Archive

Oчень приятно, Mrs. Palin

This might be my favorite Sarah Palin video yet. It combines two things I love very, very much in life: mocking the stupid, and hilarious Russian accents!

I am lofe it! I am lofe it so much!

TV Boyfriends: So, Do You Think I Have a Type?

Pushing Daisies: Symmetry

Please enjoy these stills from last week’s episode of Pushing Daisies, directed by Lawrence Trilling (whose name you may recognize from the credits sequences of such shows as Alias, Scrubs, and Felicity).

Lillian in the Pie Hole

Lillian in the Pie Hole

Pie Filling

Pie Filling

Emerson and Ned on a Road Trip

Emerson and Ned on a Road Trip

Lily and Olive Disturb Late Mid-Afternoon Prayers

Lily and Olive Disturb Late Mid-Afternoon Prayers

Best Use for a Bible Yet

Best Use for a Bible Yet

The Gang Arrives at the "Circus of Fun"

The Gang Arrives at the "Circus of Fun"

It was another great episode, but I just couldn’t help noting all of these symmetrical tableaux — even the close-up shots of the bowl of berries and the bible flask are symmetrical, if you ignore the hands reaching into the shots.  As always, this show has a consistent and bold look.

Juliana Hatfield - How to Walk Away

Ever since I recently downloaded all the Juliana Hatfield albums that were missing from my collection, I’ve been alternating between listening to this one and her first solo album, Hey Babe (tracks from that one are posted here). J-Hat and I go way back. We’re, like, total BFFs, which is why I can get away with calling her “J-Hat,” whereas you probably cannot. Seriously, you shouldn’t call her that.

[Unrelated-but-Possibly-Amusing Tangent: Speaking of celebrity BFFs, did you know that Tina Fey and I are, like, tight now? We spent a summer traveling around Germany in a tiny plastic toy car. We had a pretty effing great time, too, except when Tina occasionally got exasperated with me. No, wait, that was just a dream I had the other morning. Good dream. But let's move on.]

How to Walk Away is one of her best albums.  It’s her signature sound (gritty, girly, guitarry, and completely addictive) but it’s also perhaps a more mature version of that sound.  Most of the songs are about either love gone wrong, solitude, or both. Here are a few of my favorites so far (the last one is the best - I dare you to listen to it and then not walk around humming it for days, nay, WEEKS):

This Lonely Love (featuring Richard Butler)


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Now I’m Gone


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Remember November


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If you’re a Hatfield fan, you should definitely check out her blog, An Arm and a Leg.

Mad Awkward

Last week’s episode of Mad Men was chock full of awkward moments!  Without further commentary, let’s just appreciate a few of them:

Shiela Will Not Truck with Paul's Selfishness

Shiela will not truck with Paul's selfishness.

Betty had had it up to HERE.

Betty had had it up to HERE.

Pete tries to smarm Peggy, but she remains unmoved.

Pete tries to smarm Peggy, but she remains unmoved.

Neighbor kid is about to get his creepy neighbor heart STOMPED.

Neighbor Kid is about to get his creepy neighbor heart STOMPED.

Paul pontificates about advertising and Marxism.

Paul pontificates about advertising and Marxism.

And , as usual, there were plenty of scenes that were just plain pretty.  Because I can never resist Mad Men’s sets, props, and wardrobe, here are a few pretty things from last week:

Betty contemplates a portrait of her mother.

Betty contemplates a portrait of her mother.

Betty’s contemplation of this portrait of her mother, coming just after we were shown the crass, gauche, unattractive stepmother, was quietly telling.

And here’s Don getting undressed (OH YES INDEED):

Secret Red Lining!

Secret Red Lining!

Did you know his gray flannel jacket had a secret red lining?  I never noticed that before.  What a lovely surprise.

Finally, I spent quite a while admiring the cups in use at this baby shower for Harry Crane, held in the Sterling Cooper offices:

I would like to serve cocktails out of these at my next party.

I would like to serve cocktails out of these at my next party.

Are they paper cups? Plastic? Glass?  I do not even know, but I can tell you that I WANT SOME.  I bet Joan knows where to get them.  Damn it all, why are Joan and I not friends in real life?