Media

Reading:
So what else is going on in my life that I may kick-start this blog? Let's see, I'm reading Freud right now. I'm just over a third of the way through The Interpretation of Dreams and I'm enjoying it immensely. Freud must be one of the most misinterpreted, misquoted, misjudged, figures around. His ideas, whether correct or not, are brilliant, and are easily accessable as his writing is crystal clear and quite plain.

Listening:
Neil Young - After the Goldrush
As I mentioned in an early post, I've been listening to Neil Young's After the Goldrush. I was under the impression that Harvest and Harvest Moon were the quintessential Neil Young CDs; at least as far as his more mellow, Western sounding stuff is concerned. But After the Goldrush is by far my favorite of all his albums I've listened to, I heard it in Starbucks the other day and since it was only 3.99£ at Borders I picked it up (especially since it wasn't available illegaly as a bittorrent).

Coldplay (blush) X+Y
I've also been suprised by the non-crappiness of Coldplay's X+Y. As with the other two Coldplay albums, I have the feeling I will listen to it intensely for a few weeks only to then banish it forever to the unplayed nether-regions of my ipod.

Imogen Heap - Speak for Yourself
Lastly, I've really been enjoying Imogen Heap's album Speak for Yourself. I found Imogen Heap on the O.C. soundtrack, and have never heard or seen her mentioned anywere else. I am slightly embarrassed to admit how much I enjoy this CD. It sounds alot like any other well produced piece of top 40 rubbish, only more human. In keeping with the theme of shameful pleasures I might point out my embarrassment at the fact that I once spent two weeks addicted to The O.C. when I watched the first season everynight on DVD in a blitz of fake tan and plastic surgery. I have since made a full recovery and resumed my stance of intellectual and moral snobbery/superiority to the O.C.

Ratatat - R-A-T-A-T-A-T
I downloaded this album after hearing the first track seventeen years on a skate video called Skate More. The first track is probably one of the best songs I've heard in a couple years. The rest of the album is good but I don't enjoy it really.

Movies
Napoleon Dynamite
Everybody has already seen and loves this movie. Nothing more needs to be said, it is an instant classic; consistantly funnier each time you watch it. The first time you watch it you are most struck by the way that a movie which moves so slowly and unexcitingly can keep such a constant level of low interest. It's just interesting enough to keep you from moving or turning it off. The funniness doesn't strike you until afterwards.

The Chorus
I watched this movie under compulsion by my wife, it is a testament to the excellence of this film that I enjoyed it so much after swearing to Beth that I would make it my business to not enjoy it at all. It is a French film with English subtitles. This movie is the best film I've seen yet in 2006. It is extremely sweet without being saccharine - like Baklava, rather than Butterfinger. This movie is like Amelie, only less pretentious and more good. For that reason, the Guardian will not like it as much.