antimeria

I realize I don’t write many unabashedly uplifting posts, so here is a list of five things that made me happy recently:

1. My friend J-Wy got into MICA, and will be living with me for a few weeks. Sorry if that ruins the surprise for people she hasn’t told yet.
2. These messenger bags made from life jackets. If I could wear yellow, I would be all about it. I can’t, so I bequeath this to you.
   Update: It is €129. So, never mind.
3. Darkon. Less than five minutes in, there are night/dark elves. Talking in an elf-language. Wearing blackface. And then it gets legitimately touching, and pretty good. Worth watching.
4. Finally, proof that guinea pigs can code.
5. Getting paid. Paychecks are tremendous, but direct deposit rules the schools.

Because Eamonn asked about podcasts he should check out, here are five I listen to:

1. Stuff You Should Know. A podcast about random cool things, like ninja and crazy government experiments.
2. Uhh Yeah Dude. A news and comedy podcast by two guys in LA. Jonathan is a vegan and recovering rasta, and Seth has some neatness issues and watches a lot of TV. It reminds me vaguely of Car Talk, if Click and Clack talked about jerking off.
3. Fresh Produce. Essentially a radio show, with a mix of deep cuts and current hits and remixes. Pain in the ass to find on iTunes, though.
4. Savage Love. A lot of people probably know this one already, but other people’s sex questions are funny.
5. This American Life. Pretty sure everyone knows about this show, but it’s still worth mentioning.

Anything else I should be listening to?

In no particular order, five people my age (+/- a few years) who make me feel embarrassed about my accomplishments thus far:

1. Randall Munroe (25), xkcd creator, former NASA contractor, and giver of talks to Google.
2. Ezra Klein (25), political blogger for the Post and American Prospect.
3. Jared Allen (27), all-star defensive end, hunter, and mullet connoisseur.
4. A-Trak (27), world champion turntablist, Kanye West tour DJ, and record label owner.
5. The xx (20), an incredibly- (and deservedly-) hyped band composed of kids who can’t legally drink at their US shows.

As an aside, when looking up Hot Chip’s frontman Alexis Taylor, I discovered the following:

Oh my goodness, it is Friday the 13th. It’s also Caroline’s birthday. Anyway, here are five things that I’ve been watching in the new age of high-definition DVR:

1. Californication. I’ve only watched a few episodes, but it’s growing on me. I get to enjoy Duchovny’s droll insouciance without the X-Files craziness that scares the crap out of me.
2. It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. I’ve really been meaning to watch this show for a long time, but I kept forgetting. Now I never have to remember when it’s on.
3. Showtime in general. I didn’t expect much from movie channels, but when they have Wall-E on repeat? They got me for these three free months, at least.
4. Mythbusters. Not really new, but high-speed explosion shots in HD are outstanding.
5. Sports. Again, not a new thing, but the switch to HD is stunning. I even watched some of the playoffs, which I hadn’t done regularly in years.

Five of my fears, ranked by a combination of the terror (or in some cases, mild anxiety) they cause me and the possibility of them actually happening:

• Heights/falling
• Real-live dinosaur rampage, particularly Jurassic Park-style raptors
• Zombie/monster attack
• Motorcycle accident
• Getting pushed in front of a train