Your own fiancée calls you "Steve?"

It's official, the new Spoon album just hasn't grown on me. Patty Griffin's album Children Running Through certainly has (even if nothing will ever be the Flaming Red album), as has Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. I wasn't sure what all the hype was on the latter (and I still don't, really), but I do appreciate it, having listened to it more.



Saw, for the first time, The Way We Were. I really enjoy both Robert Redford and Barbra Streisand (her acting anyway, though I seldom seek her out) but I can't say I found the film all that entertaining. I'm not sure I was supposed to, given What It Was Trying to Say. And I did appreciate its message but it still made for slowish film. Sydney Pollack, too, damn.

(And ever since watching it I've had a mean craving for What's Up Doc? How do I not own that?)

And it's official, don't rent Paprika from Netfux unless you speak fluent Japanese.



The girl who took my call this time (they asked me to let them know) was a little less than on the same page:

"Well, it says you can change the languages to English, French, Spanish or Japanese."

I think she was genuinely confused that I was trying to watch it in Japanese, seriously. I explained that I was not going to watch it in English, nor would the types of people who would (eventually) be renting it. She noted this.

She then said, "Well, I'll send the next thing on your list--oooh, Four Brothers, you'll really like that."

Now I admit I'm the one who has it on my list, but I'm also well aware of its two-star rating. I just really enjoy the Mark Wahlberg (his acting, thank you). But I laughed and thanked her and tried not to cry.

Listening to Children Running Through at the moment, actually, and it goes quite well with the torrential rains we seem to be having this morning.