite music moments of all time.

The Black Keys released another album (El Camino) and continue to THE band I want to see at Red Rocks. Spouse loves their work, too and it was difficult to determine who was more excited about the latest record. The bluesy-classic rock mashup style consistently makes me want to MOVE and it’s impossible to be in a bad mood with this in your ears.

One of my vendors was playing something on his phone while working and it grabbed my attention in an unexpected way. “What IS that?” “The Cat Empire.” This began my obsession with Two Shoes which led to my purchase of their entire back catalog and not finding a single beat of disappointment on any song in any album. They describe themselves as a ska/reggae/jazz band and I defy you to find anything wrong with any part of that.

Miranda Lambert has single-handedly brought me back to country music. Between her latest album (Four the Record) and side project (The Pistol Annies), she is my new female music hero. Smart and snappy lyrics without the heavy pop sound a lot of country musicians are leaning on, she defines “kick ass”.

Feist and Florence + the Machine both put out new work which I enjoyed a lot but didn’t grab me like the aforementioned records. I’m also going to admit to enjoying Taylor Swift’s Speak Now. And I know everyone’s been creaming their pants about Adele’s 21 but I’m straight up going to tell you this was an album fungus for me. On first listen I wasn’t knocked out and thought it was fairly derivative of 19 (which DID knock me out, for the record) but it definitely grew on me. It was not my default listen of the year, though.

Baby, Darling, Dollface, Honey by Band of Skulls – I can’t remember when I got it but I definitely played it a lot this year. Grab you by the balls guitar rock.

Harlem River Blues by Justin Townes Earle, The Head and the Heart (self titled),  Sigh No More by Mumford and Sons, Guster’s Easy Wonderful and Sarah Jarosz’s Follow Me Down round up my most-played indie/folk albums of the year.

In dance music news, I had Femme Fatale (Britney) and Cannibal (Ke$ha) in hard rotation along with Robyn’s Robyn and Body Talk. When I was increasingly frustrated at work, these albums helped prevent me braining coworkers by chucking pallets at them overhand. Both Britney and Ke$ha had to grow on me – while several of the songs are out of the gate badass there are a couple of fungi in there. It got to the point where I even liked THOSE songs, so that says something. Robyn, on the other hand, INHABITS dance. I’m inclined to believe she can’t make a misstep when it comes to her album picks.

James Blake’s debut album is also excellent, blending a post-dub sound with mellow jam and making it perfect for entertaining.

Next post: apps, podcasts and TV

I can’t believe I forgot this

One of the biggest things making me happy lately is The Cat Empire. They’re an Aussie band that play a mishmash of jazz-ska-reggae. Yeah. It’s the kind of shit that makes you want to MOVE. I’ve got four of their albums and I love them all. I am impatiently awaiting North American tour dates.

Weekend Update

Oh Internet. You’re so QUIET all weekend, I think it’s why I feel compelled to fill you up!

I’ve been absolute shit at keeping up with my 2011 films list so I’ll do some bullets.

• Jane Eyre – I really enjoyed the latest adaptation though I WAS surprised at some of the deleted scenes.
• Red State – We watched it last night and it kind of blew my mind. It’s like it started as one movie and then became this other thing without losing any of the awesome. Also, at a key part, I was able to shout “I think it’s the Cloverfield monster!” and crack my husband up.
• The Adjustment Bureau was underwhelming. On the other hand, when you make a movie about shadowy figures who control society you’re going to draw inevitable comparisons to either the Matrix or Dark City. This was Dark City Lite and I don’t mean it in a good way.

Week end!

TGIF, motherfuckers!

Coming back to work after a yoga conference has been simultaneously great and awful. Great because I think I’ve got a better lens on things and my role in things and, frankly, the amount of energy I find worth expending on work things. Awful because it’s the same old place and by this point chock full of people who are not only unhappy but thoroughly unable to pretend otherwise or see the bright side of anything. That said, I’ve had a pretty good week.

I’ve been a bit uninspired by my reading material of late – that’s not to say I’m short on options as I’ve got a bunch of stuff on the kindle – but nothing I’m just scrambling to read. After hearing the bajillionth amazing review of The Night Circus, I’m going to start it this weekend. Yes, it breaks my $9.99 rule but the reviews have been SO GOOD that I’m making an exception.

Due to the yoga conference, I missed my guitar class last week and DAMN was that a bad idea. Tonight in class we had to write a song. WRITE A SONG. IN CLASS. And then PLAY it. Holy shit is all I”m saying.

In vaguely related news, I’m kicking around the idea of starting a non-profit organization to provide free yoga classes in my community. I’ve thought about it for a couple of years but a confluence of events (including the yoga conference) have me seriously pursuing it for the first time. Details as they are available.

Rants and Raves – Country Strong

First let me say that I CANNOT BELIEVE I am going to write a post about this movie. I had zero interest in seeing this film. It might have even been LESS than zero interest. The only thing worse than a cornball country music movie is a cornball country music movie starring someone who doesn’t even have a southern accent (I’ll admit there is a soft spot in my heart for Pure Country, despite its epically shitty nature). It was on cable last week and since there was nothing else on, all my DVR viewing was caught up and all the summer shows have reached finale-time, I decided to watch.

1. This is not a great movie. Probably it is not a good movie. It is an OKAY movie.

2. Garrett Hedlund makes the entire film worth watching, if only because he has the best songs in the whole damn thing.

3. Gwyneth Paltrow is fucking amazing. They gave her a bunch of shit songs and bad costumes but she does this AMAZING performance of a woman hanging on by the thinnest thread possible. She’s got about zero chemistry with Hedlund but she is so incredible in this role that it’s kind of a shame that she won an Oscar for Shakespeare in Love since this performance is so much more worthy. (Not that this film should be nominated in any way other than her performance.) Whether you love her or hate her, this is a phenomenal performance.

4. The filmmakers made the brilliant choice of releasing a secondary soundtrack including all the tracks sung by the actual actors. I actually purchased all of Hedlund’s songs individually and it was completely worth it.

5. Leighton Meester was sort of wooden and not especially memorable, except that she was the only one with wardrobe worse than Gwyneth’s.

6. What the fuck is with that shit-ass title? FUCKING AWFUL.

Worth watching if you’re not paying more than $2 for it, for Hedlund’s songs and Paltrow’s performance.

This is it

I’ve been engrossed in Little, Big virtually all day. All day, people. We’ve had a lovely Saturday up here in the mountains: grilled Bleu Cheese and Bacon burgers, made sweet tea and spent the entire afternoon reading on the deck. Spouse saw my paperback and asked, “Why’d you buy an OLD FASHIONED book?”

Truthfully, I purchased this book in our pre-Kindle days and had forgotten about it. When cleaning a couple weeks ago, I re-discovered it (as well as two others) forgotten in a drawer. Little, Big is one of those books I’ve heard many people rave about, including authors I respect. It’s been a while since I read anything this lyrically dense – sentences packed to overflowing – and it took a bit to adjust but then I just fell in. It’s been a lovely read and I’m already sad that the end is near.

As the sun began to drop and the air chilled, I came inside and dropped onto the couch in the basement. We’d had some musical accompaniment upstairs and I clicked on the TV for background noise. It just happened that Michael Jackson popped on the screen. Other than previews, I never saw anything of This Is It so imagine how surprised I was that it pulled me directly out of my novel and captured my attention just as intently.

Part of it is Michael’s final performance but the rest of it is just FASCINATING. Logically you know the guy had to be a perfectionist, but the extent to which he’s involved in every aspect – and seeing HOW MUCH of his project vision they were able to execute – is stunning. MJ holds a special place in my heart and the musical memory of my childhood. Probably I should be more embarrassed that my best friend Ruby and I designed and performed a tumbling routine for school set to Beat It, but I can’t muster it.

So yeah. Completely unexpected, I’m sitting here watching the making of a concert video and can’t tear myself away.

Femme Fatale

Let’s be clear: if you’re buying a Britney album, you’re not looking for deep lyrics and tight vocals. You’re looking for music that’s going to make you feel good and make you want to MOVE. Femme Fatale doesn’t disappoint.

I became a fan with Blackout (still my all-time favorite workout/dance around the house album, ever) and while I liked Circus, I didn’t love it. Brit is back and pushing the envelope again with Femme Fatale. Yes, her voice gets stretched electronically but it’s all in service to the beat and it WORKS.

I know Gaga is all the rage but this dubstep/electronica mix sucks you in and makes you want to jump – even if you’re in your car. Another awesome dance album stuffed with excellent jams, totally deserving of the 4 stars Rolling Stone gave it.

Success, tentatively

I’ve been feeling a weird generalized anxiety lately. I’m not sure what it’s about, but I can tell you that watching the Sunday morning newshows doesn’t help. Lindsay Graham has the singular ability to jack my blood pressure into the roof.

Checking the LJ and rss feeds shows that my journal import has NOT in fact crippled the flist/feed. I’m really glad because it means all my yoga posts have returned. Now if only I could figure out what I was using to crosspost to wordpress.com, it would be amazing to have the same backup but I guess I can widgetize an alternative.

My only weird consequence is categories. I suddenly have a bajillion more categories than I’ve been using since the blog reboot and I haven’t sufficiently researched a way to condense them. Instead I’ve treed them under the reboot categories and just disabled the drop-downs so as not to clutter the page. Yay for tag clouds!

I’m reading God’s War by Kameron Hurley, which I first heard about in a Scalzi Big Idea post. As soon as I read that entry, I thought ‘That sounds awesome.’ Alas, when I went to add it to my Kindle wishlist, it wasn’t available in format. Insert frownyface. So imagine my delight when Books on the Knob announced that Nightshade was giving free ebook copies for a book club! I haven’t used calibre in a while, so I re-downloaded/installed and when the e copy arrived I converted it. So far I’m enjoying it as much as I hoped I would.

Speaking of enjoyment and Scalzi (I kind of was, right?) he gave up Coke Zero for Lent and I’m pretty sure it was the picture in that post which convinced me to try Coke Zero. No lie, it’s delicious. So I guess I’m going to take up Scalzi’s Coke Zero consumption for Lent and make sure Coca-Cola doesn’t lose any market share.

In Netflix movie news, I watched Chloe last week and I really enjoyed it. Not your typical psychological thriller but pretty fantastic nonetheless, with stunning performances all around. 4.5 of 5 stars

Last night we watched The Social Network (which means we might be the last people, ever) and I enjoyed it more than I expected. In fact, I found the Zuckerberg character to be kind of hilarious and Eduardo – I’m pretty sure he was intended to be sympathetic – to be a bit smarmy. After all, it cannot POSSIBLY be in dispute that had Zuckerberg NOT gone to Cali and hooked up with Sean Parker there is no chance Facebook would be what it is today. Also, Winklevi  = fail. Especially given that you settled for $65 mil and then sued AGAIN because $30+ mil A PIECE wasn’t ENOUGH? REALLY. All the win goes to Zuckerberg and I hope to Christmas his depositions were in fact that awesome because those scenes SLAYED me.

Unrelated, we watched Zach Galifinakis host SNL and it was funnier than I’ve seen it in a while. The musical act was a bit odd, so I googled/youtubed and was pleasantly surprised to find Jessie J has a great voice. I’m a bit sad that I’ve missed out this long probably because I don’t listen to popular radio but her album drops next month and I’ll definitely be picking it up.

NOLA is quickly approaching and I am EXCITED. Not just because I’ll get to wear shorts and blind the local population with my reflective fishbelly white skin but because FOOD. Food, y’all. It might as well be the sole reason I travel.

Sick day

I woke up feeling like crap more severe than the fending-off -cold kind that I’ve been battling. Since everyone and their cousin at work has strep throat (who gets strep when they’re an ADULT for cripes sake?) I’m going to go to the doctor today.

The lousy thing about sick days is crap tv. I mean, there are other things I’ll do besides crap tv, but then when you stumble across something good – as I just did – you’re halfway through it before you found it and there’s no way you’ll find a repeat precisely because you’re home for the day. I Capture The Castle is on, a lovely and tremendous film with a fantastic story and terrible decisions and brilliant acting. Alas, it’s halfway over already and I don’t own it on DVD. Probably I should read the book but given I’ve 20 books on the Kindle that I’ve actually bought but HAVEN’T read yet, that’s not in the works.It’s kind of surprising, actually, that I haven’t read the book.

When I enjoy a film based on a book and haven’t read it (rarity), I usually pick it up. I think maybe because I enjoy this film so much I don’t want another version of it in my head. Ditto The Princess Bride. Hrm. That’s probably a pretty short list if I put any more thought into it.

I did get to watch last night’s Castle which, as per usual, was great. Funny and sharp, plus a surprise with the actress playing Nikki Heat – not who’s playing her but the direction the episode took. The finale (finale? mid-season finale? when the F is it on regularly now anyhow?) of The Closer was good as well. I’m always impressed by Kyra Sedgwick and Jon Tenney. I was less impressed with Tenney (through no fault of his own) in Legion, which was dreadful.

Yesterday’s drive time was consumed by  The Metropolis Symphony. I love it. It’s simultaneously engaging and comic- in the graphic sense, not humor – and energetic storytelling though music where lyrics are rendered obsolete. Fantastic. That’s another great find thanks to NPR.

Added a tumblr feed to the blog (in the right column) so there may be bits and snatches that appear there and nowhere else (of late, quotes).

For now, I think a nap is necessary before a call to the doc.

Top 10 (Music)

I have to say that if I’m going to have a hard time with a top ten list, it’s music this year. I mean, do you list the singles or full albums? Radio or non radio?

I’ll start with albums and these are in no particular order:

1. Into the Trees, Zoe Keating

It’s hard to say how much I love this CD since I played the album A LOT at work (especially when I got aggravated) because it’s awesomely mellow, yet soaring and intense and covers such a huge range. I love the cello and it was made more awesome when I found that she loops her own music WHILE she’s playing. This is probably the single album I’ve recommended most to people this year. I also love the fact that I bought the album directly from Zoe online. Saweet. You can also find her on twitter @zoecello

2. The Adventures of Bobby Ray, B.o.B.

Dude. If there was a single hip hop album I recommended this year, Adventures of Bobby Ray was it. Accessible, nice hooks, surprising guests, great lyrics and a great voice. If you liked “Airplanes” (feat. that chick from Paramore) you’ll love the whole thing. This album got a LOT of repeat on my player.

3. Robyn, Robyn

Yeah, I know the album didn’t come out this year. For what it’s worth, I DID pick up Body Talk but on several occasions at work when people asked “What are you listening to that you’re dancing?” This album was the answer more often than it wasn’t. Konichiwa, bitches!

4. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West

Okay, the album is weird but you’ve got to admit that it’s fucking AWESOME weird. Any album where a song has “douchebags” in a chorus is going to be on my top ten list fo sho. I love that he’s kind of taken all of his crazy, embraced it and then made an album about how if you’re not okay with his crazy you’re kind of an asshole. It’s a fantastic listen, all the way through and you’ve got to love it for the balls alone. Also, his twitter feed is amazing.

5. Oh Little Fire, Sarah Harmer

I’m a mad fan of You Were Here and was kind of disappointed by her hard turn to folk (much like I’m disappointed by Patty Griffin’s hard turn to wtfcountrygospel) but this album comes back to more of a pop sound. Same smart lyrics, lovely music, great album.

6. The Lady Killer, Cee Lo Green

Yeah, you heard Fuck You and thought it was amazing. It is.  You’ll love the rest of it.

7. A Mad and Faithful Telling, DeVotchKa

DeVotchKa is not for everyone, but if you dig a soulful world-sounding beat you’ll like them. An array of instruments that you don’t typically hear on an album that will get radio play and a singer with a voice as distinctive as The Decemberists Colin Meloy. It is either the best or worst thing ever that they’re playing the same weekend in February in Denver.

8. Hazards of Love, The Decemberists

This is one of those albums that I’m kind of surprised by how much I enjoy it. While it’s far more linear (I really think it’s best listened straight through) than I normally like, I thoroughly enjoy this entire album. And yes, we’ve got tickets to this show in February. We’re still up in the air on the other one.

9. Kaleidoscope Heart, Sara Bareilles

It is a true story that I’d NEVER have purchased this album if it wasn’t for my friend Meghan. Meghan is something of a superfan and, in spite of my general loathing of Love Song (that single you COULDN’T GET AWAY FROM three years ago) I fell in love with King of Anything. The rest of the album is just as smart and catchy and heartfelt without veering into the Velveeta.

10. Lungs, Florence + the Machine

Yeah, they were everywhere this year. Even on Glee. You know why? THEY EARNED IT. This album kicks ass.

11. Belle Isle, MoZella

Holy shit. I love this album so much that I can’t even believe I forgot to put it on the list. In my defense, it was earlier in the year when I started listening to it but it’s probably the number 2 album I’ve recommended to everyone I know. Catchy, smart, upbeat and a PHENOMENAL voice. Definitely a top 3.

Honorable Mentions: (all got a lot of play but I wouldn’t recommend to just everyone for various reasons)

Wake up!, John Legend and The Roots

Here’s the thing, I love John Legend and I dig The Roots. The album is wicked listenable and appropriate for background music pretty much any time. On the other hand, it sounds a lot like John Legend. If you like him, this is a good thing. If you’re looking for more funk, not so much.

Hands all Over, Maroon 5

Not because the album is great – it’s not. In fact, I think Mutt Lange is out to ruin music as I know it. I was disappointed in this album but it still got decent play on my player. Probably because I like Levine’s voice. Definitely not for that shit ass duet with Lady Antebellum. Dear Maroon 5, If I wanted a fucking country album I’D BUY ONE. Dear Lady Antebellum, a steel guitar does NOT make you country. GACK.

Foundling, David Gray

I love David Gray. Your mileage may vary. This is why I do not talk about David Gray. David Gray is like Fight Club.

The Dresden Dolls, The Dresden Dolls

I love it. It came out ages ago. Talking to people about it makes me sound retarded. I realize “mentally challenged” is the appropriate term. I think that if you read my blog, you know I’m not using the word ‘retarded’ to be an asshole. If not, feel free to stop reading. Also, love Amanda Palmer on twitter.

The Story, Brandi Carlile

Also came out ages ago. Can’t say enough about her voice, except that if you haven’t seen her cover of Folsom Prison Blues on youtube, you are missing one of the best covers of all time.

I’m hoping to get many excellent music recs from everyone in the new year!

Random and Miscellany

Yesterday on NPR I heard an interview about Metropolis Symphony, recorded by the Nashville Symphony orchestra. There is no part of it that wasn’t awesome. It’s on my h$liday list.

Weird: in Denver, saw a super cute coat at Target by Mossimo but cannot find it anywhere online. Otherwise that would be on my list too.

Speaking of Target, at the end of next week part of Justin Timberlake’s fashion line will be showing up in stores. I’m more enthusiastic about this than I should be. By a lot.

I feel there’s a good likelihood of renting Inception in my immediate future.

Potentially also a re-coloring of the hair. I cut it shorter again this week which makes it look even more red than it did before. I’d been hoping for more brown, but go figure – chestnut on me is not ‘chestnut’ so much as ‘auburn’.

Now is also the time that I need to figure out if we’re sending a h$liday card. Crap.

Today is also coney dog day at my house. I am VERY EXCITED. I bought an epic package of Hebrew National for this express purpose.

The house project is essentially done. There’s a single canister light that needs wiring and then I’ll be able to stain the new woodwork. Our house seems much larger and it created an excellent place for the h$liday tree.

In TV news, I’m not sure what’s going on that USA is running Burn Notice right now. I guess it’s one of those shows I’ve got pigeonholed at summertime and maybe that’s why I’m not nearly as into it right now. Grey’s Anatomy is maybe turning the corner on this season. I’ll admit that the reruns on Lifetime are helping keep me hooked in. They’ve just gotten to where Izzy’s sick and Hunt is wicked PTSD man.

Castle made a triumphant return this week. It’s one of the shows I’m enjoying most (along with The Mentalist, Medium and Human Target).

Modern Family, if you’re not watching it, is the funniest thing on TV. By far.

Not much in the way of reading, of late, what with the writing. I’m almost done with my webcourse this semester which should make my schedule a lot more fun very soon.

I watched the Watchmen, that’s who!

Spouse and I went to the movies tonight. It requires a bit of planning on our part, as the closest theater is about 40 miles away. We stopped at the Himalayan restaurant for dinner (my mint sauce is better) which was delish and then exchanged some ski pants for Spouse. Piper got a nice walk along the river before the movie.

Dude. The movie was awesome. I don’t know how it could have been better translated to film. Jeffrey Dean Morgan was FANTASTIC as The Comedian. Rorshach was, predictably, the best part. Pretty much I loved the whole thing. It didn’t feel anywhere CLOSE to being a three hour movie and the soundtrack was bad ass. Love, love, more love.

In other mad love news, the Wolverine movie looks like it’s going to kick more ass every time I see a preview. I was also surprisingly drawn in by the Star Trek trailer. New Terminator comes out around the same time. Looks like May will be our month to hit the cinema.

Tomorrow is Pi Day! We’ll be celebrating by not doing much, I suspect. Possibly constructing a dresser. Spouse has pie remaining from his birthday gift. I’m going to take a break from applying for jobs and try to get this dresser thing under control.

Life is a great TV show

Not only is it a good crime drama with great characters and actors, it’s got fantastic music. I’m not the only one who thinks so.

This link is mostly for my reference.