Do yourself a favor and download Yeasayer's new single "Ambling Alp" from the band's site here. I could sink into this song and die in it. It's that good.

Also watch this if you have any love for Arcade Fire or Carnivàle.



I get to return to the world of the living after 12 pm CST. Await my resurrection.

With its sixth episode, Bored to Death has become my absolute favorite new show of 2009. It's the funniest half-hour comedy (or, uh, "noir-otic" comedy) currently on TV, with the possible exception of The Big Bang Theory.

White Collar's premiere was passable, if somewhat bland and formulaic. At this point, I'd say that evolving into a safe, comfortable, family-friendly buddy dramedy will be its zenith.

My life is a living Hades of stress right now, don't even ask. And that's why I've been a bit absent of late.

Hello again to the specific subset of my readers who enjoy buying cosmetics:

Sephora's annual 20% off Friends and Family sale is early this year (bad idea, imo; I know I'm not quite in the mood to Christmas shop yet): it began today and lasts until November 2nd. Code is FF2009.

Some choice stuff I had saved in my cart is already sold out, and I suspect Sephora strategically removed some items from stock: the Guerlain Parure Extreme foundation I've been stalking isn't available atm, damn them. In other words, if you want something bad, get it now.

On the other hand, I think with the economy still being in the shitter they may do more promotions this fall than they have in years past.

I watched its fourth episode, and FlashForward has now been officially removed from my schedule. Not worth it on any level.

A new show I'm happy about: Bored to Death. Reviews for it weren't entirely enthusiastic, but after the first four episodes, the initial unevenness has mostly been overcome, and it's developing into a literate little post-modern gem with a cynical, sardonic coating over a surprisingly sweet and earnest interior. Plus, I still want to take Jason Schwartzman to my bosom. Even if his head would only reach there on me.

Sadly, there are a few misogyny issues. I'm unhappily tolerating them for the moment while hoping that they don't continue. HBO's already renewed BTD for a second season, so I'll be able to see how things develop further.

I finally found this in New York, and they are all pretty much perfect and/or undeniably superior in every way.

Tomorrow I'm going to post some pictures, again not precisely for Collection Sunday, but instead of Great Stuff I Got for Free Because Sometimes Life Is Awesome.

Evidently I have the hands of a lesbian. Who knew?

In other news, I've been being very good lately and studying for the GMAT in the evenings; hence, I've had less time for LJ posting.

Only two weeks behind on Supernatural, am caught up on Mad Men, and am one week behind on FlashForward. The writing on episode 3 of the latter was so wretched (Nazis are bad! FBI agents are unprofessional to their German counterparts (and vice versa)! and women who wear thumb rings are lesbian (yet another heretofore-unknown indicator?)!) that I'm almost tempted to not continue. Seriously, ffs, give me a break, and soforth.

White Collar premieres tonight next Friday. Regardless of its quality, Matthew Bomer ought to be refreshing to look upon. Anyone else planning on watching it?

I'm back. And contrary to all of my predictions, I didn't get online at all. Internet was $5/hour or $20/day at the hotel, neither of which I could stomach paying, and since neither Dad nor I can stand Starbucks, that didn't happen either. So it was the longest I've been without internet since I went to Europe for the summer in 2003.

I enjoyed myself immensely anyway. At the moment I want to get my MBA, then look for a job in Manhattan. Which impulse will probably disappear within the next few weeks.

Pictures and more coherence tomorrow. I missed you guys!

Hey, kids. I'm going to be in NYC from October 1-8. I seriously doubt I'll be without internet or out of contact for that time, because trying to keep me and the interwebs apart is pretty much like attempting to separate desperate lovers from one another or fat kids from cake or the earth from the moon. I will probably be making pointless and numerous entries and Tweets and Facebook updates from Lubbock and Houston and Memphis and Dallas and La Guardia and hotels and every other location with viable and free wireless.

But there is that tiny chance I won't be able to.

Otherwise, The September Issue is astonishingly good. If you have even the slightest interest in fashion or documentaries, I highly recommend it.

I'm fairly certain that sending hundreds of titty pictures and desperately messaging a bored Eli Roth for cyber sex is a new all-time-low for ONTD. The ASkars affair was absolutely Victorian compared to this fap-fest.

Ordinarily I find ONTD a banquet of lulz, but this goes beyond my personal preference. I enjoy the fourth wall, dammit!

Srsly you guyz, what has Ian Somerhalder done to his face? I just watched the Lost episodes he was in, and he looked just like Chace Crawford's brother. Not my taste in men, but very pretty and very fresh-faced. Today I broke down and skimmed through the first two eps of The Vampire Diaries, and he looks like Rob Lowe. Not 80's Rob Lowe. Today Rob Lowe. It has to be Botox and plastic surgery, doesn't it? He just looks very, very off.

Compare this and this. Creepy, amirite? I don't think a few years of aging could account for that.

Anyway, if you want to watch something that makes True Blood look subtle, nuanced, tasteful, and flawlessly written and acted, try The Vampire Diaries. It'll give you a whole new appreciation, I promise.

Speaking of vampires, "Eat it, Twilight" may be my new favorite Supernatural one-liner.

I just realized that I need reading material for my trip. I have very little left that I haven't read, and of that, none of it is going to hold my attention on a plane or in a hotel before bed. I've already decided I'm going to buy the newest Pratchett in paperback, and I'd like this but there's no way I'm going to find it on short notice.

So, suggestions? I am ordinarily kind of a disgusting snob about what I read, but in this circumstance I need something engaging that doesn't make me want to kill myself like pretty much everything else I read does.

Wow, Gossip Girl and The Big Bang Theory were both absolutely dreadful tonight. I don't think I'm exaggerating in saying that that was the worst episode of The Big Bang Theory yet. (And no, I'm not a shipper. I suppose if anything, I'm anti all ships.)

Your thoughts?

I still haven't gotten to see last night's Mad Men.

Sorry I've been a bit absent for the past two days. Between work and running errands at Home Depot (my favorite! favorite like a toothache) and trying to finalize details for going to New York, I haven't had much peaceful time on my computer.

I did go out yesterday to buy a couple of blouses, and I was appalled, simply appalled, at the selection. I'd always rather have two well-made things than six tawdry pieces of garbage, even if I have to pay considerably more. I'm not always able to do that, however, so in lieu of preference I had to settle for convenience. To add insult to injury, yesterday I was faced with uniformly overpriced and simultaneously shoddily-constructed garments. Was it just my imagination that Express used to carry at least a few stylish yet tasteful tops that were less than $60? All I could find yesterday were slinky little clubwear tanks that looked like they'd been discarded from the Forever 21 inventory, and the usual supremely boring button-downs.

Then there's Gap and Banana Republic. Let's not even go there.

And! I am watching Generation Kill with my father. He loves it. Once I've seen something and gotten emotionally invested in it, I almost always try to re-watch it with someone else and get a vicarious thrill out of seeing them see it for the first time while also seeing it again myself. Thus I inflict my obsessions shamelessly upon family and friends. Dad, fortunately, is perfectly oblivious to any of my fandom activities (he's just aware I will watch anything I consider well-made), so I get zero grief over the presence of ASkars in the production, and just have to keep myself from appearing too amused at Ray's endless crudities.

I'm listening to Andrew Bird's Noble Beast on vinyl. The nuances and orchestration of his music is vastly improved by not limiting it to a compressed format.

Well, I think that cured me of my True Blood obsession for a while. I don't think I've seen a worse season finale since the Battlestar Galactica series ender. Nothing can top that one.

(contains one very mild spoiler for one of the later books, the contents of which are already being introduced. six? seven?)
( Why couldn't this season have ended with episode nine? )

Yes, I am tearing myself away from my morning fangirling duties to post the long-delayed continuation of Collection Sunday. (For those of you who are new to reading my LJ, previous parts and an exhaustive explanation can be found here.)

I am breaking my own "three or more objects constitutes a collection" rule simply because I can.

Up today: ( Limited-Edition Guerlain palettes )

I'm obviously not going to get anything productive or creative done tonight, so I am torn between a.) watching Sons of Anarchy on my laptop, b.) watching Top Chef and Project Runway off the DVR, or c.) sitting right here whilst listening to music and wasting time.

I've been feeling particularly guilty about Supernatural lately - I planned one last epic re-watch over the summer to get myself all psyched up for the S5 premiere, and instead didn't watch a single episode and spent my spare time being obsessive about
The Big Bang Theory
Chuck
Breaking Bad
True Blood
studying for the GMAT
working out
and not necessarily in that order. I'm such an unfaithful fangirl. But anyway, I was pleased with the premiere last night, even with the major handwave it included. Is it awful that I'm hoping that the numbers aren't spectacular this season so that Dawn won't press for an unnecessary S6? I just want it to go out at the top of its game so that I can love all of it and not be embarrassed of tacked-on seasons.

Teaching myself Geometry from scratch is going amazingly well. I'm becoming tentatively positive about perhaps getting a very good score on the GMAT.

Speaking of True Blood, recent interviews with Alan Ball seem to indicate that the plotline of the third book will be followed closely in S3. This pleases me, because there are several scenes I'm anticipating for various reasons, including a certain storyline involving Andy which should bring many lulz.

The exciting: I'm going to get to explore the abandoned movie theater in a nearby town! It's been closed since the late 70's, so it won't be too compelling inside, but still. There are lots of abandoned houses/businesses around, but I've only gotten the guts to break into a few of them. I'm planning on going back to and photographing a 80-year-old dugout next weekend. The only thing left in it is a box of old china.

I've been heartily amused lately by the Alexander Skarsgard fandom. I've kind of soured on the Supernatural fandom this summer; everything is SRS BSNS and wanks and fuming and threatening Kripke and it's not even fun in a disturbing way anymore. Sure, ONTD imploded over the ASkars/ERW photos today, but generally ontd_askars is lulzy, lewd, and lighthearted. Just the way I like my fandoms.

What can I say? I've been involved in fandoms for the past eleven or twelve years, and it's become an enjoyable part of my socialization. Of course, nothing will ever match the camaraderie and innocent enjoyment of the CDMC group (ILU guys!), but I'll take what I can get. And at the moment, that doesn't include BNFs, convention gripes, and endless incest ship wars.

Before I go off to reply to comments and entries:

I think all of you know that I have a love-hate relationship with True Blood, but I think this very nearly sums up the love part and the glorious, delicious, shameless crack:

( Cut for mild (but entirely edifying) NSFW )

The new Sea Wolf album is so, so good. I love what Alex Church has done with the instrumentation on this one.

Then I felt guilty for downloading the leak (me? with a conscience? the horror!) so I pre-ordered it on vinyl from Dangerbird's site.

I think you'd like it, too, magicsandwiches.

Do you consider yourself a picky eater? Are there certain foods you've never eaten and never will, just because they sound or look disgusting to you? Do you avoid entire food groups because of allergies or taste?

I know a couple of you have to avoid gluten and dairy, but I'm curious about everyone else.

As for me, I eat everything. I do consider myself a fairly adventurous eater, and I'll try anything once as long as it doesn't appear to be rancid or off. I very rarely encounter new things that I don't like or wouldn't have again. There are a few exceptions, however: I despise green beans, black-eyed peas, and barbecue sauce (hate the sticky sweetened tomato taste, and I'm not a huge fan of ketchup, either). Additionally, there are some dishes that I don't care for just because of how they're prepared, especially traditional casseroles with things like canned cream soup as binders. Lastly, I try to avoid drinking milk or eating cereal because it invariably makes me break out. I guess I could use soy milk, but I only get the craving for cereal once every few weeks, so I'd never finish it.

Now you!