My top fives

[next_to_normal]

First, an interesting read, courtesy of Mark Ruffalo's twitter: Revenge of the Introvert. Relevant to your interests, I expect, for many of you.

Second, if you are not watching The Americans, WATCH THE AMERICANS. Seriously. This show is incredible. Last night's episode on the Reagan assassination attempt was fascinating - even knowing how it all turns out (spoiler: he doesn't die), it still manages to explore angles by focusing on how our perceptions and history affect our reactions to events, with the Soviets - and Elizabeth, in particular - anticipating a coup d'etat because that's typically what happened when Russian leaders were assassinated, not realizing that that sort of thing just doesn't happen in the U.S. It also neatly illustrates the difference between Elizabeth and Philip, whose instincts on this are a lot better than hers because he's become so immersed in American culture - i.e. the very same thing that made him a liability as a KGB spy in the pilot.

Okay, on to my top five lists.

From goldenusagi:

Top Five Desert Island TV Shows

I had two basic criteria here: one, shows that, as goldenusagi put it, I "could watch on repeat over and over and never get sick of." The other thing I considered was length of the series. I mean, there are plenty of shows I adore that only made it a season or two, but if I'm stranded on a desert island (...with my DVD player, a TV, and electricity, presumably), I'm going to want as much entertainment as possible.

1. Buffy the Vampire Slayer, for what should be obvious reasons. I never seem to stop discovering new layers each time I go back to it.
2. The West Wing. I've already seen the early seasons more times than I can count, and it's still just as entertaining as the first time.
3. Friends. I figured I'd need a comedy to cheer me up while I'm stranded on this desert island, and judging by my inability to pull myself away when reruns are on, I'd say this one stands up to rewatches.
4. Friday Night Lights, because it's so real that it would keep me grounded while I am separated from society.
5. Breaking Bad, which I haven't actually tried to rewatch, since I only just watched it for the first time last year, but I expect it would hold up well, and it's damn good.

From seapealsh:

Top Five National Fast Food Chains

Heh, I don't really eat fast food anymore, so I'm stretching a bit to come up with five.

1. Panera Bread, which has become a tradition, since there's one near my doctor's office. Every time I go for a Remicade treatment, I get Panera afterward. Unless I get Chipotle...
2. Chipotle. I actually rarely eat there, but I've developed an odd fondness for it due to my friend Andrew's evangelism. He LOVES Chipotle, and once described it to me as "their burritos are the size of a baby." Which is why I rarely eat there, lol. My waistline can't afford it.
3. Quiznos, an addiction during my senior year of college, when they opened a store on campus. I never eat it now, since it's not convenient (Subway is nearby but far inferior), but I have fond memories.
4. Chopt Salad. I suppose this qualifies as fast food, even though the line is always abysmally long whenever I go there. I used to prefer Saladworks, but again, a lack of availability in this area has converted me to Chopt.
5. Wendy's, which, again, I don't really eat anymore, but when I did, this was my preference over McDonald's or Burger King. I do like McDonald's fries, though...

Stay tuned. There is more to come!

Comments

[goldenusagi]

I'm not sure if I could stand the intensity and despair of Breaking Bad on repeat, lol. Though it is flawless, of course.

[frayadjacent]

I really enjoyed the "Revenge of the Introvert" essay, and was actually surprised by how much I identified with it, especially the parts about needing time to think and not being good at brainstorming or thinking on my feet. It helps me understand why I hate meeting with my advisor -- he's constantly interrupting me, firing questions, and I quickly lose my train of thought and get completely derailed. I much prefer discussing my work with him via email, even though we're just down the hall from each other.

And it helps me understand why I usually try to polish my thoughts before presenting them to others -- I always just thought of that as some combination of insecurity and intellectual carefulness cultivated by years in academia.

And even why I loved theater and acting in high school but shied away from improv. And, heh, why I almost always click the "preview" button when making a DW comment. :)

I've tended to think of all this as simply that I need more time to gather my thoughts than other people, and never realized it might be part of the constellation of traits of introversion (and that so many other people feel this way too!).

I was a little confused by the essay's emphasis on the "pursuit of happiness". I only understand what they mean by that in vague terms. I guess that doesn't strike me as a defining feature of our society? I mean, I see self-help books and stuff on that topic, but that's about it. Maybe I'm just not sufficiently tuned into pop-culture, being a bit of an introvert and all. ;)

[seapealsh]

I love Panera Bread too. And my son always raves about Chipotle but I rarely eat there. If I do I probably use up over 1000 calories!

[ever_neutral]

Word to your top 5 shows (except the two I don't watch). Though I was supposed to watch FNL decades ago.

I WILL WATCH THE AMERICANS.

[mcmegan]

Mmm...chipotle. You could try getting a burrito bowl, and eat it with the chips (my favorite). That way you can stir everything all up (I hate having a random pool of sour cream in one spot in a burrito) and just eat half of it. Those burritos are way too big to eat in one sitting. When Seamus eats a whole one, he has to nap afterwards.