Ribbon of Dreams

I am a nerd. I am a nerd who's obsessed with media. And music. Which is perhaps why most of my twitter feeds are from media organisations and music folk. It's a bit tragic I guess. 

The other week when I was out someone asked me what I'd been doing. I rattled off a few things and they innocently asked me if I did anything that wasn't work.

It's a bit confronting when you realise that your idea of funtimes is possibly another's idea of work. I work in television, I spend an ungodly amount of time on the interweb, on my weekends I present a radio show. And then, in my spare time, for kicks, I do more stuff. I make radio documentaries, I interview artists for FuzzyTV....

When I take those things away, aside from jogging, cooking, drinking red wine and seeing bands, I have the shock realisation that maybe I don't have a life. Although, I guess that all of the things I do are very social and much fun. But I don't have any hobbies as such. I don't collect stamps or make macrame pot plant holders, although I'd like to learn... Maybe I should make that a priority?

But whatevs.

Here are some of the things I've read or stumbled across in the last little while that got me a bit excited.

The producer + writer from The Sopranos, David Chase, has returned to HBO to produce a new show. It's called Ribbon of Dreams and it's about the ruthless world of films. I'm guessing Entourage but with less pilates and parties, and more plotting and paranoia. I'm intrigued. Most of the stuff HBO produces is simply awesome. The Sopranos a work of genius. And the plot of the series sounds pretty addictive read more about it in this New York Times article

The Mac is coming back. I was talking with my hairdresser today about how 'retrosexual' is the in thing right now. Women want a man who can fix things, who's all hairy and masculine, not a man who has more products than you and spends way more time and money on clothes than you do. On this tip, the ultimate handy man is MacGyver and there are plans a-foot to revive him, by making a feature film about the man who can do amazing things with some panty-hose, a paper clip and a stick of chewing gum. They haven't cast his role yet. More information here

The internets are a-flood with speculation over Joaquin Pheonix and his crazy antics. There was that appearance on Letterman. And his claims to be quitting acting to follow a career as a rapper. And last week he had an altercation with a dude in a bar who was heckling him. It was all caught on film, because he's being followed around by a film crew. Some allege that he's making a mockumentary about quitting acting and becoming a rapper. Others, like Casey Affleck, claim it's a legitimate documentary about this transition. Whatever it is - I can't wait to see it. For more, read this article in the London Times last week. Here's the heckling and his response, last week in Miami:

Lily Allen really is the IT girl right now. She's become a demi-god like darling of the media. She's relevant enough to so many people that she's talked about in trashy mags and in high-brow publications like The New Yorker and The Guardian. Not many people have that kind of cross-over appeal. Which is probably why she needs to get legal protection from the Pap. They sound pretty full-on in their total stalking of her. Sacha Frere-Jones from The New Yorker has this fascinating audio from the Pap who were hunting her around NY while he was hanging out with her for a day. Listen to the whole story here. I wish I was half as cool, sassy and witty as her and half as smart and insightful as him when I grow up.

One of my favourite music blogs is Allez Allez. They've got two excellent mixes up at the moment - which couldn't be more different. One from G the P and the other by Heartbreak. Check em both out.