Since I got back from Massachusetts I’ve been slowly unpacking the heaps and piles of new treasures I brought back with me, since once again my family and friends pretty much outdid themselves in demonstrating how awesome they are and how well they know my taste.
As for what I gave out: this year in addition to the usual pile of books, music, and games, I also gifted some neat things from Etsy that were (I think) well-received. I’ll probably buy even more from Etsy next year if I can manage to get started on my shopping a little earlier.
For my mother I got this lovely hummingbird mug from PottersVision. The glaze on the inside of the mug is especially pretty, I think.
My grandmother got this hand-carved Canada Goose from SandraHealy, though I had a hard time choosing which one to get. The birds in particular were all pretty appealing, I thought.
I also picked up this bottle opener for my cousin – it’s made from part of a recycled bicycle gear and I think it’s pretty neat.
But my absolute favorite Etsy purchase this year has to be the custom red squirrel feltidermy I ordered for my squirrel-plagued dad from GirlSavage. It’s simultaneously adorable and a little bit sick, which I’m pretty sure means it’s awesome.
The only downside to doing my holiday shopping on Etsy is, of course, that I keep finding new things I want for myself. Perhaps I should just start dumping a percentage of my paycheck into PayPal - just like with my 401(k), only instead of nothing I’d get things.
I won’t bore you with excuses. Let’s just get straight to the stuff I ought to have mentioned days or weeks or in some cases months ago, shall we? By the way, I recommend that for an optimal experience, you read this list in the same manner in which I wrote it. So go on and have an awful nightmare about teeth, then make some excellent coffee and grab a handful of Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s to munch on. I’ll wait.
I am quite overcome with shame that I’m mentioning on December 20th something that happened in October, but here it is: I attended the Halloween Extravaganza & Procession of the Ghouls at St John the Divine and enjoyed it very much. There is video of the ghoulish bits, which took place after a screening of Phantom of the Opera.
I am completely shocked that I have not previously said anything about Quordy, one of my very favorite iPhone games. The multiplayer functionality is what sets it apart from the other word games, many of which I am also fond of but which do not allow you to engage in epic, unending combat with your friends. I like this game so much that I threw three crumpled dollar bills at Nicole in an effort to force her to buy it. (She wisely complied.)
My Thanksgiving was lovely and relaxing and full of deep-fried meat. Previously I would have said that deep-fried turkey was a thing I would not enjoy, but I am happy to have been proven wrong.
I am of the opinion that the Devils in my Details is pretty great, so seeing the ohGr show at Blender Theater a couple of weeks ago was a treat. There is video of this, as well. I offer Pepper, Timebomb (my favorite track from the new album), Lusid, Cracker, and a bit with feathers. I believe that now, weeks later, I have finally gotten all of the feathers off of my bag and the coat I wore to the show, but little clumps of them still reside in my apartment. I imagine they will do so for all time.
And speaking of videos, I have two more to show you, from the John Hodgman & Jonathan Coulton event at the Wired Store last night. Here is Hodgman’s theme song, and here is Code Monkey. I am aware that these clips are somewhat more head-filled than is ideal, but it couldn’t be helped. Of the handful of chairs available, the view from half of them was blocked by comically elaborate camera equipment, and the rest was all heads.
I am still playing Warcraft, but only barely. November and December are busy times for those of us who make things for a living, even when those things are websites and newsletters. My mage reached 80 some time ago and has mostly languished since then, with Storm Peaks only half-completed and Icecrown still untouched. But I have made an effort to log in for the Winter Veil stuff, for which I have an unabashedly goofy and previously-mentioned affection. I mention this because my entire experience of the game changed earlier this week when I finally installed the large quantity of new RAM sent to me by a concerned friend. It is now an absolute joy to stroll through Dalaran, whereas a week ago I was avoiding it whenever possible as the lag-based rage and frustration was taking years off my life. And now it’s just a lovely floating mage-city! Quite charming, really.
Being a girl, I am somewhat fond of cosmetics. This time of year is when all the ridiculous holiday makeup palettes come out, so I thought I would direct you to my two favorites: MAC’s smokey eye set, and this absurd and fantastic Tarte collection. I have them both already, so this is not a hint that you should buy them for me - you have been beaten to it! But I don’t have this Givenchy set and I do have a birthday in January. Cough, cough.
And yes, I can hardly believe that Christmas is less than a week away. I actually enjoy this time of year in spite of its attendant horrors and am a little sad that it’s nearly over. I did a lot of my shopping on Etsy this time around, which was very satisfying, but of course I’m still remembering people I need to buy for even now, when it’s pretty much too late for leisurely pouncing with a cup of cocoa.
Oh, Internet. I am very sorry to have neglected you so egregiously once again. I hope that all of your holiday shopping is done and that you are not as busy as I am and have had time to play in the snow or do whatever it is that people who live in snow-free areas do in December. I will remind you once more that I am somewhat less silent on Twitter, so if you find your days saddened by the lack of me, it is always an option. And if you liked the Candy Cane Joe-Joe’s, try the ones that are covered in dark chocolate.
I’ve had a rather long and trying week that has left me more than a little tired and cranky. As a result, I don’t really feel equal to the task of writing something meaningful about what happened on Tuesday. I will say, however, that for the first time in a very long time I actually feel proud to live in this country. And quite pleased to share my birthday with Inauguration Day.
Hodgman’s new book More Information Than You Require was released this week, and on Tuesday evening he did a reading at the Union Square B&N, accompanied by Jonathan Coulton. I attended and found the experience to be pleasant and my newly-signed book to be entertaining. Although the batteries in my Flip died early on, I did get a brief clip of Coulton singing The Future Soon, and also one of Hodgman.
I have to admit that before Tuesday I wouldn’t really have described myself as a Coulton fan – not that I didn’t like his stuff, just that I hadn’t really investigated it (with the exception, of course, of Still Alive). But I enjoyed his bookstore performance enough that I’ve been listening to quite a bit of Coulton the past few days. So I suppose that means it was a success.
In the little notebook that lives in my purse, there’s a list of things I want to remember to mention here. Normally it doesn’t get longer than a couple of lines, but I’ve been so busy for the past month or so that it’s grown to quite embarrassing proportions. I know I’ll never get around to writing a lengthy post on each of these items, so here are all of them:
Second Skin: I first heard about this documentary about MMO players on MetaFilter and found the trailer surprisingly engaging, so when I noticed there was a screening here in New York last month I made sure to go. It was kind of a strange experience; the crowd was definitely heavier on gamers than it was on film geeks, and I don’t think I’ve ever been around so many people talking about World of Warcraft at the same time. As for the film, it was pretty good - a much more meaty and even-handed look at the lives of people who play online games than one normally sees. I recommend checking it out if you have the opportunity to do so.
True Blood: A lot of my friends have been asking what I think of this HBO series. I suppose because I wear a lot of black and black has something to do with vampires? It’s not clear. In any case, I’ve actually read the first few books of the series on which this show is based, and I find both books and show to be very trashy but also at least mildly entertaining. The show has begun to depart fairly significantly from the first of the books, though, so we’ll see what happens there.
I caught Religulous last weekend with friends and enjoyed it despite a surprisingly grim bit at the end. I wouldn’t describe myself as a huge Bill Maher fan (I have never really watched any of his shows, for example) but I laughed through most of the film. It also made me want to kill myself just a little bit, thanks to clips like this one.
Paul Tough had a piece on This American Life a couple of weeks ago on the Harlem Children’s Zone - a topic on which he has also written a book. I found the radio piece fascinating enough that I hit up a reading he did with Geoffrey Canada at the Union Square B&N this past Monday despite not having read the book yet. I have read it now, though, and can heartily recommend it.
Though the real Oktoberfest has been over for a while now (as has Brewfest), Heidelberg is still serving their special Oktoberfest menu as I discovered on Friday when I was there for Baron’s early birthday feast. The fresh soft pretzels are excellent with mustard, although I skipped the seasonal entrees in favor of the sausage sampler for one. (“I’m thinking of trying the sausage sampler tonight.” “THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID!”) It was excellent, as was Nicole’s homemade birthday cake.
Pumpkin custard is back at Shake Shack - it’s the flavor of the day on Mondays during October. That means you could have some tomorrow, as I certainly will.
I posted a couple videos from the Haints/Shack Shakers show on Wednesday over at my Vimeo page. They’re a little choppy and the sound quality leaves a lot to be desired, but I suppose that’s to be expected from a hundred dollar camcorder. As of this writing, they’re still in the queue to be converted by Vimeo, so if you don’t see them now, check back in a couple of hours.
Thanks to a shadowy figure cloaked in darkness and mystery, I had two tickets to the Legendary Shack Shakers show at Mercury Lounge on Wednesday. Melissa joined me, and we consumed good beer and mediocre quesadillas at Sixth Ward before heading over. As a venue, I like Mercury Lounge - it is small but the sound is good and there are plenty of places for those of us who are not so tall to stand and see the stage without being precisely front and center.
I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the Haints; I have Ghost Dance and like it, but I think they’re one of those bands that you appreciate much more after seeing them live. Plus, I mean, there’s a washtub bass. That’s got to count for something.
I had been warned that the Shack Shakers put on a show made of crazy, and I was not disappointed. I was a little too sober and a little too conscious of the fact that I do not own a spare pair of glasses to actually dive into the small pit that developed, but from the side of the stage I could still soak up the madness pretty well. The stage and crowd were both a wild mess of beer and water and sweat and noise, which I figure is pretty much as it should be. All in all it was a good time, and I am happy to have finally experienced a Shack Shakers show for myself.
Viva Piñata: Trouble in Paradise: I was very much a fan of the original Viva Piñata, and I’d been anticipating the sequel for quite some time. While it’s true that it’s more like an expansion than a true sequel, and much of the game remains identical to its predecessor, there’s enough new material there that it has captured many an evening over the past few weeks. I look forward to investigating the online play a little more as more of my friends pick up the game.
World of Warcraft: Yeah, still. Only a little, though – the Brewfest holiday is going on right now, and we all know how I feel about goofy holiday content. I always imagine that someday I’ll cancel my account, but while I often go a few weeks without logging in, I still keep coming back to it.
Fire Words: This is a quick little word game for the iPhone that has become my default subway pastime. It’s entertaining, allows me to listen to my own music (unlike Bejewelled), launches quickly and can be stopped at a moment’s notice, and lets me use profanity. I really see no downsides.
Yeah, yeah. I know you’re far too cynical for politics. But just watch it, ok? Unless you already did. In which case, you have my permission to spend the next three quarters of an hour napping or drinking tea.
For extra credit, you may also watch this one and think about what happens when folks just don’t feel like voting.
As someone who is approaching a decade of life in New York, I’ve long since mastered the skill of ignoring people on the sidewalk who wish to hand me something, and people holding clipboards who wish to talk to me about something. Generally the latter are involved in some kind of Cause, which is all well and good, but I tend to pick my own causes and am unlikely to be swayed by the practiced spiel of a college kid in a windbreaker.
The former sidewalk group, the ones who wish to hand me something, are typically recruiting for a religion. (I’m setting aside the people who flyer for strip clubs, because as a female I usually not their target audience.) For the most part they’re Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses, but sometimes one encounters the occasional cluster of Jews for Jesus. As with the cause people, it’s great that the religion people have found something to occupy their time. Were I in the market for a new religion, however, the sidewalk is not where I would go shopping.
I mention all of this by way of explaining that coming into physical contact with Bible tracts and other religious literature is such an unusual event for me that I was actually startled to discover a pamphlet called “Does GOD Love You?” in a recent order of jewelry supplies from a seller on Etsy. (The answer, by the way, is yes - but what with the rapture coming soon I’d better start repenting or I’ll still be sucked into a fiery pit of etc etc.) I wasn’t entirely sure how to react, at first. Surely negative Etsy feedback wasn’t in order, although it was a little disconcerting to be told I’m going to hell when all I asked for was some earring backs.
Now, though, I think I’ve got it figured out. To thank the seller for alerting me to the impending destruction of the Earth, I will reply with this vital information about who will be eaten first.
Whenever a new Apple product comes out, all of my acquaintances who pay attention to Apple products (either because they are fond of them or because they hate them to the very depths of their souls) seem to feel the need to find me to discuss the new Apple product and ask if I’m getting one. So in the interest of not having the same iPhone conversation another twenty times in the next week, here then are some collected thoughts about All This iPhone Stuff.
I did not buy an iPhone 3G on Friday, and indeed have not bought one at all. This has more to do with the fact that I hate lines than the fact that I shelled out $600 just last summer, but of course it is perfectly true that I already have a functional iPhone with nary a mark on it. I have no real excuse for upgrading as I spend very little time in WiFi-free areas, but that doesn’t mean I won’t talk myself into it anyway. Ask me again in a couple of months.
What I did do on Friday, of course, is upgrade to iPhone 2.0. I thought that by waiting until the software was officially out I was being exceedingly clever and admirably patient, but friends and co-workers who sneakily upgraded the night before made sure to gloat as I sat through a multi-hour download the morning of the 11th with several million other people. My phone and I both survived, though, and the App Store turns out to be rad enough to make it worthwhile.
As for apps I like, here is a brief and incomplete sampling:
Twitterrific Premium: I use the Mac version and am fond of it. The iPhone version is just as good, though it’s true that the scrolling isn’t as smooth as I’d like.
Bejeweled 2: It is likely that you already know by now whether you are the kind of person who likes Bejeweled or the kind of person who hates it, and hates people who like it. I like it, myself, and while I’d prefer something like Puzzle Quest this is certainly a good subway time-suck.
CityTransit: The maps could certainly stand to be a little higher resolution, as many of the iTunes reviews note, but it does more or less what I expected it to. Worth the three bucks if you live in New York.
Enigmo: A wise creature recently introduced me to the Mac version of Enigmo, and I liked it so much that I bought this one, too. The controls are a little trickier without a mouse, but all in all it translates pretty well.
