lifedigital.org | Daniel Fleishman

Sup Tumblr!

Tue, 22 Dec 2009 12:16:56 -0500

Wish I had more time to check my dashboard. Miss you all.

Saw Paranormal Activity tonight (by myself, no less!). I’m...

Sun, 18 Oct 2009 01:01:00 -0400

Saw Paranormal Activity tonight (by myself, no less!).

I’m still not sure how I feel about it. On the one hand, it clearly knows what it wants to do, and it succeeds at doing it. It’s creepy and unsettling (and at times, scary) and never feels anything less than “real” for a second. I’m a pretty seasoned horror fan, and I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that every time the water pipes have made noise tonight in the hotel room I’m currently in, my heart hasn’t started racing a little faster than usual.

That being said… I feel like it could have been more. I’m all for a slow build, but instead of gradually leading up to a “10” on the scare/creep scale, the movie basically goes 1… 1… 2… 3… 4….. 9 10! -end.- I feel like speeding up the beginning to make room for some 6’s and 7’s and 8’s in there could have made for a more satisfying experience. And maybe giving us the 10 for just a *bit* longer. (And also not ruining the 10 in the movie trailer, which I thankfully didn’t watch before seeing it.)

Still, it’s nice to see scary movies trying something new/smart and achieving success. In my mind, the shot pictured above is nothing less than iconic. What an awesome motif; every time the film returned to this setup, the audience went DEAD silent. Very neat to experience.

With 'Southland' Axed, NBC's Depressing Surrender Is Almost Complete

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:43:10 -0400

With 'Southland' Axed, NBC's Depressing Surrender Is Almost Complete:

This is one of the best “state of TV” articles I’ve ever seen, coming on the heels of NBC canceling Southland before season two even began to air. Tempted to quote the whole thing, but my favorite part is below. A must-read.

What makes this story particularly frustrating is that in spite of what you read about costs and splintering audiences and a future made up of nothing but variety shows, there are indications that there are ways to make money with scripted shows. A Newsweek profile in July of this year discussed the remarkable successes of the USA network under the guidance of Bonnie Hammer, who helped turn USA into a major moneymaker. What’s her strategy?

Good scripted shows, for one thing. Burn Notice, Monk, Psych, the new Royal Pains, and others. From that profile: “Of all NBCU’s properties, including the namesake broadcaster NBC and its Universal studio, USA has become the biggest earner, delivering roughly $1 billion in profits last year.” Hammer is not a snob — she has embraced USA’s relationship with professional wrestling. But her big strategy is good shows people like, and she’s making money. NBC Universal owns this network — how is its broadcast network making worse shows than, and making less money than, one of its cable properties? They’re all in Rockefeller Center — they’re in the building. Go ask them how they’re doing it.

I don’t know if anyone decided to stick with Parks &...

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 11:38:28 -0400

I don’t know if anyone decided to stick with Parks & Recreation after its less-than-inspiring first “season” (six-episode run), but I hope some of you did. And if you didn’t, you might want to try again. And if you never watched it at all, you’ll be better off than the rest of us if you start now with season two, as the show has finally figured out what the heck it wants to be. For my money, this has absolutely been the most consistently successful comedy of the early 2009 season. Yes, it’s been better than The Office, and even awesome newbie Modern Family.

Seriously, it’s so good. I’ve been waiting for the chance to use April’s “I like people, places, and thiiiings!” in everyday conversation since last week’s episode. My time will come, I’m sure. And Amy’s improv on the fake-date last night was fantastic. Please trust me on this one and give P&R a second chance; the ratings are making me nervous.

Now this is a cause I can get behind. [via]

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 16:32:31 -0400

Now this is a cause I can get behind. [via]

That’s probably the face I’d make, too.

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 03:25:49 -0400

That’s probably the face I’d make, too.

<3 HIMYM (via rchel)

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 19:09:44 -0400

Ted: You're afraid of the seven dwarfs?
Robin: Just Doc... I mean, the guy went to medical school. What's he doing living with six coal miners?

travelhighlights: Angaga Island Resort by Mohamed Iujaz...

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:59:50 -0400

travelhighlights:

Angaga Island Resort by Mohamed Iujaz Zuhair

“This place got one of the best reefs I’ve seen in the whole of Maldives… its a heaven for snorkeling ! “

Republic of Maldives

Via sourient: togetlost

Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod I have to go there before I die. It looks like heaven.

Party In Your Bedroom — Cash Cash Am I an idiot for liking...

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 23:07:00 -0400

Party In Your Bedroom — Cash Cash

Am I an idiot for ~~liking~~ loving this song? I’m realizing more and more than I’m just a sucker for a good beat. The lyrics are stupid, sure, but I don’t care when I’m DANCING.

Between this and the new Mika album, it’s been a pretty good week.

Amy Poehler is awesome. (via EW)

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:42:16 -0400

Amy Poehler is awesome. (via EW)

TV Season is upon us.

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 23:24:39 -0400

tim-ryan:

Get excited, everyone. We all know how much summer sucks and how fall and winter are filled with awesomeness, like cold weather, short days, and hockey. The fall also means that television is back (although the current model of television “seasons” is slowly dying—more on that another time).

The following list outlines my planned TV-watching schedule. Mostly returning shows, which you should catch up on if you aren’t already watching. My apologies if my research yielded any false information; double-check it all to be sure.

A sentence about each of these shows makes for a long post. You’ll live.

Sundays:

Mad Men (10PM, AMC)—The most visually entertaining show on TV.

Curb Your Enthusiasm (9PM, HBO, 9/20)—Larry’s got the crew back plus the Seinfeld cast reunited.

Dexter (9PM, SHO, 9/27)—Our favorite good-intentioned(?) serial killer returns, with a baby.

Mondays:

How I Met Your Mother (8PM, CBS, 9/21)—The show has grown nicely and the Barney-Robin angle should get some major attention this season.

The Big Bang Theory (9:30PM, CBS, 9/21)—Vastly underrated show. Innocent sitcom about nerds and their cute girl neighbor, thoroughly entertaining.

Heroes (8PM, NBC, 9/21)—I’m hoping this season pays off. I’ve invested a lot of time into this series and just can’t quit it. College lesbian Claire makes me nervous, but we will see what unfolds otherwise.

Lie To Me (9PM, FOX, 9/28)—Crime-of-the-week-with-a-twist #1. The Lightman group uses “interpreting microexpressions” to find out who’s lying and who’s telling the truth about the murder of the week.

Tuesdays:

Honestly, not much for me here. V, premiering in early November and starring Elizabeth Mitchell, Scott Wolf, and Morena Baccarin, should show on Tuesdays, but this will be a catch-up day.

Wednesdays:

Glee (9PM, Fox)—You’ve heard the hype. Week #2 proved it isn’t a fluke with some good plot advancement (and Victor Garber). Do yourself a favor and tune in.

Top Chef (10PM, Bravo)—This season has probably 5 or 6 chefs that could have handily beat most of the competition from the entire series thus far. It’s in Vegas, which is either good or bad (depending on your opinion), but either way you’re getting some good competition TV (it is not reality TV).

Modern Family (9PM, ABC, 9/23)—I’m gonna give this one a shot. Some funny people in the cast and, as the title suggests, a modern twist on the typical family sitcom.

Thursdays:

SNL Weekend Update (8PM, NBC, 9/17)—I mention my love for SNL later in this post. What’s better than a little appetizer portion in prime time on Thursdays?

Parks and Recreation (8:30PM, NBC, 9/17)—With a full season of episodes, Amy, Aziz, Rashida, Aubrey, and the rest will settle into a comedic groove and people will regret saying it was too derivitave of The Office.

The Office (9PM, NBC, 9/17)—I’m starting to wonder how many more seasons this show has in it. The pregnancy is straying from what works, so kudos to them for taking a risk, but I’m crossing my fingers for these guys.

Community (9:30PM, NBC, 9/17)—Joel McHale makes me laugh; the present-day Chevy Chase does not. I honestly see this as a somewhat-funny show that doesn’t perform well and doesn’t make it to Season 2.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (10PM, FX, 9/17)—Charlie Kelly is one of the top characters on any show today. You never know what he will say, where he will go, what he will wear, or what he will eat.

Fringe (9PM, Fox, 9/17)—Dunham and the Bishops investigate cases that get increasingly weirder; we’ll see if they can sustain it in the long-term.

Flash Forward (8PM, ABC, 9/24)—Great cast and great premise. Everyone on Earth blacks out for a few minutes, some of them see the future, drama and action ensue.

Grey’s Anatomy (9PM, ABC, 9/24)—Sue me, I love this show. Another one that might be wearing out its welcome. It always brings some great medical situation/guest star action as well as enjoyable romantic fluff.

The Mentalist (10PM, CBS, 9/24)—CBS’ only good show? Jane and the CBI will continue to outsmart the suspects (and maybe find Red John) in a show that I hope continues to do well in the ratings game.

30 Rock (9:30PM?, NBC, 10/15) Sadly, it will be a little while longer before Liz and company return to us for a guaranteed laugh riot.

Fridays:

Dollhouse (9PM, Fox, 9/25)—Some fantastic new additions to the cast. I want to learn more about the mythology of the Dollhouse. Joss Whedon is a sci-fi genius.

Southland (9PM, NBC, 10/23)—Gritty, realistic cop drama with Ben McKenzie. One of my favorite parts of this show is that they bleep the curse words (instead of pretending that the characters never swear). John Wells (ER, The West Wing) is Exec Producer.

Saturdays:

SNL (11:30PM, NBC, 9/26)—I hope I’m right when I say that this show will stay relevant even without an election on its hands. Some new female talent (though some of the female talent is leaving). Sometimes you have to get through some filler-type of stuff to get to the funny stuff. But there’s plenty of funny.

Two midseason shows I’m excited about:

Happy Town (ABC)—Interesting-looking murder-mystery a la Twin Peaks, from what the teaser implies.

Day One (NBC)—Post-apocalyptic action show about a group of apartment-dwellers who band together in order to survive. Best-case scenario is that it fills the void that we’ll see when LOST ends.

YOUR TV SCHEDULE = MY TV SCHEDULE FOR THE MOST PART. Except I also watch SYTYCD and SVU, and you’re a little bit more comedy-happy than I am. I can’t believe how ridiculous Thursdays are, and I don’t even watch Grey’s or Fringe!

For mid-season, not sure what the timeline is, but I’m also looking forward to Scrubs: Med School or whatever. Screw the ridiculous number of new medical dramas though.

PS: Heroes is done. Get out now, it’s not too late! I dropped that shit halfway through season two and never looked back. Protip 2: Swap Lie to Me for House. The premiere is supposedly fantastic.

Blame It On The Girls — Mika So glad to finally have the...

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:19:03 -0400

Blame It On The Girls — Mika

So glad to finally have the new Mika CD, The Boy Who Knew Too Much. It’s not as good as Life in Cartoon Motion, I can tell you that right off the bat, but I’d be lying if I said this song hasn’t been stuck in my head for days. A few other good gems are thrown in there, too. Get it and feel happy.

"You know, now that it’s over, I think I’m actually going to miss this show. It is..."

Mon, 14 Sep 2009 20:15:00 -0400

“You know, now that it’s over, I think I’m actually going to miss this show. It is terrible, yes, and completely coconuts, and the rules change from one episode to the next. But, it kind of grew on me. That being said, I’m sure next year it will be back to the complaining board when season 3 kicks off in a vampire bar on the moon (because vampires can live on the moon now) and Sookie is a congresswoman trying to pass landmark Yeti legislation, or whatever.”

- Videogum on True Blood. Exactly right, as always. See you next season!

"‘Mad Men’ isn’t a show built around giant cliffhangers and big game changing events. It’s about..."

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:48:17 -0400

“‘Mad Men’ isn’t a show built around giant cliffhangers and big game changing events. It’s about subtly and the theme of the show has always been “Less is more”. ‘Mad Men’ season 3 feels on pace with how it should be. I recommend to those not enjoying the pace of the third season to stop watching now, and just finish off the season when it comes to DVD and blu-ray next year.”

- Digital Collage: About those complaints of ‘Mad Men’ season 3 dragging (via hipsterdiet) (via emilyposts)

This is perfect. (via michaelmcgee)

People who think this (besides clearly never having watched Mad Men before) should start reading Sepinwall’s write-ups ASAP, which do an amazing job of showing how a TON is happening this season even when it might not seem like it. It’s *deep*, people!

Translation Party

Thu, 27 Aug 2009 01:42:50 -0400

Translation Party:

You wouldn’t think this would be so fun, but it totally is. I’m not even going to explain the premise; just try it out and see where it goes. Get creative and I promise you’ll laugh.

brittanymason: mattynicegy00: Chicago Storm yup this looks...

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 16:09:47 -0400

brittanymason:

mattynicegy00:

Chicago Storm

yup this looks about right.

Still beautiful, even with the worst weather.

khancrete: Round & Round — Ne-Yo by way of elbert....

Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:10:20 -0400

khancrete:

Round & Round — Ne-Yo

by way of elbert. Ne-yo keeps killin it.

Adding this to the playlist!

travelhighlights: Lanikai Beach Oahu, Hawaii. Via...

Wed, 19 Aug 2009 16:01:06 -0400

travelhighlights:

Lanikai Beach

Oahu, Hawaii.

Via placesiwishiwere

Ok, that’s just unreal. I want to go to there.

"Vick pleaded guilty after his three co-defendants had already done so. They told of how Vick participated in the killing of dogs that didn't perform well in test fights by shooting, hanging, drowning or slamming them to the ground."

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:50:17 -0400

"Vick pleaded guilty after his three co-defendants had already done so. They told of how Vick participated in the killing of dogs that didn't perform well in test fights by shooting, hanging, drowning or slamming them to the ground.":

michaelmcgee:

mcdavis:

soupsoup:

inothernews:

In case any of you Eagles fans need a reminder of who your team just hired.

Because no one deserves a second chance. Especially since he got away with such little punishment. Unlike all the hard time and negative talk Donte Stallworth receives for getting drunk (and high), driving and killing a human being with his vehicle. Oh wait…

Thank you.

Sorry folks. Just because there are varying degrees of evil (Hitler > Vick, obvs), it doesn’t change the fact that something is… evil. It takes a certain type of cruelty and viciousness to do what he did. I’m sorry that other athletes who did terrible things got an easy break, but does that mean that Vick should too? That’s a terrible argument. “He didn’t rape little boys” isn’t exactly a solid defense, you guys.

There are second chances, and then there’s getting to be a millionaire athlete and potential role model. Vick did his time and deserves to live his life now, but I don’t believe he deserves to be in the NFL again.

Things I've learned while apartment hunting in Chicago

Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:59:00 -0400

“Vintage” = old
“Cozy” = small as shit
“Cute” = dated
“Great skylights in bedroom” = bedroom on the top floor of a house where the roof is slanting in towards your head, rendering half the room unuseable
“In the heart of [place]” or “Where the action is” = by a bunch of noisy bars, Wrigley Field and drunk people
“Very close to public transportation” = right next to the fucking El tracks