Just piping up to recommend Santa Clarita Diet on Netflix, if you haven’t seen it already.
Think a mildly gore-splattered Desperate Housewives with the sensibility of 30 Rock. If that floats your boat, give it a couple of episodes to get going and find its tone; by the third, you’ll know.
For me, it’s all in the combination of great writing — especially in the fleshed-out characters and relationships — and spot-on casting. You can’t go wrong with Drew Barrymore, though Timothy Olyphant is the real standout. Who knew he had such a gift for comedy?
Anyway, if Netflix keeps doing shows as entertaining as this, it’ll make the subscription worth keeping.
More…
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Adds a whole new dimension to seed theory. [c/o 5it] #link
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Design nerdery in excelsis. [c/o MetaFilter] #link
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When compassion meets bureaucracy, no good can come of it. #link
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In this house we’re probably the only people who haven’t seen Stranger Things among all the world's Netflix subscribers, but the issue discussed here is one that’s been a thing a lot longer. And it’s a problem with story-arc shows in general, when the main narrative thrust is too slow-burn to let the individual episodes stand alone. #link
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Few art experiences beat seeing a Rothko in person; the colours and tones come alive on the canvas. #link
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And it’s hilarious! (And yes I know it’s six weeks after Xmas.) #link
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I won’t say it’s not gratifying that more mainstream outlets are finally grokking what makes WWE so compelling, and not purely from a ‘business’ standpoint. I’m talking about investigating things often glossed over or even missed entirely by fans or fan media, like Vince’s compulsion to inflate attendance figures, or Shane’s friendship with noted fake memoirist James Frey. (Factual errors aside: Ali didn’t fight at the first WrestleMania; he was a guest referee, being already diagnosed with Parkinson’s.) #link
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Filing this for future reference. #link
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My friend John is way more connected with the Irish scene than I am at the minute, alas. #link
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There’s no good reason why TV news producers can’t make better use of the web and social media as channels. They’re brands people can and do trust, but their absence from Facebook and the like only leaves a void to be filled by the fakes. #link
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The record that gave that band their name, but little else: this is the eclectic sound of late ‘80s SST which isn’t to everyone’s taste, especially if you’re only familiar with the Black Flag hardcore side, but it’s right up my alley. #video
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Turns out traditional paper ’n’ dice games are perfectly suited to the future tech age. #link
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Haven’t read this yet but I thought it worth saving. #link
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I don’t know; I see enough in both books to be worried about. #link
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I was there! I forgot the ring was up on a platform. And I marked out like crazy when Vader won the title, even though he was a heel and I’d even brought a Sting sign on the night, because title changes simply didn’t happen on European tours, let alone house shows. By the way, this footage – and that of another match, between Rick Rude and Cactus Jack – was apparently recorded by British wrestlers Doc Dean and Robbie Brookside, the latter now a trainer with NXT. #video
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Ah here, I haven’t even learned JavaScript yet! And stuff like this doesn’t help, either. #link
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Here’s a story I didn’t know before, despite being a Mets fan for a few years now. [c/o MetaFilter] #link
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‘Elusive phenomenon’ is right as I’d never even heard of sprite bursts till I saw this. #link
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Good tips here. My collecting days are behind me, but I’ve got a few LPs, and there are a few more I’d like to have, but I need a better player to get the most out of them. #link
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Bittersweet but beguiling, this German comedy-but-not-really is worth its near three-hour running time. #link
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Posting this not only because it’s a fantastic record from an amazing band, but also because this has the experimental closing track ‘Things Fall Apart’ that’s missing from the rip I found online a while back. Come on Numero Group or somebody, get this stuff reissued! #video
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Never mind the order; this is worth sharing just for the selection as a whole, only a fraction of which I’ve heard. On a related note, P4k more recently listed their choice of the 50 best IDM albums, a few of which I actually bought and listened to more than once. Imagine that. #link
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