Ant from Nap Town

Keeping Up

2011-10-09T06:12:00.000-07:00

I feel bad I haven't been posting to my blog. I do love pinterest, but it's still sad when I notice that there's no new months in the archive column of the blog.

So here is my latest shopping task: finding small affordable and thematically appropriate prizes for my students. In Postwar US History, I am making them host a 1950s theme DRY cocktail party in class. To make it more fun for them (since I assume it will already be awesome for me), I bought old swizzle sticks to give out at the door. I personally think these things are awesome. We will see how they feel. And then in my urban history class, I told them that I would give a small prize to anyone who had to use microfilm for their research project. I'm trying to buy enough of these tiny old license plate keychains to give one to everyone who ends up at that damn machine. So far I have 8.

(Neither of these images are things I've bought, but they're representative of what I'm going for. Ebay will no longer let me pull images for some reason).

Winter Reading

2011-09-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

After spending all summer at it, I finally finished The Left Hand of Darkness. I adored it, in part because it crept up on me so slowly. For some reason winter is one of my favorite settings for books so I clearly need to read the rest of these as well as Winter's Tale, Time and Again, and Jonathan Strange.

My favorite winter books:
Left Hand of Darkness.
The Long Winter. (I used to read this every March in Chicago).
Far North.
The Golden Compass.
Game of Thrones.

Image here.

Lyrics

2011-08-05T10:40:00.000-07:00

I love these lyrics from the 1920s: “Still the Census taker tarried/ With a poised and ready pen; / ‘One more question, Are you married?’ / Came the answer, ‘Now and then.”
--cited in DiFonzo, Beneath the Fault Line, 18.

postcards

2011-07-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Now I just post things on here so I can pin them on pinterest. I am insane. Three vintage postcards:

Adventures 2011 on Iphone (so far)

2011-07-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Featuring the Muppet exhibit from the Museum of Science and Industry, a Charlie Harper mosaic from Miami, and Rosie Red from a Reds game.

Etsy Spree

2011-03-25T17:04:00.000-07:00

As promised, another wish list. This is all etsy stuff, but no jewelry. Maybe that will be its own post someday. Stone. Ship card. Spring Demon. Bottle opener. Hair tie. Push pin. Scarf.TV pin. Hankie.

Misc realizations

2011-02-26T13:49:00.000-08:00

Sarah's House on HGTV
I don't know that I like Sarah herself or even necessarily her design, but I like that show. It's one house! and they redo the whole thing! It's like a blog on tv. Anyway, I finally figured out that she reminds me of Zooey Deschanel.

Joe Reed
So for a long time, when I was less bonkers with stupid grading, I read Low Resolution very frequently. And now I listen to the Extra Hot Great podcast very frequently. It took me about 15 episodes to realize that Joe Reed was Joe Reed. Awesome in both genres.

Terra Nova
During the Superbowl, I realized that Terra Nova is a remake of one of my childhood favorites, Dino Riders. I CAN'T WAIT!

Shopping Spree: Housewares

2011-02-07T18:49:00.000-08:00

Awesome playing cards.
A Moomin tray or two.
Crocheted sand dollar.
This MS. poster for my office.
Scented drawer liners. Lilies of the valley remind me of my grandma.
A chair I can't afford.
I covet this apple so deeply.
And this stapler even more.

Clothes shopping Spree

2011-02-04T19:38:00.001-08:00

This is basically shit I want:

Princess Leia's Hoth boots. Thankfully not available in my size.

This tshirt, by a long-lost relative?

A sweater to wear over it.

And an amazing coin purse from my PR fave Diana Eng.

Dress. Dress.

Sunglasses.

Etsy and food sprees upcoming.

Black Narcissus

2011-01-23T18:44:00.001-08:00

I have a bunch of half-done drafts I'm going to try to post. This is the first: "I never realized that the end of Vertigo was based on Black Narcissus. Beautiful movie."
EDITED: Whoa! It posts in the past!!!

Parks and Recs Is Back!

2011-01-20T13:30:00.000-08:00

I am so excited! Here's some links:
Amy Pohler's favorite sad movies. And it includes You Can Count on Me, one of my favorite movies ever for the same reason Amy Pohler mentions.
A review.
Amy Pohler as a young model. Seen above!
Aziz Ansari tweeting for the premiere.
EDITED! There's going to be an episode called Indianapolis!!!!!

Eureka

2011-01-19T16:44:00.000-08:00

Eureka exists in a better universe than ours. In its universe, there is an Indiana baseball team.

Other notes: Carter is surprisingly hot in his US Marshall outfit. I love that the woman who plays Allison was the voice of Ellisa in Gargoyles. (Other voice work in Gargoyles: ED ASNER!!!!!!!!!) I liked Zoe better when she had a nose ring.

The Future and the Past

2011-01-13T11:07:00.001-08:00

The Future:
AT&T's really accurate commercials from the 1990s
100 Things to Look Forward to in 2011
2011 Midseason Shows
The Future of Alzheimer's Care
The Texas Omen by Paul Krugman

The Past
Young Johnny and Elizabeth Edwards. I find this unspeakably sad for all sorts of reasons.
James Tiptree Jr. in another era
Cigarette cards featuring Old Hollywood Players
Hidden Mother photos. These are deeply creepy.
Vivian Maeir. I love this genre of photography.

BONUS LINK: The Past of the Future also dealing with AT&T

Toothache

2010-12-14T13:17:00.001-08:00

Boo.

Links

2010-12-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

Sci-fi about each of the 7 planets
Tintypes and ambrotypes of Civil War soldiers
Interview with the writer of one of my new favorite comics
A Very Important Pyramid
I love tiny art and Alfred Hitchcock
The craziest story I've heard in a while.

Soviet Postcards

2010-11-30T19:07:00.000-08:00

I should be writing Thursday's lecture. Instead I am looking at this tumblr I discovered via Miss Moss.

Loving Harry Potter

2010-11-29T20:40:00.000-08:00

Three of my favorite Harry Potter links to celebrate HP7, which I saw at the drive-in. I highly recommend the drive-in. Yes, you may accidentally watch a lot of it thru a tinted window. Yes it was cold. But they played the Star Spangled Banner, an old ad for mosquito stuff, and a PSA against PDA. Loved the drive-in; HP7 was really pretty; I had some drinks while watching; and there was some really awesome animation. Not my favorite HP, but I thought that after HP6 too. Now I enjoy HP6 quite a bit. That said, I missed you Mugg! And Evil Stefano!!! ANYWAY:

Harry Potter as a Space Opera
Good but disturbing point about Neville Longbottom
Famous peeps put into Hogwarts houses care of Flavorwire

Star Wars Art

2010-11-28T19:39:00.001-08:00

I just posted some Star Wars art a couple posts ago, but I am continually impressed by the new clever things people come up with. From here, here, and here.

Book Week

2010-11-09T19:05:00.001-08:00

Also it's book week over at Where the Lovely Things Are!

Jane Eyre

2010-11-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

I maybe shouldn't love Jane Eyre this much anymore, but I do. This adaptation looks so fucking great. I don't know if they could have picked a cast I would love more, and they included all the creepy haunted house aspects from the book. As much as I love all those other adaptations, Jane Eyre is a haunted house book. See: House of Leaves.

Feeling British

2010-10-31T08:52:00.001-07:00

This Sunday am:
Drinking tea
Eating English muffin
Tooth ache
Watching Hot Fuzz

Amazing

2010-10-26T16:02:00.000-07:00

These are so gorgeous.

I hate my teeth

2010-10-22T09:40:00.000-07:00

This is the current condition of my teeth:

This is what I will replace them with:

Academic crush

2010-10-15T09:00:00.000-07:00

I have an academic crush on science. If you do too, I recommend:
the NeuroTribes blog
and the Radiolab podcast.

NeuroTribes also introduced me to this short story by Cordwainer Smith, which I love.

Best Facebook Ad Ever

2010-10-13T21:06:00.000-07:00

Elle Shushan Fine Portrait Miniatures. How do they know so much about what I would like and so little about how much money I make?

Yarn

2010-10-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Yarn in three parts.
Part 1:

Part 2:
knitted stool I plan to make
Part 3:

Tat

2010-05-26T11:40:00.000-07:00

These tattoos are gorgeous-especially the knot around her wrist. I have always wanted a tattoo and usually intend to get the Lisa-Simpson-as-Jolly-Roger she scratches on her desk here.

Indiana Icons of the 21st Century

2010-05-23T07:07:00.000-07:00

Indiana was formerly famous for producing Kurt Vonnegut, David Letterman, and *shudder* Dan Quayle. These guys aren't as famous, but I love them both. Especially since both Hoosiers hail from the opposite side of the culture wars from Quayle. One is the Sartorialist. The other is the creator and producer of Glee, Ryan Murphy.

Looking forward to

2010-05-22T21:15:00.000-07:00

Here's a bunch of stuff I can't wait to see. It's the pop culture edition:
1) They're making adaptations of both A Wrinkle in Time and Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. The first is one of my favorites from childhood. I read Frisby for book club--good times.
2) The Adjustment Bureau. This trailer is awesome.
3) Micmacs. It makes me want to go back and rewatch City of Lost Children.
4) An adaptation of Heck.
5) Film Experience did their "We Can't Wait" feature. I absolutely agree with 10, 6, 5, 3-1. Especially 1. I hear there will be dinosaurs.
6) HBO's Boardwalk Empire. This looks so good.
7) A new Jane Eyre with Michael Fassbender as Rochester. OMFG as they say. Two great tastes that taste great together.
8) Paani.
9) I will probably give most of these scifi tv shows a chance.

New to me

2010-04-17T13:09:00.001-07:00

New book: The Moonstone. My favorite part is a cheeky slam of women's benevolence societies: "We had a meeting that evening of the Select Committee of the Mothers'-Small-Clothes-Conversion-Society. The object of this excellent Charity is--as all serious people know--to rescue unredeemed fathers' trousers from the pawnbroker, and to prevent their resumption, on the
part of the irreclaimable parent, by abridging them immediately to suit the proportions of the innocent son." It takes a huge dork to find this amusing. And I am that dork.
New music: XX. Stephan's favorite new album since adopted as my favorite new album.
New artist: Avercamp. I went to the Little Ice Age exhibit at the National Gallery of Art and fell in love. It turns out I love boring Flemish and Dutch paintings best. Then Spanish. Then the rest.

Easing back in

2010-04-07T18:48:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I don't blog for a while 'cause I have nothing to blog. That has not been the case since I went missing a while ago. There's a ton of stuff I want to blog, and it added up and now it is overwhelming. So I am starting with something simple: a Russian animated folk tale. I found this video via Rare Bird who aptly calls it beautiful and strange.

Snow

2010-02-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

I don't usually watch videos in blogs, but this one is both amazing and silent. That teddy bear. . . c/o here.

Shadow People

2010-02-09T20:28:00.001-08:00

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

2010-02-06T10:44:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-25T22:02:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-20T18:15:00.001-08:00

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

2010-01-15T09:52:00.000-08:00

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

2010-01-04T20:47:00.000-08:00

*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

2009-12-31T12:20:00.000-08:00

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!!!!

Multiverse Directors

2009-12-16T07:48:00.000-08:00

These are the ultimate from the what-would-have-been-culture:
Lynch directs Jedi
Cronenberg directs Breaking Dawn

Holiday links

2009-12-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Lovely gift guide from Creature Comforts
Goys doing Hannukah food
Microwavable mitten warmers
Image (and instructions) from Creature Comforts

My Favorite Movies of the Aughts

2009-12-15T16:27:00.000-08:00

1. In the Mood for Love (2000)
2. Let the Right One In (2008)
3. Spirited Away (2001)
4. Children of Men (2006)
5. Devil's Backbone (2001)
6. Volver (2006)
7. 28 Days Later (2003)
8. The New World (2002)
9. You Can Count on Me (2000)
10. Brokeback Mountain (2005)

Observations:
I had forgotten #8 till I saw T's list. Thanks T. 2004, 2007, and 2009 are underrepresented, but I really liked 2000 and 2001. 5 of these are foreign, and 2 of those are Spanish. Amazingly, only one is animated. And there's no female directors on here :(

Wishful Thinking

2009-12-06T12:20:00.000-08:00

Both of these European things are out of reach for me, but I covet them anyway. A sugar loft in Amsterdam. via Design Is Mine. And shrinky-dink cookie cutters. via Simplesong.

Embarrassment of Riches

2009-11-29T12:19:00.001-08:00

All of November, in one post:
FDR probably died of cancer. Discovered by brilliant neurologist and journalist.

Gorgeous dollhouse.
The best movies et al of the 00s. I might do this soon.
Jezebel reminded me of this Lisa Simpson quote, which would look nice under my theoretical Lisa Simpson-as-Jolly Roger tattoo: "beneath my goody two shoes lie some very dark socks."
Five comics I'm not reading, but might read soon.
Another fascinating story on autism.
And more weird things about the brain.
Possible inspiration for twitter.

My Favorite Scary Movies

2009-10-30T09:56:00.001-07:00

Inspired by Jezebel and Culture Snob, I've made a list of my favorite slightly twee-ish scary movies. I suspect The Exorcist and Rosemary's Baby would be on here if I could get up the gumption to watch them.

The Orphanage
Shadow of a Doubt
The Seventh Victim
28 Days Later
Suspira
The Shining
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
Shivers
Evil Dead
Devil's Backbone
Let the Right One In

Also, the scariest movie I've ever seen: Event Horizon. I hear that it's not scary. I wouldn't know because I had my eyes closed for the last hour in the theater. Scariest book I've ever read; definitely House of Leaves. I love that book. Photo c/o here

State by State

2009-10-17T13:06:00.000-07:00

Health Care in Hawaii
Abortion in Oklahoma

The Office wedding

2009-10-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

I could watch Oscar vogue for days. Also, I love that the girl with the teeth from True Blood played Pam's sister. I love that girl.

Polanski

2009-09-30T07:56:00.000-07:00

I think this Salon piece puts the Polanski arrest and hubub just right.

We Real Cool

2009-09-29T20:55:00.000-07:00

My favorite poem at the moment:

We Real Cool

THE POOL PLAYERS.
SEVEN AT THE GOLDEN SHOVEL.

We real cool. We
Left school. We

Lurk late. We
Strike straight. We

Sing sin. We
Thin gin. We

Jazz June. We
Die soon.

Gwendolyn Brooks

Heaven

2009-09-25T07:53:00.001-07:00

c/o io9

The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire

2009-09-10T21:19:00.000-07:00

NYMag and others have referred to Sally reading Decline and Fall to her grandfather in Mad Men as heavy-handed foreshadowing. I guess I don't buy this so much; I think it's foreshadowing the rise of a conservative movement that interprets the social change to come as the decline and fall of the American empire. Decline and fall doesn't seem like the kind of value judgment Weiner and his writers would make. It's the judgment that Harry Crane will make--ie the one that Reagan, Schlafly, et al made.

RIP

2009-08-29T07:54:00.001-07:00

I hope we get you health care.

Key

2009-08-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

This key reminds me of Lord of the Flies for some reason. Scary.

Fan of Terry Gross

2009-08-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

I adore Terry Gross. I thought up this blog series (fan of) because of Terry Gross. Actually because of FB, but Terry Gross was the first person I thought to include. I used Maurice Sendak first instead, because I thought I might forget him and knew I could never forget Terry Gross.

I've listened to Fresh Air in podcast form for a couple years and therefore have heard probably 80 to 90 percent of the Fresh Airs from 2007-2009. And they're all good. Terry Gross makes every interview interesting, brings out the best in every interviewed subject, and somehow still manages to be unobtrusive and humble. I also covet her job but would never take it because Fresh Air would be ruined without her. I would settle for being interviewed by her though.

Book lists

2009-07-20T13:35:00.000-07:00

Three book lists I've come across recently.

61 Essential Postmodern Reads
My score: 12 terrible!

Newsweek's Top 100 Books: The Meta-List
My score: 38

BBC's 100 Book List
My score: 42

Actually none of these scores are that good. I blame grad school!

Anniversaries

2009-06-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

The New York Times commemorates two anniversaries today.

Frank Rich celebrates Stonewall. The entire column is great, but here is the end:
"It’s a press cliché that “gay supporters” are disappointed with Obama, but we should all be. Gay Americans aren’t just another political special interest group. They are Americans who are actively discriminated against by federal laws. If the president is to properly honor the memory of Stonewall, he should get up to speed on what happened there 40 years ago, when courageous kids who had nothing, not even a public acknowledgment of their existence, stood up to make history happen in the least likely of places."

And Ray Robinson remembers Lou Gehrig's resignation from baseball. This is the text of Gehrig's farewell, courtesy of this site:
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.
Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.
When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.
So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

Umbrellas

2009-06-25T18:40:00.001-07:00

I waited a long time to find this third umbrella. And then I spent forever trying to find these very very very old links. I especially like this Victorian postcard depicting life before widely available, affordable, and legal birth control.

Weegee

2009-06-22T20:05:00.001-07:00

I think I've posted about how much I love Weegee before, but hearing his voice is awesome. Peter Sellers based his Dr. Strangelove accent on Weegee's, which this blog describes as "part Austro-Hungarian immigrant by way of the Lower East Side and part Elmer Fudd."

Most people seem to like the murder Weegee photos, but my favorites are the sex ones.

Look-alikes

2009-06-21T15:54:00.000-07:00

Paige from Degrassi and Mia from Taking the Stage

Star Trek Enterprise by Amanda Vissel and Chris Craft Wooden Boat

Dress yourself

2009-06-14T12:01:00.001-07:00

I want this dress.
Mostly because of this show.

Fan of Maurice Sendak

2009-06-07T11:00:00.000-07:00

I listened to a really charming interview with Maurice Sendak on Fresh Air the other day. I highly recommend it. Two highlights: first, I hadn't heard about his collaboration with Tony Kushner to create Brundibar. Sendak gave an incredible account of both the book itself and his own family's experience in escaping the Holocaust. Second, Sendak said that he no longer does book signings or school appearances because they make kids so miserable. It's really funny and also a bit sad. Listen here. Picture from here.

Link Attack!

2009-06-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

My brother's impressive video of a grass-roots organization in IN.
Errol Morris explores forgery. See pic above.
A kids' book list.
A really crushing assessment of Tiller's murder.
Nesting dolls in danger.
Vampires saving humans from zombies.

Season finale

2009-05-20T14:10:00.000-07:00

So, like every year, I was freaked out that all my tv shows ended. And like every year, I realize I love summer tv. This year I am looking forward to:

1. Mad Men
2. True Blood
3. Top Chef Masters
4. Burn Notice
5. Army Wives
6. Project Runway

PLUS
1. The last couple episodes of Pushing Daisies and Kings.

It turns out that I may not even have time to watch Wire season 5 (finally), Party Down, John Adams, and Twin Peaks as planned. Though I might while waiting for all of the above to begin. When do these suckers start? I can't wait that long. Nonetheless, I am very relieved. Thank you Alan Sepinwall for reminding me that not all is lost. And for the Just One of the Guys ode. And for reviewing season 2 of the Wire.

Predictions

2009-05-14T06:26:00.000-07:00

1. I worry that Lost is now an extended interpretation of Job.
2. I think foxes are the next deer in hipster iconography.

Parks and Recreation Update

2009-05-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

The most recent episode mentioned Indianapolis twice and featured pictures of Dan Quayle, Dick Lugar, and Evan Bayh.

War Games and Harry Potter

2009-05-08T09:09:00.001-07:00

I think War Games-era Ally Sheedy would have made a really good Hermione Granger.

Love, Hate

2009-05-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

I love this article about Michelle Obama. Muppets and wearing a dress more than once.

I hate doing pushups.

Tip of the Hat, Wag of the Finger

2009-05-03T08:31:00.000-07:00

Tip of the Hat
1. Cookie Magazine. I'm not supposed to like Cookie since I don't have kids. But it's a nice Domino replacement at the moment.
2. Parks and Recreation. Parks and Recreation is really growing on me, which was not entirely unexpected. First, the Office people know what they're doing so it was only a matter of time. I really love Mark and April so far. The jokes are getting funnier, and the bit characters will probably be as hilarious as Stanley et al later. Also, they're inundating me with Indiana references. They're doing a really amazing job actually, including everything from Bob Knight's hand/sweater visible in the corner of a poster all through the pilot and instantly recognizable to any and all Hoosiers to using the outline of Indiana to cap off episodes to a small picture of Larry Bird alongside Leslie's collection of portraits of women in government. It turns out that this sports blog guy has noticed this as well and taken some pics for me to borrow.
3. Manny Pacquiao. Filipino pride baby! Bring on Mayweather!

Wag of the Finger
1. Lost. SPOILER ALERT. So Lost has possibly lost the thread of its time travel logic. I hate this new "variable" angle. They had a nice gig going for them: closed loop except for Desmond who could create alternate timelines in theory. I'm hoping that Daniel is either a) mistaken or b) setting Jack up to do exactly what Jack needed to do in order for the future to happen as it did. I think this is a reasonable possibility since he told Dr. Chang about Miles so that Chang would do "what he's supposed to do," ie send his wife, son, Charlotte, etc, off the island in the sub. So maybe he's similarly manipulating Jack to "do what he's supposed to do.' Otherwise, boo Lost. Boo.
2. My birthday flower, care of Angry Chicken, is not in fact a flower. A spruce is a tree, thank you very much. Still not a bad plant to be affiliated with.

Thanks Colbert for the title.

Youtube Nation

2009-04-25T06:14:00.001-07:00

Disney recycles.
Ben Linus in real life.
Degrassi raps.

Chapel Hill

2009-04-21T19:25:00.001-07:00

I am going to the Louis Round Wilson Library for a research trip next week. Recommendations for Chapel Hill are welcome.

Backyard

2009-04-16T20:41:00.000-07:00

When I was a kid, we had the above enormous backyard. (This picture of the back half of our backyard is courtesy of Trulia, a badass real estate site with pictures and occasionally prices of houses all over the country. Want to know how much your friend spent on his or her house? You might be able to find out).

My brother came to adopt the alley as his territory, but I took over the row of bushes on the left that I had decided formed a playhouse. The bushes seemed to form two bedrooms, a hallway, a front door, a back door, and a living room with a "couch" created by a fallen tree. I would get one bedroom, and my best friend would get the other. For some reason, I decided the living room was sinister and was scared to go into it.

Anyway, because of my own haunted backyard, I love stories about haunted backyards. Like The Secret Garden. And The Shining. And Beloved. And this kid's book called The Shades where shadows come alive in the garden. And I love that this guy has created his own haunted yard, including this Spirited Away sculpture. Despite all those, I still think the backyard is a neglected space in haunted stories, which doesn't make any sense. The backyard's ripe for unsettling things.

Encryption

2009-04-14T07:39:00.001-07:00

Seeing this about Fringe and reading Little Brother on dailylit has inspired me to try Cryptonomicon, a book lent to me way too long ago.

Also, I have accidentally developed a crush on Fat Pacey.

Politics and History

2009-04-13T19:13:00.000-07:00

ARGH. On the alleged danger of Gay New York to children.
And a historical perspective on Somali pirates. Image here.

History matters.

Top 10 Movie Characters

2009-04-08T08:57:00.000-07:00

Film Experience and friends listed their Top 10 movie characters. I am chiming in with my 10 favorites, in order, and trying not to overlap with anyone.
1. Uncle Charlie from Shadow of a Doubt. It is only because Joseph Cotten as Uncle Charlie is my favorite character ever that he edged Teresa Wright as young Charlie out of my top 10 movie characters. I don't know how Joseph Cotten manages to woo me and creep me out at the same time. My favorite Hitchcock flick, and my favorite character.
2. Linda from Days of Heaven. Linda's role in the plot of Days of Heaven is barely there, but her narration makes an already heart-breaking film even more heart-breaking. I hope Linda got to be a mud doctor and study the earth.
3. Homer from The Best Years of Our Lives. Speaking of heart-breaking. Harold Russell won an Oscar for his portrayal of a veteran who lost his arms in WWII. Homer is both so young and such an old soul at the same time.
4. James Cole from 12 Monkeys. 12 Monkeys, 12 monkeys.
5. Chihiro/Sen from Spirited Away. I guess this is the second girl on my list, which only includes four females total. This probably says more about me than I care to admit.
6. Raimunda from Volver. All that kissing. What's not to love?
7. Atticus Finch from To Kill a Mockingbird. Hipsters name their kids after this man for a reason.
8. Obiwan Kenobi from Star Wars. The prequels were bad, but they exist, and Obiwan is the only character who looks good after we've seen the Clone Wars and Darth Vader's rise to power. I know I shouldn't judge Yoda, episodes 4-6, by what Lucas made him do in episodes 1-3, but I do. Plus Ewan McGregor is hot. And I love Alec Guiness.
9. Mookie from Do the Right Thing. Spike Lee captured most of the complexities of the modern racial climate in one movie. Putting Mookie center stage made it all easier to take. RIP Radio Raheem.
10. Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs. Clarice Starling is one tough lady in a movie that straddles a fine line between B movie and art. I try not to buy cheap shoes now.

The Week in Review

2009-04-04T08:41:00.000-07:00

News
There's the bad. Unemployment continues to go up. Another tragic shooting spree. But there's also the good. Iowa has legalized same sex marriage, which is good for all the obvious reasons. But it is also good because it was unanimous and even more so because "there is no requirement that people seeking marriage licenses prove they live in Iowa, so the doors will be open to same-sex couples from other states." NYT.

Culture
I saw three great movies recently. 1) In Bruges. I had heard this was great, but still had low expectations. I really enjoyed it though. Brendan Gleeson is so winning. And between this and the New World, I might have to like Colin Farrell. 2) Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956). I heard this really interesting Fresh Air about the Invasion of the Body Snatchers medical condition, called Capgras Delusion. Basically, your emotional nodes of the brain are damaged, such that you visually recognize a person as your friend or family member, but your brain can no longer activates the emotional reaction you normally associate with them. Hence your impression that someone is impersonating them. There's also a compelling historiographical argument now that Cold War anxiety is notable for its fixation on the threat from within, which Invasion also fits perfectly. 3)And finally, the Good Fairy, my favorite of the three. I know this movie is cheesy, but I loved it. I think Preston Sturges + William Wyler has to be the best combination ever.

Miscellanie
I love these sheep and the people/dogs that shepherd them. Also, right now The Shaft is playing on Sci Fi, featuring Naomi Watts before she was famous and a killer dolphin elevator AND Love's Enduring Promise is playing on the Hallmark Channel, featuring Katherine Heigl and January Jones before they were famous and some bonnets. This is flattering for no one.

Upcoming
Slumber Party 09.

Big Screen, Little Screen

2009-03-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

I couldn't figure out why I liked Big Screen, Little Screen so much until today when I realized it is the kottke of film and tv blogs.

Kids Book Club

2009-03-29T09:38:00.001-07:00

Stephan has decided that I need internet evidence of our kids' book club so that when it becomes a national phenomenon, I get to go on Oprah or something. Stephan has a lot of weird versions of the future where I go on Oprah. Anyway, it does seem like it's about time that I did a post on children's book club. I don't remember how R and I came up with this--R was this your idea? where did we get this idea from?--but it is incredibly fun. It's pretty much your standard book club, except that you read a kid's book instead of adult books. The title is misleading; there are no kids at kids' book club. Anyway, our ranks have grown from 3 to 7, which isn't bad. We have a very nice group. When A hosted the City of Ember, book club got even better because A came up with the ingenious idea of making food themed to the book. In that case it was The City of Ember, and she provided canned pineapple and potatoes and something else I can't recall. This has been my favorite book club innovation, not least because we got to eat Tostino's pizza bites when we read Coraline. Now there is also a private wiki, care of A as well. It's pretty much great. I highly recommend that you start your own children's book club.

We have read:
The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Watership Down by Richard Adams
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron
The City of Ember by Jeanne Duprau
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien

Lost recaps

2009-03-27T10:08:00.000-07:00

I love to read Lost recaps and the internet is kind enough to provide me with plenty.
Alan Sepinwall. I go here first for all tv reviews.
Jezebel. A little late coming usually, but full of nice details and often shares my opinion on an episode.
The AV Club. Workingman's reviews in the best sense.
TWOP. TWOP started my tv recap addiction. I always manage the weecap but often skip the longer version nowadays. I think I should pick that back up.
House Next Door. Quick out of the gate. Arty. Insightful. Kind enough to supply the picture for this post.
NYMag. Not quick. Arty.
EW. I don't love Doc Jensen, but they're nice and long.
Televisionary. They're televisionary there. I don't always manage this one, but it's a nice back-up.

And that, my friends, is the depth of my insanity and the length to which I'll go to avoid my dissertation.

Links

2009-03-26T07:57:00.000-07:00

Where the Wild Things Are trailer via kottke
Fifi Lapin and LeSportSac together
Cootie catchers and other fortune tellers
Chic Chicago
GQ's slideshow of the 50 most stylish men also via kottke

Dress Season

2009-03-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

It's almost dress season. Dress. Dress. Dress. Dress. Dress.

Kermodian nicknames

2009-03-24T07:52:00.000-07:00

Ikea Knightley... Keira Knightley
Hugh Jaction.... Hugh Jackman
Matthew Mahogany... Matthew McConaughey
Nicole Kindling... Nicole Kidman

care of Mark Kermode

Posing

2009-03-18T10:01:00.001-07:00

These two images happen to be next to each other in a folder, and I think they look nice together.

Harry Potter

2009-03-09T19:38:00.000-07:00

The new trailer, up at Yahoo, is so good I gasped aloud. I can't wait. Thanks My New Plaid Pants for the link and the image.

Woodland bday

2009-02-23T21:08:00.000-08:00

This blog has become an ongoing feature about how awesome R & T are. One, they made Stephan and I homemade pizza and blueberry crumble for our bdays. And they gave me this book (top), which just reminds me how much I love woodland creatures, especially bunnies. Thank you!!!!!!
Link
link
link
link
link
link
link and
link

IT Crowd

2009-02-21T08:46:00.000-08:00

R and T gave us a copy of the IT Crowd forever ago. We FINALLY started watching it, and it is hilarious. As R and T noted, the character played by Richard Ayoade looks just like Stephan. See above. We just need to move Stephan's dimple to his chin. And do something re Stephan's hair. I love it.

TV time

2009-02-20T08:56:00.000-08:00

1. I'm surprised that Walt did not end up on the plane with the Oceanic 5. Partly because I love Walt and all his odd powers, but also because I thought a very tall Walt showed up last season to mention that Jeremy Bentham had visited him. Walt makes the THIRD Island child not to make it back. Stop forgetting Walt! I'm hoping he was on the back of the plane, and we'll see him soon.

2. I really hope that Carla wins Top Chef.

3. The Middleman on ABC is cancelled. I'm really sad about this but nonetheless pleased to hear that they're going to finish the story with a trade comic. I ordered the original comic through the friendliest comic store ever, but it hasn't come in yet.

4. I was disappointed with Dollhouse, but I'm really loving the final season of Battlestar and love the typewriter development on Fringe.

5. I am desperate to see this episode of "What Is My House Worth?". The Indianapolis house is literally two blocks away from the house I grew up in.

6. I realized recently that I was right about this July 16 post.

I Love 3D

2009-02-16T09:50:00.000-08:00

I saw Coraline on Saturday with a faction of my children's book club. I fucking loved it. I think the movie was even better than the book, which I never think. But 1) it was so beautiful 2) the 3d magnified the beautiful. ie, it made otherwise-silent gasps audible on several occasions. 3) They slowed down the narrative, which was my big complaint about the book. 4) I actually enjoyed the addition of Wybie. I figured that his presence would make her less lonely, but I thought it captured well how more people can make you more lonely, not less. Especially when you're a kid. Anyway, if you want a legitimate review, read AO Scott. As always. Also, this marketing campaign was brilliant. Posters, including the A to Z posters, here.

Antiques Road Show

2009-02-15T21:29:00.000-08:00

There was a brief segment on Antiques Road Show about potter George Ohr, which I greatly enjoyed because it turns out that he was raunchy. Here's a rhyme he put on a jug and a link to some brothel coins he made.

"A Hot Tomoly! While we were on the beach indulging in nature's folly the sun got 2 my back while the sand was Hot To Molly's."

Quote. Link.

Happy Birthday Abe Lincoln

2009-02-12T14:16:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Abraham Lincoln. You make a 20th century historian wish she studied the 19th.

I also wonder why I've suddenly noticed that the news now refers to you as freeing some of the slaves. New historical savvy from the many PBS documentaries? Kindly lowering too-high expectations for Obama? Subtly criticizing Obama? Me not noticing anything until today? I don't know. Happy Bday Abe! both images via kottke. second image possibly not AL.

Cakes

2009-02-10T19:21:00.001-08:00

Here are some very nice cakes. from here, here, and here.

Parks and Recreation

2009-02-02T10:10:00.000-08:00

I was already pretty excited about the Office sorta spinoff, now-titled Parks and Recreation. I mean it has the Office creative plus some of my favorite comedians including Amy Pohler, Rashida Jones, and that guy from the Daily Show. And it's working from the whole Obama angle, which could be pretty fun. THEN they added the Indiana stuff. You can even see the IN crest in the ad. I love it. I'm sold on this show already.
c/o Big Screen Little Screen

Buffalo

2009-01-30T08:34:00.000-08:00

by Seth Eastman.

1.20.2009

2009-01-20T21:47:00.000-08:00

Inauguration Day.

Snapshot: Listening, Watching, Reading, Wearing, Wanting

2009-01-10T14:35:00.000-08:00

The nogoodforme blog always does this feature, which is my favorite.

Listening:Fresh Air (from February 2008); Tegan and Sarah.
Watching: Blazing Saddles, Bladerunner, 30 Rock, American Teen, Rachel Getting Married.
Reading: Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations; either Coraline or 13 Clocks; The Bell Jar.
Wearing: new socks, a white button down Stephan gave me for Xmas; jeans his mom gave me a few Xmas-es ago; boots.
Wanting: these shoes, a basil plant.

False advertising

2009-01-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

I've noticed two absurd ad campaigns recently.
1. The new Pepsi logo seems to be deliberately trying to steal Obama's thunder. See Thomas Frank for Pepsi's ingenious appropriation of culture in the past.

2. The eharmony.com ads purport to be "true." Not that I expected them to be actually true, but the illusion is a little harder to maintain when you contradict your own story in two different versions of the same commercial. In the first version, Tanyalee says that she was too busy owning a store to date. See the first clip below. In the second version, Tanyalee claims she and Josh opened her store together. And then they show footage of the same store. See the second clip below. In theory there could be TWO stores, but then show different footage. eharmony is a horrible corporation anyway, for being so fucking homophobic.

Nading girls

2009-01-03T09:25:00.000-08:00

Stephan's great grandmother, on the left.

Outfits

2009-01-02T10:06:00.000-08:00

Here, formerly here, and here.

Jericho

2009-01-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

Why didn't anyone tell me that Jericho is so radical? I love it. It's a critique of the Iraq war akin to Battlestar season 3, admittedly minus the subtlety. The show basically pillories the US for ceding its values and infrastructure to Blackwater's corporate capitalism. I mean sure, it loves guns, militias, traditional gender roles, and proprietary capitalism, but no one's perfect. This is the reason Obama won the election. When guys who love guns, militias, traditional gender roles, and proprietary capitalism have a stinging critique of the US foreign policy, politics are swinging left. Image care of here.

Awesome Stuff I Loved in 2008

2009-01-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

Websites that are bad for me: Facebook and Jezebel. Jezebel inspired this post.

Hard Liquor. In particular free shots won at trivia night at the Bucktown Pub and Bailey's during cards at R's.

Politics. Obama 08. Indiana goes blue. Minus Prop 8. Minus Blago scandals. Minus Bush's last minute policy bullshit.

Stephan's invented old-timey slang. We heard the term "jukie" in a song by Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks and decided a Jukie was a music hipster. Then Stephan invented other categories of hipster: a Nick (nickelodeon) is a movie hipster; a Nick at Nite is a horror movie hipster; and a picture boxer is a television hipster. I am proud to be a picture boxer.

Green beans. The year before it was broccoli; 2008 was green beans.

Children's Book Club: highlights include Watership Down and Howl's Moving Castle. Book club has also helped me rediscover the Chicago Public Library.

Sewing class at the Needle Shop.

Pants that were not jeans: cords, my striped guys, yellow chinos, and Bitten canvas pants.

What's going to be awesome in 2009:
*More sewing classes at the Needle Shop and more book club.
*Horses. The birds/deer of the future. Vintage horse buttons on ebay would be a good start. See above.
*Trips to San Diego, Springfield IL, and Chapel Hill NC.
*The revival of cloth napkins. My roommate did this in college, and hence I did. Now I have some pretty new ones, and I'm reviving the tradition.
*Inauguration.

New Years Lists

2009-01-01T09:07:00.000-08:00

My favorite TV shows of the year
1. Mad Men
2. Battlestar Galactica
3. Pushing Daisies
4. The Middleman
5. Lost
6. The Office
7. True Blood
8. 30 Rock
9. How I Met Your Mother
10. Burn Notice

Short Nominations (I've only seen a couple episodes of these, but the rest either live on my Tivo or I wish they lived on my Tivo. I plan to watch them soon.)
1. Skins
2. Life on Mars
3. Breaking Bad

Forecasted Nominations (I spent 2008 watching season 4; if I were caught up, this would be on the list).
1. The Wire, season 5

Movies/Experiences (a list like T's on FB, though not nearly as sophisticated)
1. Wall-E on Western. I know it's cheesy. Fuck it. Moe rocks.
2. Transsiberian at Piper's Alley. I saw this with my Hitchcock friend right before she moved to LA.
3. Dark Knight also on Western. All of Stephan's efforts embedded in a really stunning flick.
4. Vicky Christina Barcelona at the Logan. Penelope Cruz is amazing; Rebecca Hall does a wonderful Woody Allen; and I thought the voice-over totally captured all the travelogues we used to watch in Spanish class. Critics never took Spanish.
5. Nothing Like the Holidays at the River North Chicago premiere. Even more of Stephan's efforts. I loved it.
6. Emmett Otter's Jug Band Christmas at the Siskel. A great Muppet classic. I only wish I could have met Cookie Monster.
7. Let the Right One In at the Landmark. Creepy and awesome.
8. The Stuff at A & H's Halloween party. Perfect Halloween fare.
9. Stagecoach and
10. The Apartment at home. How had I missed these two classics? They're now two of my all time favorites.