Seriously, I am asking: how old is too old? Is it creepy for me, a 30-something working Mom, to be enjoying the deviant exploits of a bunch of 17-year-olds (at least they play 17 on TV)? Not only that, but am I subconsciously Serena-ing my hair? This internal debate ties back to my earleir post upon finding out that I listen to the same music as my now-14-year-old niece.
Anyway, just started watching the deliciously soapy second season of this show, and must admit I’m enjoying it. I needed a break from Mad Men, which, while more age-appropriate, really takes a gal to the dark place. In a really good, gets you thinking kind of way, but still dark. And I can’t really Joan my hair – as a blonde, not a redhead, I just end up looking like Cindy McCain.
So … how did the whole Pavement/Stephen Malkmus thing pass me by? I traveled in indie-rock circles, presumably people were listening to it, yet somehow it didn’t register. So it’s only now, thanks to the liberating power of an iPod, plus a great article in Entertainment Weekly (at 15 years, EW is one of my longest relationships), that I’ve discovered this music. And love it. (Ironically, I am also a latecomer to Facebook, where I found an old friend from High School who just happens to live a mile away from Stephen Malkmus and is a fan of his music too. Crazy?)
Anyway, Real Emotional Trash is great, but so is the older stuff. I have a great channel on Pandora that I have trained to play it all, plus some of my other favorites like Vampire Weekend, Bloc Party, The Kooks, The Virgins, and many others. Pandora + iPod + EW = Happy Music Fan!
One of my favorite songs of late is Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now,” in part for its exuberant lyrics and melody, and in part because it reminds me of a great scene in of one of my favorite films, “Shaun of the Dead.”
Recently, as the song was playing for the millionth time in my head, it occurred to me that it might hold the world record for most similes and metaphors in one song. How, may you ask, can one person be or be like so many things? He’s freakin’ Freddie Mercury, that’s how! So anyway, I count 12 – did I miss any? Can you think of other songs with more? Could this be the best and possibly campiest song ever written?!?!
I have so many movie quotes in my head, I have ceased to know where my own thoughts end and movie quotes begin. The other day, I was corresponding with an old high school friend who I hadn’t spoken to in 15 years via Facebook, and the quote popped into my mind: “I know you’re all coming back to take stock of your lives. Well, I say, leave your livestock alone.” This memorable quote was uttered by Debbie (Minnie Driver), the Grosse Point radio host and Marty Blank (John Cusack)’s main high school squeeze in Grosse Pointe Blank, one of the most quotable movies in my lexicon. And that isn’t even one of the best quotes from that movie. Dan Ackyroyd and Jeremy Piven have some of themost memorable one-liners. Come to think of it, so do Hank Azaria and K. Todd Freeman.
OK, I have another confession: I’m a Revolutionary War nerd! That is because I grew up in Yorktown, VA, a place other Revolutionary War nerds will recognize as the place where Lord Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington, leading to the end of the war. I actually grew up within walking distance of the home where the treaty was signed (The Moore House), the field where they surrendered, and the battlements where the fighting took place. So needless to say, I am really enjoying the John Adams miniseries my hubby and I are watching on DVD this week. It’s like synergy between many of my favorite things: period dramas, revolutionary war, Georgian England, pre-revolutionary France, great acting, Massachusetts (home of my ancestors), beer (Sam Adams is a major character), and much more.
The other morning, as usual, my 3-year-old son crawled into bed with my husband and me while we were still sleeping. All of a sudden my husband croaked, “Ugh, did you just throw a booger at me?” In my half-asleep state I dismissed him, told him he was crazy, and rolled over. Well, a few minutes later as my son and I were walking downstairs for breakfast, he said, “I throw my nose-Batarang at the Joker.” It took a minute to sink in, and I asked him, “Did you throw a booger at Daddy?” He paused a moment, then said seriously, “Daddy was the Joker.”
It’s moments like these when we reap the benefits of indoctrinating a child in superheroes from birth. This is why my son finds a piece of my hair and makes it into Wonder Woman’s Magic Lasso, or why I have to hide my belts because they are turned into Princess’s Yo-Yo (from Battle of the Planets). My child’s imagination is brimming with superheroes and their magic accessories.
So I went up later to make the bed, and there it was, big as day – the booger. I must admit it was huge, at least big enough to be a batarang for one of his action figures. Let’s just hope it stops there and he never decides to use anything more gross!
I was soo excited to get my Entertainment Weekly this week and see that two of my shows are coming back: Burn Notice and Mad Men. Hooray! But of course they air opposite each other, so I’m going to have to figure out some trick of the DVR to record both. With all of the crap reality TV on in the summer, you’d think they would space out the good shows so we could watch them!! I was also happy to see Reaper on the list of shows you should watch, but Bones? It’s already a hit, why waste the space when they could be trumpeting another show that is struggling? But I digress. I’m just glad all of my favorite struggling summer shows are coming back, to be followed by my favorite struggling fall shows like Pushing Daisies and Chuck.
Did anyone else out there find themselves addicted to Mad Men (on AMC) this year? What an insanely awesome and disturbing show that was. Any time I tried to describe it to people, I did a terrible job. I’m like, “It’s this amazingly accurate portrayal of the year 1960, which is both glamorous and terrible, and the characters are awful but you love them.” I’m not really selling it, so people had just better watch it for themselves.
I watched the “making of” show on my iPod, and the creator described his passion for period detail as almost a fetish. You can see why, as he lovingly portrays the ashtrays, the whiskey decanters, the ugly wallpaper, the nylons and girdles, the cars, the clothes, and on and on … it’s really the opposite of what I love about Robin Hood and its anachronistic costumes and outrageous characters. In Mad Men, the costumes and sets are part of the story, and the characters are so subtle you don’t know what to make of them. And now, with a season ender that contained both the shocking (the baby!) and the subtle (Don’s empty house), my appetite is even greater for what the next season of this brilliant show holds.
So my husband was driving my car ( to save gas – he has a Ford F-150 that guzzles) and he decided to listen to my Arctic Monkeys CD. He actually liked the music, but not the singer. I have to say, what I love best about the Arctic Monkeys is the singer! Yes, he has a heavy accent, but that’s half the point. I hate it when British rock stars sound American – and yes, I mean you, Rolling Stones and Beatles! Yes, you’re musical geniuses, but you also sound like you’re from California! I know I’m an Anglophile, but still. Anyway, love the Arctic Monkeys singer and his wonderful accent. I wonder where he is from? Manchester? And love Kate Nash for the same reason. In fact, Arctic Monkeys frontman and Kate Nash need to have a love child. That kid would have musical talent and a potty mouth! It’s a win win!
I just finished watching the first few episodes of the new series of Robin Hood on BBC America, and I admit I’m hooked again. It’s about as historically accurate as Xena: The Warrior Princess, but it is just so darn entertaining and ridiculous. I love how Maid Marian is suddenly wearing a form-fitting, S&M version of Medieval clothes, while the peasants all look like extras from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But you can tell the actors are having fun, and the writers are too, so why shouldn’t we have fun watching?
Seriously, I am asking: how old is too old? Is it creepy for me, a 30-something working Mom, to be enjoying the deviant exploits of a bunch of 17-year-olds (at least they play 17 on TV)? Not only that, but am I subconsciously Serena-ing my hair? This internal debate ties back to my earleir post upon finding out that I listen to the same music as my now-14-year-old niece.
So … how did the whole Pavement/Stephen Malkmus thing pass me by? I traveled in indie-rock circles, presumably people were listening to it, yet somehow it didn’t register. So it’s only now, thanks to the liberating power of an iPod, plus 
The other morning, as usual, my 3-year-old son crawled into bed with my husband and me while we were still sleeping. All of a sudden my husband croaked, “Ugh, did you just throw a booger at me?” In my half-asleep state I dismissed him, told him he was crazy, and rolled over. Well, a few minutes later as my son and I were walking downstairs for breakfast, he said, “I throw my nose-Batarang at the Joker.” It took a minute to sink in, and I asked him, “Did you throw a booger at Daddy?” He paused a moment, then said seriously, “Daddy was the Joker.”
I was soo excited to get my 
Did anyone else out there find themselves addicted to Mad Men (on AMC) this year? What an insanely awesome and disturbing show that was. Any time I tried to describe it to people, I did a terrible job. I’m like, “It’s this amazingly accurate portrayal of the year 1960, which is both glamorous and terrible, and the characters are awful but you love them.” I’m not really selling it, so people had just better watch it for themselves.
So my husband was driving my car ( to save gas – he has a Ford F-150 that guzzles) and he decided to listen to my Arctic Monkeys CD. He actually liked the music, but not the singer. I have to say, what I love best about the Arctic Monkeys is the singer! Yes, he has a heavy accent, but that’s half the point. I hate it when British rock stars sound American – and yes, I mean you, Rolling Stones and Beatles! Yes, you’re musical geniuses, but you also sound like you’re from California! I know I’m an Anglophile, but still. Anyway, love the Arctic Monkeys singer and his wonderful accent. I wonder where he is from? Manchester? And love Kate Nash for the same reason. In fact, Arctic Monkeys frontman and Kate Nash need to have a love child. That kid would have musical talent and a potty mouth! It’s a win win!
I just finished watching the first few episodes of the new series of Robin Hood on BBC America, and I admit I’m hooked again. It’s about as historically accurate as Xena: The Warrior Princess, but it is just so darn entertaining and ridiculous. I love how Maid Marian is suddenly wearing a form-fitting, S&M version of Medieval clothes, while the peasants all look like extras from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. But you can tell the actors are having fun, and the writers are too, so why shouldn’t we have fun watching?
