K. McFarland is a good writer but he's obviously grading the show on criteria it has no interest in attempting.  American Dad is at its best when it's full-throatedly nihilistic and anarchistic - when concerns like continuity and sympathy are as far removed from the program's landscape as possible.

I finally watched Amour, which was just as grueling as I'd expected but excellent. I'm not at all a Michael Haneke fan, so this was by far the favorite film I've seen from him.

It's been mentioned before, but Paula and Brendon is another great parent-child relationship in the same vein as those on Bob's Burgers: Paula is rarely too hesitant to get as childish and silly as her son.  Ditto Ben and Jonathan Katz.  In every case the kids are kids and the parents are parents, and each come into…

Dollar whiskey, dollar scotch, dollar vodka, dollar crotch!

You'll have to speak up, I'm wearing a towel.

One thing I'll say about this season so far is that the worst fears about the show retreating to a ambitionless, lowest common denominator format are at least unfounded.  If anything, the new showrunners are almost overcompensating - obviously, the Abed sitcom sequences last week were intended to alleviate fears of…

It's a slightly different topic than how the film industry is run since it's more about the way Hollywood is financed and financially calculated, but I highly recommend the book Movie Money: Understanding Hollywood's (Creative) Accounting Practices.

I should not have read this so late.  I honestly have to have woken up half my apartment complex laughing throughout the whole thing.  I will be certain to read this to the Inspectress over Valentine's dinner, whilst whipping my dick out.

Just got back from a trip to San Francisco Beer Week. Highlights included Bruery Wanderer, many awesome rarities at the new Firestone Walker Barrelworks, Lagunitas SoCo sour stout, Bear Republic Cognac barrel aged Baba Yaga RIS, Drake's Brandy Barrel Drakonic and all the awesome Russian River sours.  Lines for Younger…

Backpfeifengesicht.  The German compound for "a face badly in need of a fist."  An insanely useful word for everyday life.

We're heading down to Orange County to see the Eels.  Is there anything more romantic than hoping to hear E play 'Going to Your Funeral (Part 2)'?

Ratner finally turns his attention to a different sort of asses.

Yeah, I'm staying an extra day in Berkeley after some business we need to conduct wraps up, and planning on using that day to hit up Trappist and Beer Rev in Oakland, and Triple Rock and Jupiter Brewing in Berkeley (and hopefully they'll have a few offerings left over from their sour fest).

Hollingshead?  They always get Younger as well, though I don't know if they typically announce its tapping ahead of time or keep it secret.

I tried to stop by Saugatuck Brewing when I was on a beer trip through Michigan a few years back but my infernal GPS was having none of it.  It did leave me with more room for beers at the Livery though, which is one of the unheralded gems among MI's many awesome breweries.

Half Acre Daisy Cutter maybe?  Or Revolution Anti-Hero.  

When did 'the D' become a thing that people say?

The idea of home ownership absolutely terrifies me.

Hey, I played this for the first time last weekend, thanks to the Commentariat's regular recommendation of it!  It was glorious.

Sounds a bit sinister.  "I ain't saying I want somethin' illegal, I'm just saying I want you to send the guy on an indefinite hiatus.