McLovin’

Stuff I’m just loving right now.

Innovative Internets:

Wainy Days

(That link takes you straight to the site mydamnchannel which has all the episodes – is better quality than below – YouTube version)

This is a new internet channel show (actually it’s been around for a while) created by the masterful and hilarious David Wain (whom I am going to go on record right now as LOVING and wanting to have his babies). The show takes a look at the dating dos and do nots of a perpetually single guy in his late 30s living in NYC. So far there are 20 episodes of completely inappropriate humour that often goes way too far and answers the eternal question: So THAT’S what they’re really thinking. Okay, not really but it’s HILARIOUS. Love how all the friends work in a sweat shop. What’s with that?

Many special guest stars – mostly from old projects like The State, Stella and Wet Hot American Summer.

I love this show so much it hurts <3<3<3

(If you’re over at MyDamnChannel I also highly recommend the soap opera spoof “Horrible People” and “You Suck at Photoshop” which are both also HILARIOUS!)

US Cable TV

Dexter.

This one is old news but for those who have not been initiated yet Dexter is the nicest sociopathic serial killer you could ever hope to meet. He’s on the Miami Police Force payroll as a blood splatter expert and he only kills people who really deserve it. Honest. No one has a clue that he’s a serial killer…well not yet anyway. His adopted father (a cop) taught him how to cover his tracks and Dexter has been following his golden rules to great success so far. The problem is that his sister’s also on the force and she’s getting a little too close for comfort…

A must see, definitely one of the best shows coming out of the US.

Superficial TV

Greek

Only a few people are really going to appreciate this one but I’m putting it out there anyway. Take one big Geek from high school and put him in college (sounding a little like Undeclared so far eh?) where his geekiness shines on like a crazy diamond. The problem is that his sister is the most popular girl on campus – uh oh. Bro comes along and makes friends with his sister’s secret ex boyfriend who is not exactly the kind of clean cut all American boy that sis wants to be associated with anymore. Things start to get a little complicated for all concerned when it turns out that sis still has a thing for the bad boy …which is probably not a good idea, since she’s going out with Mr Big Man on Campus.

Seriously much less superficial than I’ve made it sound. No really it is. Okay not that much less superficial, but still good tele.

The lead guy is also in the show “Quarterlife”, which started out like Wainy Days, as an internet short. It centers around a 20-something girl who blogs all day about her friends and housemates. Unfortunately they all discover her blog and she has to explain herself.

Reality TV

Project Runway.

I have been loving this show for years now. It never gets old. Take a bunch of struggling fashion designers and give them horrendously early deadlines by which to finish major pieces of fashion extravaganza that are challenging to make (ie: using only materials from the Hersey’s chocolate store??). Then they all parade their models down the catwalk and the worst outfit is eliminated with a swift auf Wiedersehen from host; Heidi Klum. Brilliant and engaging reality TV! The contestants are amazingly talented people with a desire to succeed. The prize is a show at New York Fashion week and money to start your own business. As someone related to a fashion designer I know how difficult this industry is. The real star of the show however is Tim Gunn who is the contestant’s mentor and father figure.

“Make it work!” <3

Retro Love

You know how back in the old days you’d make a mix tape for the people you love? Do you feel that a mix CD is a bit …I dunno; sterile? Do you actually know anyone who still plays tapes with any kind of regularity?

I love me a mix tape and here you have all the joy of a mix tape without the fuss of actually dealing with rewinding and fast forwarding through the songs you hate (for youngies…yes that’s what we used to do back in the old days). It’s a USB stick of around 60minutes of playing time that fits nicely into the tape for packaging purposes. You get to scribble all over the liner card and the gift recipient gets to keep a lovely keepsake while still enjoying the convenience of plugging that sucker into the laptop and downloading all those songs onto his/her ipod. Seriously, cool AND filled with squishy retro love.

Oz TV

Underbelly

click link to go to a video news story about the show and murders

All this killing and stuff went right on in my backyard (so to speak). Makes ya proud don’t it? Yeah, okay maybe not. Carl Williams is apparently unhappy with his portrayal on the show. Christ, beggars can’t be choosers mate.

Oz Blog

The Breakfast Blog

Right now he’s in Boston so it’s all a bit pointless and boring, but once he gets back to Melbourne it’ll be full steam ahead for The Breakfast Blog. The thing I love about this site, besides the fact that it details one of my favourite things (a good breakie …that I don’t have to cook) the site is remarkably easy to navigate and just all round informative. It gives you details on the price (with the nifty price index tag), tells you where the place is, indexes in alphabetical order, location AND by top scores. I love it. I use it. It’s brilliant and Jamie is rarely wrong. The man knows a good breakfast!

Bless!

Games:

Scrabulous

I know I should somehow feel ashamed but actually I don’t. I am, for the record the world’s WORST scrabble player. I did not grow up playing scrabble on Sunday evenings and drinking chocolate milk while my parents played footsies with each other under the coffee table while listening to Tapestry on the record player. Sorry, you must have be mixed up with the Keatons or the Seavers. I think I must be trying to relive the youth I never had or something because I’m totally into the scrabble revival!

Yes, I totally look up words online and cheat. pfcha! Course!

Magazines

Nylon. It’s quirky, it’s Rock N Roll, it’s totally fashion oriented but in a completely approachable way (finally!). It’s just fun. It doesn’t feel like it’s only for girls though I suppose girls mostly read it. It’s a little on the expensive side though.

There is an Australian magazine which I love just as much: Frankie – and REALLY love the fact that it comes with a rip out poster that I always put aside and use as wrapping paper. I like a mag that provides a little something extra.

Poster – dude, because Ro edits it and because it’s swish and glam and makes me wish I was about a million times more stylish than I actually am. It’s art, fashion, it’s a city scape all in one – it’s not your usual kind of magazine. This one is seriously going to go places. It already has in fact. <3

Book

Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics – Sasha Cagen

Reading To-Do List recently made me go back and re-read this old gem which Cagen wrote first. I’m more convinced now than ever that I’m a bona fide quirkyalone. It’s a manifesto for all those eternally single people – not just girls mind you. Read the essay here. It explains a lot.

Movie

The King Of Kong

I recently went to see this little documentary for a laugh but I became so emotionally involved that I almost scared myself. In fact the whole cinema was booing and cheering a long with it – unheard of in Melbourne!

If you go see one thing at the cinema this year make it this movie – go RIGHT NOW. You will not regret it – you can not make this stuff up. This is a documentary about playing the arcade game Donkey Kong – remember that one? Anyone who was a kid in the 80s would remember the game, it’s a classic. This documentary shows the seedy underbelly of video gaming – a side of gaming that is run by manipulation, threat and a man frightened of losing his world record score to a newcomer.

It’s so very good. <3<3

And there you have the stuff I’m loving right now.

What are you loving? Share!