Something to Someone

Everything to Everyone is the only Barenaked Ladies album I own. Not that I wouldn't like to have more. It's just that I don't buy CDs very often because I'm really picky, and when I do go to buy a new CD, I can never decide what to get and never remember what I want, and usually end up buying a movie or some sheet music instead. But anyway.

If you're only going to have one BNL album, Everything to Everyone isn't a bad one to own. It really is everything to everyone. There's the Super Peppy Eighties Tribute Slash Political Satire "Shopping," there's the Strangely Cruel Love Ballad "Have You Seen My Love," there's the Almost A Bluegrass Tune "For You" (my very favorite cut on the album), and even The Song With Typically Funny BNL Lyrics "Another Postcard." And there's all sorts of other stuff, too.

This is an album that I can listen to for a week straight with nothing else mixed in and not get sick of. It's good times. Plus, you gotta admire a band that can write rhyming lyrics using words like "unencumbered," "circumspection," and "lalalalalalalalalalalalalalalala." Those are five dollar words, man.

Oh, how I love this show.

I tried and tried, but I couldn't think up a more witty title for this post. I mean, I even tried acronyms: Look Out! Survivors There! Lemony Orange Scent--Timeless. Leprechauns On Some Trees. You can see how this went downhill quickly.

Anyway, ABC's Lost, or LOST, if you prefer the all-caps version, is one of the best shows on television. Okay, some episodes stink, but these are, thankfully, not regular. And I hate hate hate Jack (both the character and the actor that portrays him). But otherwise, I love this show.

Every week (when it's actually on--thank the programming/producing geniuses for that one), I laugh at Hurley's awesome one-liners, gawk at some good looking men (there's pretty girls for the guys, too), and generally squirm with anticipation and questions about what the heck is going on. Some people complain that there are too many questions and not enough answers. To them I say, nah. They can't answer all the questions at once or there'd be no storyline. I maintain that there are just enough tidbits given out to keep me interested. Your mileage may vary.

Lost is definitely some crazy kind of fantasy and/or science fiction, but at its heart I think it's very much a character-driven piece. This means that it may not move fast enough for some people in terms of plot, but if you like pretty interesting and well-developed characters (Jack aside...man, I hate that guy), you should be right at home.

We're currently in season 4, so if you're behind, you absolutely must catch up with season one, season two, and season three. And I'm not just saying that. You really have to, or you won't have any idea what's going on. You might not anyway, but still. Give yourself a fighting chance.

Curious, indeed.

The subtitle to Mary Roach's non-fiction book Stiff is "The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers." She ain't just whistlin' Dixie. (What does that mean, anyway?)

Not for the squeamish or faint of heart (though I think if you can handle CSI you can handle this), Stiff tells you about all the things your body can do after you die, from your basic anatomy lab cadaver to compost and everything (and I do mean everything) in between. It's not graphic or gory, but I'm sure there are times you'll find yourself going, "Ick."

Interesting, informative, educational...and hilarious. Mary Roach writes with a very dry wit, and many, many times I found myself laughing---and then stopped and thought, "Should I be laughing at that?" And then I started laughing again.

Recommendation: Yeah. It's good.

Black or pinto beans?

We're extremely lucky here in Utah to have so many Cafe Rio restaurants. If you live in Nevada or Arizona, you might find one near you. Otherwise, you'll just have to come visit. Seriously, does fast Mexican food get any better? No, no it doesn't.

So I'm in a rut and get the shredded chicken salad almost every single time. Can I help it if I love the tortillas and dipping them in the tomatillo dressing? Can I help it if it makes me feel better about eating seven billion calories if it comes in salad form? Can I help it if everyone says the enchiladas are really good too? No, no I can't.

Cafe Rio is almost always crowded, but never fear: by the time you get your food (and trust me, that line moves faster than you think it will) there will be a place to sit. Don't say, "Eh, the line's too long, let's go to Bajio instead." Bajio, along with all of the other Cafe Rio copycats, is not as good. Oh, these places have their uses, but Cafe Rio is hands down the best. Would I lie to you? No, no I wouldn't.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got leftovers.

An (not so) oldie but a (very, very) goodie

Those of you who know me best are probably wondering how I managed to start this blog without putting this item on here first. Good question. I think I had to work my way slowly into the nerdiness so as not to scare everyone off right away.

Anyway, now that I've dived in, Firefly is a must-have for any...well, I was going to say for any science fiction fan. But then I thought, well, it's kind of a western. And it's also pretty funny. And there's some serious drama thrown in there. How should I classify this? Which, incidentally, is probably part of the reason it didn't last on television. (But don't get me started on that.) It's a must-have for any fan of witty writing, well-developed characters and interesting story arcs. How about that?

This entirely too short-lived series is amazing. You will like it. I pretty much guarantee it. You will laugh, you will cry when it's over, and then you will go see the movie. And just so you know, there's entirely too much Firefly-related merchandise in my possession--expect further reviews.

A word of caution: the pilot episode doesn't always grab everyone right off the bat. The second episode is great, but personally, I think the third episode is one of the weakest in the series. So promise me you'll give it a fighting chance despite this. Please. You won't regret it.

How'd they meet?

If you haven't yet starting watching this little gem on CBS, you're missing out. How I Met Your Mother is nearly always laugh out loud funny, with some nice eye candy to boot. (I'm not above a little eye candy. It's minty fresh!)

Sure, it's about five friends living together in New York, but it's nothing like Friends. I know this because I don't really like Friends, but I absolutely love How I Met Your Mother. And if that's not enough evidence, well, then, it's not, but it's just going to have to be because that's all there is.

If you're new to the show, don't worry--we don't yet know how he met our mother, so you haven't missed out on all the juicy details. But you'll want to catch up with season one and season two. If you don't find something that makes you laugh, then you clearly haven't seen the Robin Sparkles episode yet. Trust me.

Purgatoire? Non! Paradis!

How much do I love Paradise Bakery? Probably a little too much. Okay, probably a lot too much.

Cookies, salads, sandwiches, cookies, parfaits, breakfasts, cookies, soups, muffins...did I mention the cookies? I have yet to meet an edible item at Paradise that does not get along with me. My fat cells and and this establishment have a very good relationship.

I'm not gonna lie: it's a little pricey. The other day, I paid a little over $7.00 for a sandwich and nothing else (but it comes with a cookie! They always come with cookies!!! Not that I, you know, really like the cookies or anything.) But some dishes are better deals than others. For example, I'm a fan of the half sandwich/soup or salad combination (yes, it still comes with a cookie). The price eludes me right now and is not on their website, but I know it's cheaper than just getting a whole sandwich.

Anyway, should you feel like splurging, go to Paradise Bakery. And buy me a brownie or a cream cheese raspberry bar or something. I've gotta branch out from those cookies.

Oh my goodness, they're FUNCTIONAL!

So, I just saw Dan in Real Life, and I liked it quite a bit. I guess it'd be classified as a romantic comedy, but I think it's a bit more of a drama with some laughs thrown in. What it is above all is very sweet.

And what I couldn't get over was that here was this big, happy family all spending a week together...and they were a completely functional family. Completely. How often do you see that in movie and TV these days? I can't remember the last time..."Cosby," maybe?

At any rate, this is a delightful little film.

Oh, and the soundtrack is a real winner, too. Mellow, upbeat, emotional, and quirky all at the right places.

New books!

First up, The Raw Shark Texts by Steven Hall. Which is apparently just out in paperback as well.

This book is truly, truly bizarre. I read it in three days flat, partly because I was sick and had nothing else to do, but mostly because I had no idea what was going on and couldn't wait to find out. It's a very interesting combination of romance, science fiction, comedy, drama, action, and philosophy, with a healthy dose of What The Heck thrown in for good measure.

Recommendation: Get it. You'll...just, whoah.

Wow, it's Newly In Paperback day. Second review comes to us courtesy of The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

Not so much with the "Wow" as with the "Get on with it already, you arrogant, arrogant man." It's hard to tell if it's the character that's inherently arrogant, or if the author is imbuing his character with his own arrogance. Either way, there's plenty to go around in this intensely slow-moving book.

Recommendation: A big fat meh. I won't bother with the sequels, and if I were you, I wouldn't bother with this prequel of the sequels.