Culture Fables

We here at Fabling are dedicated to the proper spread and use of pop culture artifacts. Life is nothing without quality amusements, and we aim to provide some recommendations. Get your pens at the ready:

Elevator to the Gallows

Put this at the top of your Netflix queue. Elevator to the Gallows is a French nior from the 1960s, and probably the best looking and sexiest noir I have ever seen (see above picture). The movie is about a plot to kill a boss and misstress' husband that goes horribly awry when the murderer gets stuck in the elevator after his crime. His car is stolen by a teenage couple in trouble and his girlfriend wanders the streets of Paris wondering what happened to him. This is a good thriller in the Hitchcock vein, but it also has a new wave/Truffaut sensibility, catching all the tragic consequences of mundane mistakes. And you will never forget that girl in blond stalking through the night.

Cursive: Happy Hollow

I don't believe I've written in cursive since fifth grade. I could never get the hang of the letters "s" and "r". But I do like Cursive, the band. Their last album, The Ugly Organ, was great. And although they have now lost that "indie-punk with a cello" status with Happy Hollow, they've kept the songwriting and energy, and added horns. Horns on a rock album could spell doom (see Chicago, or any cheesy 80s single), but they work here. Please, check them out. Try "Dorothy at Forty".

The Hold Steady: Separation Sunday


The Hold Steady are more of a traditional rock band than Cursive. Just the jangly guitars of a bar band, an irresistable one. Craig Finn sing-shouts in the style of a more gnarled Issac Brock, telling the stories of junkies that get born again, bored again, and perhaps die and live again. This has been my summer album, where I listen repeatedly to hear the stories and fight the urge to sing along while I'm in the Metro. Try "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and "The Banging Camp".

City Life

For the most part, city life is amazing. I love the cultural advantages of city life. I love the close proximity of everything and I love to people watch. This past week has been an urban adventure.

On Thursday I was waiting for the metro to come. I leaned up against the wall because I had eight minutes until my train came. As I leaned against the wall I felt something wet on my hand. In cities, avoid strange wetness at all costs because it is never something you want to touch. This certainly was no exception. I looked to see what the liquid was, only to discover that someone had thrown up behind the area I was leaning, and yes...My hand had vomit all over it. I lacked anything to clean it up so tried to keep the contaminated hand from touching anything for forty five minutes. I made it, but only barely.

Friday night we flew out to NYC. Because of all of the terrorism hype we expected the world to end at the airport. Our flight was at 8pm and our friends were telling us to get there by 3:00. Yikes, the bus is faster than that. We got there at 6:00 and had absolutely no problems. I even managed to get my chapstick in. My addicted chapped lips were very happy about that.

When we got to NYC we met up with my long time friends Julie Ferrell and Heather Novak. Heather is getting married in September and they were buzzing with wedding-ness. It was fun to be together again. It had been at least 7 years since we all were together.

Saturday was the most perfect day to ever come to New York City. We went to Central Park and basked in the sun. It was perfect. Seth and I walked around and enjoyed the day. Fortunately I avoided any New York vomit, now that is just gross.

MY LITTLE PONY

This is going to be a short post because I need some sleep. Last weekend we went to the Assateagues National Seashore. It was a long four hour drive, and it was totally worth it. Growing up in Florida, I have had my fair share of beaches. This was an amazing beach. It had it all: waves of Hawaii with out the reefs, white sand, and a nice cool breeze. Here is something that Florida or Hawaii doesn't have, ponies. Yup, wild ponies that roam the island. They seem a little stunted in growth but they are as real as any other horse.

On the way to the beach we listened to Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. I highly recommend this book, it is like Harry Potten but less innocent and more of a social commentary. Take Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Jane Austen, and Candide and you get this book. Please read it.

Ben, are you up for one more summer trip? Seth and I are thinking about making another adventure out there.

Self Control

Seth and I are suckers for novelty food stores. Especially stores that have almost everything we need -- but not quite. We end up going to Trader Joe's for the good stuff, and then for the two or three items they don't have we go to the normal grocery store. Splitting our grocery bill between stores is not working. We often end up spending a week's worth of grocery money at each store. We're like kids in a candy store, except its groceries.

The other day we were at Trader Joe's picking up our Indian food, dried fruit, and exciting new meal ideas when I was tempted by the most classic American food: apple pie. It was a big apple pie with crispy crust and moist looking apples. I couldn't wait to eat it but insisted that we wait until Sunday for dinner.

So...I didn't make it until dinner. I broke down by lunch and started inhaling the pie. It was so moist and yummy. I guess it was a little too moist because after I consumed 1/6th of the pie I discovered that it was COVERED in mold. Every crevice, moist apple slice, and delicious crack in the crust had little fur and blue spots. It grossed me out. I am including a picture so all of you can get sicked out like I did.

Also, on an almost unrelated post. I went into a store in L'enfant Plaza the other day called Mila's. I was feeling pressure because they ladies kept bringing out these little hoochie outfits and telling me I would look good in them. I didn't want to disappoint them so in a fit to get out I grabbed a sequin hat. Anyone know what I can use this thing for?