Author: tim

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» Awesometown Television pilot from Andy Samberg (from the "Lazy Sunday" rap on SNL) and his two writing partners. This should have been picked up for the opening credits/theme song alone.

The Squid and the Whale

Photo of a whale at the Museum of Natural HistoryThe wife, her aunt and I went to see The Squid and the Whale last night and I have to say that’s a pretty damn good movie. It almost slipped under my radar because the title sounds like a Disney animated feature to me, so I’m glad we watched part of the Golden Globes the other night because it reminded me about the film.

It’s a comedy/drama (I can’t bring myself to type the word ‘dramedy’) about divorce and I know that sounds like a downer, but it was funny and the characters were ultra believable. Jeff Daniels did an excellent job, but I think the kids in the movie were the real stars. They did a great job mimicking their parents’ behaviors. The youngest one, Frank, would bark out obscenities just like his dad and the oldest, Walt, tried to be an intellectual like his father, but really only collected his father’s opinions and didn’t have any real appreciation of art.

Anyway, I highly recommend this movie. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the title refers to an exhibit at the Museum of Natural History that I saw when I was in New York a few years ago. I took the above whale photo at that exhibit as I was wandering around waiting to meet back up with the wife. That trip to NY was fun, we need to go again.

Red Magazine’s 100 Overlooked Albums

Red magazine has come up with a damn good list of 100 albums overlooked by Rolling Stone in that magazine’s recent 500 Greatest Albums of All Time list.

The editors of Red magazine came up with some really good selections here. I might just make it a goal to get every album on this list that I don’t already own.

There’s also some well-written analysis regarding the importance of selected albums. Case in point:

Wowee Zowie – Pavement
The greatest band of the ’90s made their greatest album with Wowee Zowie. Sure, Slanted and Enchanted was groundbreaking as hell, and deserves to get every accolade it can muster, but there is something about this record in particular that just breaks the hell out of my heart. Maybe it was the fact that I heard it for the first time when I was just beginning to comprehend what music was and what it can be capable of doing, when I was just learning how to be a teenager, when I was trying to make bands that sounded like this record, but only ending up with something that sounded like Sum 41 led by four sophomore Johnny Rottens. I hated this album for being so damn good.—JS

Nice work, Red magazine. Not too shabby for a magazine from Utah.

(via LHB)

Are You a Yindie?

I’m not ready to admit it yet, but I might be a Yindie. The test they have on that page is totally geared toward the British, but I still have a hunch that I’m in the club.

Meet the Yindie: half-yuppie, half-indie, moneyed urban hipsters aged 20-35 who listen to wry northern indie music on their iPod nanos, and who think Zadie Smith is the pinnacle of alternative fiction.

I am 100% sure, however, that Michael Oakley is a Yindie.

Nutkin


The dirt is still on my shoes from burying you. Erin and I picked a great spot for you in the backyard where it’s sunny most of the day. We think you’ll like it there.

You were a great friend. I remember taking naps and waking up to you on my chest, purring your little heart out. Other times, when I was sleeping on my side, I’d find you curled up in a ball near my chest where it’s warm. You loved to rub up against our oldest dog, Sage. You two were quite a pair.

You loved to chase plastic caps all over our house. I still expect to hear the sound of a cap flying across the floor in the other room and you running after it to pounce. Erin and I are saving the caps we find around the house to remember you by.

You were the kind of cat that cat-haters like. Erin and I never liked cats (and probably still don’t) until you came into our lives. You were so sweet and cute. You actually came when you were called. If I yelled out from the bedroom, Nutkin!, you’d come running and hop up onto the bed. I’m really going to miss that.

When I woke up this morning, I had no idea I’d be saying goodbye to you today. Erin and I wish we could have just one more day with you, and it’s excruciating that we cannot. The only solace we have right now is that we gave you a great little life and you will be the source of many great memories as we go through the rest of our lives.

I love you, Nutkin. Goodnight.