2 + 2 = 5.

1) "Just a Kid" by Wilco (from the SpongeBob Squarepants sountrack).
A blast of goofball distorted-pop that I can't get out of my head.

2) The design of THE WILCO BOOK (designed by PictureBox).
I haven't even attempted to read the weird (read: pretentious) found poetry in the beginning nor Rick Moody's epic essay spanning Wilco's entire output (Hell, I haven't even listened to the disc of instrumentals that came with it), but I'm in love with The PictureBox's layout of the book-- the micro-collages of Wilco's loft, the precise detail in the inventory of the band's instruments, etc.

3) Fargo (dir: Joel Coen).

I hadn't watched the Coen's "midwestern" in quite some time. Unlike many of the films I loved in my high school years, it didn't disappoint at all. I'm still blown away by the acting and how taut the whole thing manages to be despite the fact that it doesn't follow any conventional structure. I was also struck by how the Coens let their freak-flags fly, but manage to resist being overbearingly glib (OK, some of the "Oh ya, sure, you betchas..." are pushing it, as is the Polka King poster that hangs on Scotty Lundergaard's door). It really is a classic.

4) Roscoe's Chicken N Waffle (Hollywood).
I'm not sure how I made it nearly four years in Los Angeles without ever eating at Roscoe's... but I did. PL's birthday remedied that. Who knew that a super-deep-fried chicken breast and a butter-smothered waffle (that's the Carol C. combo) would taste so good together? F-ing brilliant.

5) The Criterion DVD of Robert Altman's Short Cuts.
I haven't even watched it yet, BUT here's why it made this list: I can finally see Altman's epic in a pristine, widescreen format. Plus the package comes loaded with a feature-length doc, interviews, plus a full-sized book from Vintage of all the Carver short stories that are the basis of the film. I can't wait to dig into that shit.