be amazed

Food:
So I’m trying to see how long I can go without grocery shopping. Current streak: 20 days*. And my last trip only cost me $21. See, I tend to purchase too much food for the week and have to throw away a bunch of spoiled food. My fridge and pantry right now look emptier than they’ve ever looked, but I still have food there I can eat. I’m trying to be creative about what I make and eat what I have so I don’t waste food.

TL;DR My food rec this week is to find a way to waste less food.

*I had to grab a block of Parmesan from the store yesterday.

TV/Movies:
The Deuce. The Deuce. The Deuce. Are you watching The Deuce? Watch The Deuce.

The AV Club calls The Deuce the rightful heir of The Wire, and I agree. The only complaint I have about either show is the 3-minute song and credit roll at the beginning, which HBO doesn’t skip for me even when I’m binging. Check the rating if you think you might be offended by the show’s content: the sex industry in 1970s New York. Maggie Gyllenhaal + (James Franco x 2) + familiar faces from The Wire in very different roles + sex, drugs, nudity, gender dynamics, corrupt cops and “flawed, fascinating people” (AV Club) = ARE YOU WATCHING THE DEUCE YET?!

Oh, bonus rec, I checked out Sarah Silverman’s new show on Hulu, I Love America. There’s only been one episode so far, but I found it delightful and had a smile on for most of it. Excited for some more. Double bonus: I love Broad City, but this season has so far been underwhelming. That is, until the most recent episode in which Abby and Ilana eat some mushrooms and take the audience on a trip. If I were ever tempted to do ‘shrooms, I feel like I don’t need to now. The mostly animated episode takes you on a beautiful drug-induced journey, all the way through to a bad trip. I practically got the whole experience without having to escape my mind or reality. Loved it.

Music:
Still reading the book I recommended last week, The Rap Yearbook. Go check out some Eric B. and Rakim on Spotify, also the This Is: Young Thug playlist and the This Is: Kendrick Lamar playlist. Good. Shit. The Rap Yearbook basically calls Rakim the most important rapper of all time, saying he is to rap what Michael Jordan is to basketball for many reasons. Changed. the game.

Books:
I can’t read fast enough to recommend a new book every week. But my fav pod folks from Crooked Media have launched a new website with a host of new content contributors and now with written content in addition to their expanding array of podcasts. Check them out, I heart them.

Misc:
Every time I go to the library or borrow a book online, I’m reminded how wonderful a thing the library is. Sure, it takes a little more patience and effort to borrow a book when owning it is just $12.99 and one click away, but many books (or audio books or CDs or movies...) you don’t really need to own or pay for. This week I borrowed like 12 books for reference on a project I’m working on. So much knowledge, so zero moneys. I love me some free.