Monday, March 19, 2007

Monday Evening Odds, Ends and Gratuitous Blog Plugs

Sorry for the lack of posts lately...

The work situation has interfered a little bit (the short-term job I have to keep me out of the poorhouse until something long-term arises starts at 7am--and by 7am I mean that's when I have to be there, not when I have to wake up...you do the math) and my internet access is both limited by security measures on work computers and an attempt on my part to cut back on ‘net time and spend more time working on the book (make all the porn jokes you want, my wrists are strong from guitar playing and hammer curls). But that ideally will change this week.

Before that happens though, here’s a quick summary of some changes to the right on the blogroll and speedy set of listening/watching/reading picks.

As hopefully most readers already know, I spent a few of my semi-sober years at UGA as a humor columnist for the Red & Black. Martians Attacking Indianapolis is also a blog of a former R&B humorist, Josh Massey. If by some truly random fluke coincidence you ever find yourself quizzed on the history of Really Post-Grizzard R&B humorists, or a network decides that exposing grown, presumably college-educated Americans as dumber than their children (while at the same time their news channels are asking over and over again "why are America’s school’s failing?) and they start a show called "College Newspaper Writer Quizzes" you find yourself a contestant on. Well, here’s your cheat-sheet: before me, there was Will Kiser, before Will was Blake McCormack, and before Blake, was Josh.

It should be pretty obvious who the author of the posts on According To Haley is, but I will point out that if you see the title and for some reason start making associations with that putrid show starting the cute chick from Melrose Place and the untalented, and sadly non-speedball overdosed Belushi brother (with a name I won’t utter here, both out of respect for Haley’s blog and to avoid garnering hype or interest or anything for that horrid show) well but so the point is there’s good writing there (I recommend the novel excerpt myself).

In the headphones: "Middleclass Haunt" by Subtle (apparently, despite the fact that he really sounds like Beck, the guy singing is not Beck).

1969 (any of the songs off their MySpace)—it’s a Butch Walker side-project, with Butch playing bass, singing and providing lyrics, and his Let’s-Go-Out-Tonight’s guitarist penning the music. Imagine Butch’s arena-ready, ReadySexGoianist, anthemicist stuff, crossed with U2 (and yes, that’s mainly because of the heavy delay on "wreck me" and the fact that it reminds me of the Edge).

Of Mirth and Matter – basically it’s nostalgic listening. You heard it hear first, if you didn’t see the band live, well…you missed your shot (more on that in another post).

What’s causing eyestrain: I’m rereading select bits of Infinite Jest again, but that’s just until I get a chance to pickup Jonathan Lethem’s latest (the author of Fortress of Solitude takes on indie rock…it should kick ass).

What will make me sleepy at work tomorrow: I’ve plugged it before, but What About Brian is making quite a case for my favorite currently-showing-new-episodes-and-not-on-cable, non-dramatic TV show (what with the OC off the air and all). The most recent episodes have flirted with Season-1 (non-Oliver) and Season 4 (non-cage-fighting, or the Bright from Everwood) OC’s deft mix of comedy and light dramatic touch. The show was originally based on the premise of the "good guy" falling for his best friend’s bride-to-be. But they quickly resolved that issue early in the season (and basically sent Scrubs Gift-Shop Girl packing), killed off of the absentee soccer star husband, and have focused on the remaining characters life and love struggles. The formerly married couple living together trying to get back together, the out of work guy finding a new job, a lawyer going celebate to make partner…you write out the basic plots and you might cringe, but the writers are great, and the cast has mad skills (in addition to the aforementioned high percentage of hotties quotient). In particular, the Deena and Dave plot has been great (watch their phone conversation scenes with the daughter listening in—memo to TV writers: this is how you do cute without it being sappy, and having it remain funny.)

1 comment:

Josh M. said...

Man, you make me feel old.

Nice blog, by the way. Anything that mentions me is outstanding, actually.