The Squid And The Whale, plus Andy Samberg

I finally got around to seeing The Squid And The Whale, the heavy, Brooklyn-set film about a broken marriage. Not cheerful, which is why it sat so long in my Netflix cue, but really great characters- too cold and dysfunctional to relate to eachother: from Jeff Daniels' aging, narcissistic literature professor character to those of his sons, one needy for acceptance, parroting and taking credit for ideas he doesn't understand; the ten year old alternating between masturbating himself all over the school, storing cashews long-term in his nostrils, and getting blasted alone in his underwear until passing out.

And yes, New Yorkers, the title is referencing the exhibit in the undeniably awesome Museum of Natural History.

See it for the good characters, as well as poignant NYC shots and the understatedly hilarious, cringe-worthy, intellectual snobbery that sabotages everything.

Normally I do enjoy hanging around with smart folks, but please, please, may we never become anything like these people.

And if you'd like to chase that downer with a completely different spin on Wasp-y white lives gone awry, watch This Ridiculous Digital Short from last week's SNL. Goodnight!

What The Cashier Probaly Should Have Not Said To Two Men Buying Groceries Together In Greenwich Village

an observation

It's almost ten p.m. and I'm barely home and entirely starving, but I just had an experience that I couldn't invent if I tried, so I need to capture it before my sieve-brain does its thing.

I just got home from loading up on groceries at Trader Joe's at Union Square. After the typical wait in the hefty weekend line, I pull up to my spot in the dense bay of cashiers, and shortly thereafter the spot to my left opens up and a cart pulls in. The guy pushing it asks if the cart can be split into two orders, which for some reason caught my ear, and I look over at them. Two very average-looking, relatively well-kempt guys, early forties.

Now, to preface and give the cashier credit, she was looking down at the cart overflowing with what was almost exclusively sparkling water and purple orchids (Does this sound like a cringe-worthy stereotype? Yes. Am I embellishing this at all? No. ). So she, characteristically pierced, inked, and skinny-jeaned TJ's employee that she is, is busying herself with how to bag all of this. After they ask if they can pay on two bills, she says- "Sure, as long as it's not delivery;" -downbeat, looks up, cocks head, gesturing toward cart and customers- "top and bottom?"

And to those of us with reasonable hearing within a ten-foot radius, all operations seemed to screech to a movie-style, record-scratch halt, there in the pandemonium of the earth's busiest Trader Joe's. Not sure about everyone else's visible reaction as I was trying to play it cool, but my jaw did drop and I did silently giggle while looking out of the corner of my eye at the situation. After a couple stunned downbeats, and the realization that she was inquiring how to split the bill for a cart with both racks in use, the quicker one of the two good naturedly gave a small smile and said it was a "personal question."

And, Scene.

curious timing for an appearance

I'm awake at 5:45 a.m. on a Sunday for no clear reason. I've been sleeping poorly lately. I blamed it on temporary work stress, then not eating well... and had a few disturbingly unrepeatable dreams that I blamed on alcohol and am definitely hoping do not persist. I'm normally such a fan of sleeping that this is baffling me.

I've also not been able to maintain blogging, if you notice the long lag between timestamps. Are these things at all related? Is my NYC lifestyle affecting me on a level I'm unaware of? Should I be concerned about my Id?

I've noted the pace of NYC before- here we're all working, working, going, scurrying, doing things. I have often classified myself as more of a think-er than a do-er, and sometimes appreciate that this town encourages me to do more. Here I feel it's less natural to step back and think, relax. Sometimes it does overwhelm me... but not entirely. My head is above water, but I do think I'm affected by the frenetic aspect of this town. We work. We drink. We wake up and think about work on our way there. We play hard on the weekends, always planning where we're going, what activity is next.

When people ask me how I like New York, I say I love it, for now. This Manhattan life feels to me like like an indefinite break from the real world, an extended childhood. It is unsustainable, though. You live in 200 square feet. You have no commitments outside yourself. You spend most of the money you work so hard for chasing the circus of pleasures that make up the city. You are often drunk. You meet many, many more people than you would elsewhere, but relationships are often fleeting and superficial.

Normally not one for big moves, I significantly changed the color of my hair yesterday. I'm not sure if this is portentous, or whether it's a fleeting itch that happens to coincide with a minor malaise. Guess we'll see.

I resent you, Lollapalooza

I am extremely excited about Sasquatch! this year.

Am I grateful that I am able to scratch together funds to make it out to the West and head to The Gorge?
YES

Am I way pumped about the best-yet lineup, so epic it's going to make juggling acts and stages challenging?
YES

Am I amused by the ironic kitten graphic announcing that the event sold out (though sad some friends did not get tickets)?
YES


Will it not be incredible to go back to Washington and hear great music in the most beautiful setting, ever, and reconnect with a bunch of friends?
YES!

However-
How disappointing is it that Lollapalooza got Phoenix and Yeasayer and we did not?
VERY.

I am fans of both, and have been holding out for the announcement of added acts, since they both are touring, but now that it's sold out... I have little hope. Blast.
Maybe still a tiny bit...

It Snowed

Central Park is a different poem in the snow.

Clashing Values in the Age of Mass Media

In the NYTimes, an interesting article about how the digital age is bringing differences in cultural values to light: American/European values on the rights to privacy versus free speech.

there ain't nothing please me more than you

Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros. Addicted.



See you all at Sasquatch, Zeros.

Re-Packaging

The ultimate design contest: the ubiquitous NYC Condom wrapper.





Gothamist reports the finalists of the Department of Health's design contest. Vote!

Hold on to your metro-themed packages; they'll be a collector's item soon.

Just kidding. The original is also staying, and I'm not advocating keeping old condom wrappers.

Yea (yay!)

Yeasayer's new album, Odd Blood, is out... trippy, catchy and groovy, as they do best. Exhibited here in the single, Ambling Alp, and its video (NSFW):

Embrace naked desert frolickers.

(If that's not enough trippy nudity for you, check out the "ambling alp experience" from the album site, also NSFW.)

Also enjoy/recall the video from the also-catchy Wait for the Summer, from their last album (alternate title, Crustaceans Hallucinating on Apples)-

You never fail to blow our minds, Yeasayer. Rock on.

Eyelid Movies

Phantogram's new album, 'Eyelid Movies," comes out next week. You can hear it now, though, on NPR.

*like*

*Phantogram is playing the Mercury Lounge here in NYC next friday, February 12th. Maybe see you there.