Restaurants I want to try: (all located in STL)  London's Wing House  Copia  Colleen's Cookies  Araka (old haunt with a new chef)  Nobu

Short list: Best Quirky Romance Films

Not feeling the upcoming card-giving, chocolate snarfing holiday? These movies won't make you want to gag yourself over the sappy sweetness, but do have a little bit of love in them:

• Secretary . 2002
• Harold and Maude . 1971
• Lost in Translation . 2003
• Edward Scissorhands . 1990
• Amelie . 2001
• Before Sunrise/Before Sunset . 1995/2004

Short list: Music by Numbers

One . U2
Love 2 . Air
Dirty Three
Four Tet
Jurassic 5
Six Days . DJ Shadow
Seven Nation Army . The White Stripes
Eight Days a Week . The Beatles
Nine Inch Nails
Ten . Pearl Jam

Short list: Best scary movies (according to us)

Scary
• The Descent . 2005
• The Exorcist . 1973
• 28 Days Later . 2002
• The Blair Witch Project . 1999
• Ringu . 1998
  
  Honorable Mention: creepy, but not scary
• Let the Right One In . 2008
• The Haunting . 1963
• The Cell . 2000
• The Devil's Backbone . 2001
• The Shining . 1980

[Note: House on Haunted Hill made the list only by my choice, not Daniel's. All other choices were mutual. Also, does the rabbit thing in Donnie Darko totally freak anyone else out?]

[11/1/09: Correction . The original Honorable Mention listed House on Haunted Hill . 1959, when I meant The Haunting. How embarrassing.]

Short list: 22 Course list at Saam

What could a 22 course tasting menu possibly be comprised of? The one I briefly mentioned at tasting room, Saam, was absolutely fantastic and surprisingly less filling than many meals I've had before. Fortunately, the menu for the evening is rolled up and presented with the bill for posterity.

1 Nitro Caipirihna . 2 Artichoke Chips . 3 Caviar Steamed Bun . 4 Bagel and Lox Cone . 5 Olive Oil Bonbon . 6 Olives Ferran Adrià . 7 José's Ham & Cheese . 8 Boneless Chicken Wing . 9 "Canned" White Asparagus . 10 Sea Urchin Ceviche . 11 Japanese Baby Peaches . 12 Guacamole "New Way" . 13 "Corn on the Cobb" . 14 Kampachi "Nigiri" . 15 Norwegian Cigalas . 16 "Smoked" Arctic Char . 17 Not your Everyday Caprese . 18 Tournedos Rossini . 19 Dragon's Breath Popcorn . 20 Thai Dessert . 21 Warm Chocolate Mousse with Pear . 22 Bonbons

Short list: Los Angeles

Ahhh, a work week in Los Angeles is just what the doctor ordered. Who cares that they are in the middle of a heat wave (triple digits in the Valley) with fires to the west and north? But seriously, getting back to Southern California is always good. Here is my off-the-cuff list of songs dedicated to this town:

L.A. . Murs
Under the Bridge . Red Hot Chili Peppers
California Dreamin . Mamas & Papas
California Love . Tupac
Walking in L.A. . Missing Persons
L.A. Woman . The Doors

Short list: TV on DVD

While Daniel was gallivanting in New Orleans this weekend, I decided to rent all of Nip/Tuck Season 1. I watched the season like a fiend and blasted through it in a mere 2 days...I am not sure whether I should feel accomplished or pathetic about this feat. But, the whole experience underlined the fact that I really could just watch all my TV shows on DVD from here on out. A few other series that I have watched and enjoyed on DVD:

• Deadwood
• Lost
• Carnivale
• Firefly
• Nip/Tuck (only Season 1 under my belt)
• The Wire (currently watching Season 1)

Short list: If you like Broken Social Scene...

Anica and I went to a Broken Social Scene show at the Gargoyle in the fall of last year. For everyone who has never been to the Gargoyle, it is a very tiny venue which is best described as a subterranean school cafeteria. Honestly, you could not have picked a better place to see BSS perform live. Fitting all of the band members (I counted 10 that night) on the tiny Gargoyle stage was quite a feat. The frequently-changing BSS lineup is legendary for not only its size, but also the talent of the musicians involved. And, with that, I present you a short list of notable BSS offshoots:

bands:
Do Make Say Think
K.C. Accidental
Metric
Stars
Valley of the Giants

solo projects:
Brendan Canning
Jason Collett
Kevin Drew
Leslie Feist (as Feist)
Emily Haines
Andrew Whiteman (as Apostle of Hustle)

Short list: A selection of holiday movies

• Miracle on 34th Street . 1947
• Scrooged . 1988
• Frosty the Snowman . 1969
• A Christmas Story . 1983
• How the Grinch Stole Christmas . 1966
• Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer . 1964
• Elf . 2003
• Home Alone . 1990

Short list: Rockband Requests

Rockband is my new favorite party game. Whether it happens casually or people come expressly for rockin'out, it seems that everyone warms up to Rockband - and the drinks don't hurt, either. My only suggestion (besides adding an accordian controller) is for them to add some of the following artists (and suggested selections) to the line-up:

• Queen - Bohemian Rhapsody, Another One Bites the Dust
• Rod Stewart - Young Turks
• Prince
• Stevie Wonder - Part Time Lover, Living for the City
• Beatles
• Fleetwood Mac - Gold Dust Woman, The Player
• Neko Case

Short list: Concerts I've attended

Doobie Brothers . Steve Miller Band @ Riverport Amphitheatre, StL
Lollapalooza : Smashing Pumpkins . Beastie Boys @ Riverport Amphitheatre, StL
Pointer Sisters @ The Arch, StL
Huey Lewis and the News @ The Arch, StL
Santana . Ozomatli @ Fox Theatre, StL
Santana @ Riverport Amphitheatre, StL
Fiona Apple @ American Theatre, StL
Pointfest: RHCP @ Riverport Amphitheatre, StL
Smoking Grooves: Cypress Hill . Black Eyed Peas @ Riverport Amphitheatre, StL
Tori Amos @ Riverport Amphitheatre, StL
Goodie Mob @ Lincoln University, Jefferson City
Lauryn Hill @ Fox Theatre, StL
The Roots @ Washington University, StL
Outkast @ Washtington University, StL
The Roots . Cody Chestnutt@ The Pageant, StL
The B-52's @ LA County Fair, Pomona
Tina Dicow @ Hotel Cafe, LA
Death Cab for Cutie @ The Greek Theatre, LA
Belle and Sebastian w/ Hollywood Bowl Orchestra . The Shins @ Hollywood Bowl, LA
Flaming Lips . Theivery Corporation @ Hollywood Bowl, LA
Arcade Fire @ Hollywood Bowl, LA
Gotan Project . Zero 7 @ Hollywood Bowl, LA
Arcade Fire . LCD Soundsystems @ Hollywood Bowl, LA
Air . Sondre Lerche @ The Greek Theatre, LA
Of Montreal @ The Pageant, StL
Radiohead @ Riverport Amphitheatre, StL

Short list: Best Documentaries Part II

Don't know how I overlooked these gems:

• Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room
• Super Size Me
• Mexican Mexicoans
• The King of Kong

Short list: Best Documentaries

• Trekkies
• Dark Days
• Off the Charts
• SpellBound
• Air Guitar Nation
• Street Fight