A Chasing After Wind

 I've started re-watching season five of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Buffy vs. Dracula is not an episode I spend a lot of thought on, so it was fun to see all the little character moments - Willow possibly causing a downpour by creating fire, Riley/Buffy. Watching the episode, I really think Riley's main problem with the relationship is not Buffy being the slayer but Angel. I've complained about how, later on, he's upset to learn from Dawn that Buffy cried more when she was with Angel. She cried more because Angel mistreated her. But from Riley's perspective, he knows Buffy loved Angel, he's not sure she loves him. If she acts different with him it must be because of a lack of love for him. I don't think Riley had ever had a relationship with a girl or woman as serious as his relationship with Buffy - and she had this whole intense thing with this guy who was nothing like Riley.

On a more negative note, bug-eating Xander is gross, and Giles with the three sisters is even grosser.

I recently watched The Treasure of the Sierra Madre. I didn't know much about it aside from the famous quote about "stinking badges", but I enjoyed it.

I listened to the episode about The Godfather on my podcast, You're Wrong About. I swear I saw the first two Godfather movies, but I only seem to remember anything from the first one. I wish the podcast hosts knew more about gangster films prior to The Godfather. It would have been interesting to have a discussion that included films starring Edward G. Robinson, Humphrey Bogart, and James Cagney.

Still reading Indigenous Continent, by Pekka Hämäläinen. It's well-written, managing to tell a coherent narrative with historical events I was mostly already aware of.

Still reading Fullmetal Alchemist - on volume 13 now. Envy is so far definitely my favorite homunculi.

I've decided I'm going to make regular posts about what media I am consuming - what I am listening to, watching, and reading. I don't have a particular schedule planned: I'll make posts when I realize I have something to say.

I'm currently reading Becoming Dr. Seuss: Theodor Geisel and the Making of an American Imagination, by Brian Jay Jones. I pulled this one off the biography section of the library, and didn't expect to find it as interesting as I have. Some interesting facts I have learned: Geisel's father's family owned a brewery that went under when prohibition become law, Geisel was recruited into the army during World War II by Frank Capra to help create propaganda and educational videos for soldiers, Geisel edited Stan and Jan Berenstain's early books and mentored them.

I'm on a re-watch of The Wire, specifically season four. One thing I like about this season is that ( Spoiler )

I finished listening to the podcast We Didn't Start the Fire, which had an episode for each historical reference in the Billy Joel song of the same name. I'm checking out You're Wrong About, which seems to be about the contrast between how people remember a certain newsworthy event and what actually happened. The first episode focuses on the panic about Satanists in the 1980s. I haven't yet made my mind up about the podcast, but I enjoyed the first episode enough to keep listening.

I recently stumbled upon the Mary Chapin Carpenter song "He Thinks He'll Keep Her". It's based off of a sexist advertisement - see the article here for details. It's definitely one of those songs that I like more the more I listen to it.