On Friday night I went to the symphony with my mom (actually the Handel & Haydn Society, but at Symphony Hall), and heard the Bach Magnificat as well as other Bach pieces. I also attended the pre-concert lecture. It was great because I had been to Leipzig this summer and spent hours at the Bach museum there, and in…

On Friday night I went to the symphony with my mom (actually the Handel & Haydn Society, but at Symphony Hall), and heard the Bach Magnificat as well as other Bach pieces. I also attended the pre-concert lecture. It was great because I had been to Leipzig this summer and spent hours at the Bach museum there, and in…

I re-read my favorite parts of The Possessed, my favorite book ever, and was inspired to post a really long quotation from it about mimetic desire on facebook.

I re-read my favorite parts of The Possessed, my favorite book ever, and was inspired to post a really long quotation from it about mimetic desire on facebook.

I felt the same way about Perks of Being a Wallflower. I expected to hate it but I didn't.

I felt the same way about Perks of Being a Wallflower. I expected to hate it but I didn't.

I know people mostly want to hear sympathy and not advice, but for everyone not thrilled about the quality of his or her life, I recommend everyone read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I know this sounds inane as fuck but I swear to god it will improve your life - implementing some of her advice and just…

I know people mostly want to hear sympathy and not advice, but for everyone not thrilled about the quality of his or her life, I recommend everyone read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin. I know this sounds inane as fuck but I swear to god it will improve your life - implementing some of her advice and just…

Don't you think it is a little tacky/mean to talk about liking someone's comments more than someone else's comments out loud? I mean, that's kind of the point of silent voting - it's a pleasant surprise if you win, but if you don't, you don't have to hear people justifying why they didn't vote for you.

Don't you think it is a little tacky/mean to talk about liking someone's comments more than someone else's comments out loud? I mean, that's kind of the point of silent voting - it's a pleasant surprise if you win, but if you don't, you don't have to hear people justifying why they didn't vote for you.

Someone mentioned it above in the shaving context but the Luke Wilson scene in Royal Tenenbaums is so great. It always gets me how he says "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow" like he's practicing and trying it out to see how it feels, and then it sounds ok so he just goes ahead and does it right then. That line is…

Someone mentioned it above in the shaving context but the Luke Wilson scene in Royal Tenenbaums is so great. It always gets me how he says "I'm going to kill myself tomorrow" like he's practicing and trying it out to see how it feels, and then it sounds ok so he just goes ahead and does it right then. That line is…

I hate that "Tony" thing so much. It is the most disturbing part of the movie for me, by far.

I hate that "Tony" thing so much. It is the most disturbing part of the movie for me, by far.

Guys, you're prematurely aging Helen Mirren.

Guys, you're prematurely aging Helen Mirren.

Love that movie.

Love that movie.

I would have included Polymorph as a defining episode - I'm really surprised nobody has included it in his list yet (that I've noticed).

I would have included Polymorph as a defining episode - I'm really surprised nobody has included it in his list yet (that I've noticed).