Write locally

This review of the new Whole Foods in Oakland is, I think, one of the better things I've written recently. A bit of Oakland geography wouldn't hurt you.

An obscure subject of desire, and an explicit object

Boarding Gate is the most distinctive movie I've seen all year. It's also excellent.

Lars and the Real Girl is distinctive in a shallower way, but I still liked it.

Top eleven: World town

I have a proper top ten half-written on my currently non-functional laptop. Accept this in the interim.

1-4. M.I.A., "Paper Planes"; "Jimmy"; "Bamboo Banga"; "Hussel": You wish you could take some native's job, like immigrants are supposed to? Give it up: it's more fun to jack that fool.

5-8. Gogol Bordello, "Ultimate"; "American Wedding"; "Dub the Frequencies of Love"; "Forces of Victory": They are today! They are tomorrow! Where's the vodka! Where's the marinated herring! Like a best friend could! Like a brother would! He can't go on! He'll go on.

9-11. Manu Chao, "Rainin' in Paradize"; "Tristeza Maleza"; "A Cosa": If you think it's tough, man, come to Africa. But just like any other country it'll break you.

The one great South Park story a year is still great

Which is more than The Simpsons could say after ten years: not that they'd ever attempt a shot-by-shot remake of the deafened scene from Saving Private Ryan (9:30).

Let's hope they don't blow part 2 as badly as they did in "Cartoon Wars".

Funny ha ha

Bringing Up Baby is one of the greatest movies of all time.

Music and Lyrics is quite alright.

Adam's Rib is closer in quality to Music and Lyrics than Bringing Up Baby.

***

40 favourite songs of the Nineties, #22: Tricky, "Aftermath"

Talkin' World War III blues. By 1994, all the fun had gone out of the apocalypse, which is all the more reason to pole dance.

(Seriously, that's by far the best of the YouTube "Aftermath" videos.)