I whipped out my writing notebook last night for the first time in three months. It was tough to write in longhand! I felt like such a freak. I need to get back into the natural rhythm of paper and pen. I refuse to believe that they’ll ever become extinct, just like CDs (or at least some kind of format that you have to go to a store to buy; the notion of downloading everything off the net seems as ridiculous as the space age food on “The Jetsons”.)

I loved “All The Real Girls”, director David Gordon Green’s second film so much that I’ll have to check out his first, “George Washington” again. I couldn’t connect with the latter, so maybe the former is just a superb leap. Many people are going to think this is pretentious, and indeed, the award Sundance gave it for “emotional truth” is dreadfully pretentious. But, there’s an honesty to it uncommon to most fiction film, the ‘Scope cinematography is incredible (particularly in a montage of multi-hued skies and factories following the film’s most severe, tragic, and invigorating scene) and the performances are all both subtle and unshakable—Paul Schneider as a small town lothario transformed by love and the need to evolve; Zooey Deschanel as a young woman perplexed and altered by love and the always interesting Patricia Clarkson as an older woman with almost too much love in her heart, yet world weary and wise enough to handle it. The film is leisurely paced, unconventionally construed, inconclusive and unresolved, and quietly thrilling in the effects it has on the head and the heart. It’s brimming with moments of grace that are not easily or obviously achieved.

Other recent raves:

The New Pornographers “Electric Version”, especially the spellbinding second half of “Testament To Youth In Verse” and every time Neko Case opens her mouth.

The final episode of “Buffy”. Less bloated than “MASH”, much funnier than “Seinfeld”, far more punchier than “Cheers”, it wraps everything up and leaves it all open to a sea of possibilities.

The four-hour Masterpiece Theatre adaptation of Zadie Smith’s novel “White Teeth”, which I’ve taped and hope to start watching tonight.

Swedish alterna-popster Marit Bergman’s four song sampler “It Would Have Been Good”. Especially the heartbreaking, Mary Lou Lord meets Belle and Sebastian title track.

The Belle and Sebastian mix CD I made, featuring all of the tracks on the transplendent singles “Jonathan David”, “I’m Waking Up To Us”, and “This Is Just A Modern Rock Song”.

The lilacs and Elizabeth, the magnolia tree at the Arnold Arboretum.

Smoothies made with bananas, milk, and frozen mixed tropical fruit (mango, pineapple, kiwi, grape).

I lusted after Ewan Mcgregor in “Down With Love”, but David Hyde Pierce gave the key performance in the neutered fey best friend Tony Randall role.

Luke’s brief dream at the end of the “Gilmore Girls” season finale.

Bart’s 40-year-old Beatles soda hallucination (with a uproarious recreation of Annie Leibowitz’s John and Yoko “Rolling Stone” cover, featuring Millhouse) on “The Simpsons”.