Shadow People

I can't wait to see episode 108 of Ghost Lab--I used to go to the Volo antique mall all the time as a kid. Not to mention that I love Shadow People.

(i heart) Where The Lovely Things Are

I love the blog Where the Lovely Things Are. Mallory always finds the coolest things. The (i heart) ART, Mary Poppins Picks, and Lovely Finds series are all great. But my favorite is always Etsy and a Movie. Brilliant idea, always well executed.

Gaga

I guess I shouldn't be surprised that Lady Gaga was inspired by Matthew Barney, but I was still a little excited to realize that the video for 'Bad Romance' seems to be a tribute to Cremaster 3. I love Lady Gaga--the hermaphrodite rumors and her encouragement of them, this explanation of Poker Face, her love of Hitchcock, and her random Yankees references.

Rosemary's Baby

Finally saw it. Of course loved it.

ADDENDUM: Okay, I was going to try to avoid this, but I just can't. I find it infinitely disturbing that Roman Polanski basically got the idea of how to rape a 13-yo girl from his own movie. Champagne plus quaaludes=alcohol plus drugged chocolate mousse/mouse. Even though marital rape was legal in 1968, the marital rape exemption never applied to forcing your wife to have sex with another man. (Having sex with your wife while she is unable to consent even if you are the one that drugged her is still legal in a few states. What a country). And of course, raping a 13 yo who was not your wife was not legal then or now. Rosemary's Baby is an awesome movie, but Roman Polanski is fucked up.

Jessica Rabbit

Two unrelated references to Jessica Rabbit today; both oddly thrilling. You have to love Jessica Rabbit!
A review of the Book of Eli
An introduction to Lil Green

Links for the 09-10 Transition

*New insights into curing cancer. I really believe this theory.
*A frontier holiday party. I want to be above it, but I'm just not.
*A chart on the cost of health care.
*Mind-blowing chocolate
*I love advent calendars, and this one is amazing.
*I hope I have the follow-thru to do This, but at least I have very little money if I don't.
*My favorite literary analysis of 30 Rock of all time.
*Brain hacking in a good way.
*Doyle v. Houdini.
*Tolkein rescued Grendel.
*China controls REE. I didn't even know such a thing existed.

Crush 00

Dorothy Surrenders did a list of her and her friends' Decade Crushes. I like this idea a lot so I stole it. Thanks Dorothy et al!

1. TV men. My crushes from the 90s were all movie guys--Jude Law, Ed Norton, Ewan McGregor (I still love Ewan McGregor)--but in the 00s I have moved on to TV guys--it started with Milo Ventimiglia, included Adam Brody, Timothy Olyphant, Tahmoh Penikett, Idris Elba, Michael Fassbender, and has now stalled out on Fat Pacey himself, Josh Jackson. I am sick. Also I'm still kind of on Michael Fassbender because of Inglorious Basterds.

2. Meryl Streep. This decade I realized that Streep reminds me of my grandmother and that Meryl Streep is super super super awesome.

3. food. I have become a much more adventurous eater and cook since I left Indianapolis.

4. Chicago. In 2000, I had only been to Chicago-proper a few times. Now I live here and love it.


5. kids' books. I started the decade reading Harry Potter and Wrinkle in Time aloud with my college roommates. I spent the beginning of grad school reading only the Little House books for pleasure. And in the past few years, I joined a kids' book club where I've read a ton of books I love and only a few I didn't.

6. the radio. I of course listened to the radio before 2000 because I relied on it for mixed tapes as much as anyone else in 1993. But in the 2000s I expanded my radio listening to podcasts, jams radio, Air America, much more NPR, and even sports radio. And I think the ipod turned out so well because the shuffle taps into the excitement of hearing one of your favorite songs on the radio indefinitely.

7. science. I don't know anything about science, and it was my least favorite subject in high school. But after hearing a talk by Martha McClintock in grad school, I secretly began thinking that being a scientist would have been cooler than being a historian. I feed my secret scientist ambition by listening to Radio Lab, ranting about the weird fixation with evolution in the NYT science section, reading things on the internet, and hanging out with R.

8. Sam Worthington. I realize that this crush only makes this list because I saw Avatar a week ago. And that it contradicts crush #1. But Sam Worthington is very very nice-looking.

9. The Mighty Colts. I didn't watch football at all before 2002, and now I follow the Colts religiously.

10. antiques. I spent my entire childhood going to antique stores and flea markets with my parents and brother. Most of our vacations revolved around it, and we all had collections that waxed and waned over the years. When I was a kid my dad collected Native American artifacts and swords; when I got older he collected antique advertising. My mom has always collected wooden dolls, but has had several tangential collections. My brother used to do Star Wars and Civil War stuff; now he does beer advertising and Charlie Chaplin memorabilia. And I collected buttons, turtles, and later small plastic food. When I hit 14, I decided I hated antiquing. I pouted through vacations and kept headphones firmly on my head in any flea market or mall. And I didn't begin to like it again until the 00s. It's been a nice return to my childhood to like looking through musty old boxes again.

HAPPY 2010!!!!