Mmmmmm....Pop Culture!

It's been an unreasonable amount of time since my last post.  The irony is that I quit posting while taking a writing class.  And then there was always some lame reason after another.  Last week, my friend Nikki gave me a kick in the pants by shaming me for not writing.  So glad someone's calling me on it.  Brian gives me gentle, husbandly encouragement but never criticizes.

I don't know how I got anything done last week with all the books, tv, and movies that I consumed.  We are in the ecstatic throes of Mad Men and couldn't be happier.  The scenes with Lane and Joan over the wrong flowers and note + him brandishing the steak in front of his pants were "pryce-less."  (Yeah, I know, but I couldn't help myself.  I am in an exclusive club with Stephan Pastis.)  And so was Peggy's response after her new lesbian friend makes a pass at her.  

I have a boyfriend

But he doesn't own your vagina.

Yeah, but he's renting it.

Peggy didn't bat an eyelash.  Roger usually gets the funny lines, but Peggy's got a few doozies of her own.  And did anyone notice the knowing glance exchanged by Joan and Peggy when Allison ran out of Don's office crying?  I think Joan was punishing Don by putting the old battleaxe secretary at his desk afterwards.

Read Elizabeth Kostova's The Swan Thieves.  I liked it but didn't love it the way I was obsessed over The Historian.  You can tell that Kostova is very good at her craft and is very thorough with her research.  However, this one left me a little cold afterwards.  

Also saw Salt and Scott Pilgrim vs The World.  How badass is it that Angelina is the only actress that can open an action movie?  Superfun, even if Brian didn't like the ending.  We very much enjoyed Scott Pilgrim.  Since we loved Shaun of the Deadand Hot Fuzz, we have to support Edgar Wright's career!  Good cast and interesting premise.  I envied Envy Adams for her shoes and her rock star swagger.  Loved Metric's Black Sheep, which we ran out and bought.

In between all of this, we finished Band of Brothers (furthering my mad crush on Damian Lewis, but what is that vibe between Winters and Nixon?) and watched episodes of Better Off Ted late nights while in Marin.  Ted was recommended by Vera and Larry, who also introduced us to Firefly.  They are two for two in their picks, since both shows are great!  Many thanks...

Last but not least, I read Rob Sheffield's memoir, Love is a Mix Tape, which was both heartbreaking and outrageously funny.  It's a lovely tribute to his vivacious wife, Renee, who died suddenly and too young.  I look forward to reading his new book, Talking to Girls about Duran Duran, which should arrive today!  I found a chapter online narrated by none other than Simon LeBon.  He opens drolly with, "This is Simon fu^%ing  LeBon."  Over a decage ago, Duran Duran was at Tower Records in SF to promote their latest album.  I knew some women who showed up with some of their old Tiger Beat mags from when they were teens.  Apparently, John, Nick, and Simon thought this was hilarious and spent time flipping through the pages while commenting on what had been said about them.  Sadly, I never got to see Duran Duran in concert.

But we are going to see THE SWELL SEASON tomorrow night!  Glen Hansard is another of my ginger crushes.  I guess I have a thing for redheads.