To discuss a month in review: August

What happened to August? No, seriously? Did you steal it? Give it back. I'll trade you my March and November for it.
To cap off the last month of summer, here's a look back at my favorite and least favorite experiences of August, with lots of links to distract you from reading this entire post...

• Favorite movie: Both "Harold and Kumar" movies. Some blockbusters, like "The Dark Knight," were very good, but it's not like I'll want to see them again and again. Harold and Kumar aren't usually the type I like- most stoner movies rely too much on making jokes about stoners saying stuff about being high, but never actually go any deeper. But I laughed out loud a ton during these two movies, and most comedies lately can't do that. Plus, Neil Patrick Harris is simply the cat's meow (man, I finally got to use that phrase... what a relief). Runner-up: "Lars and the Real Girl."
  
• Least favorite movie: From Justin to Kelly. It's on right now, and it's as bad as everyone said it is. I didn't even know it's a musical. It's not even as good as Grease 2. They try to force Justin Guarini to like women, and you can tell that just doesn't work. And Kelly Clarkson has that awful chunky highlight thing going on. It made me vomit in my mouth a little bit. Runner-up: "Tropic Thunder."
  
• Favorite song: "I'll Be Seeing You," Billie Holliday. Sure, sure- I heard it in "The Notebook." And we all know how that night ended up. But that's a good song, and you know it. Billie's voice makes you want to slow dance on a pier-- all I need is a pier. And a girl. And Billie not to be dead.... Runner-up "Electric Feel," MGMT.
  
• Least favorite song: "Burnin' Up," Jonas Brothers. I get it- they're cute, curly-haired dudes. Whatever. They can't sing. They can't play their instruments. This is not a good song. They can't finish off lyrical phrases properly, and the whole song has, what, three chords? Maybe I'm getting old.... Runner-up "Shake It," Metro Station.
  
• Favorite album: Adele, "19". If Jill Scott had a sore throat and then became the surrogate mother of Alicia Keys' baby with Joss Stone as the stepmother, that would be what Adele sounds like. Like a biracial lesbian test tube baby. Well, actually, I'm sure she likes boys, but the point is that this British pop-soul singer makes simple songs into experiences. Showstoppers include "Chasing Pavements," "Make You Feel My Love" and "Hometown Glory," which might end up being one of my top 10 favorite songs of the year, even though it sounds very similar to Sia's "Breathe Me." ... Runner-up "Once" movie soundtrack. (no least favorite album)
  
• Best TV Show: "The Wire," Season 1. Well, normally this will be a new show, but it's all re-runs right now. So I finally started watching The Wire, and it has to be one of the best-acted shows I've ever seen, and I don't say that lightly. I can't believe they only made five seasons of this.
• Worst TV show: Parental Control (MTV). I get the premise- parents want to get their son/daughter to ditch their significant other, so they set them up on two dates. But the show gets too creepy. There are too many times when the dads say again and again how hot the girls are that they chose for their son. They ask them about sex, ask them their favorite body parts, etc. But the girls are in high school. And the moms never say anything about it. Don't you think that's why your son is choosing the wrong women, mom? Dad's trying to bang the 16-year-olds. It's like "American Beauty" without the rose petals. MTV, I liked you more when you showed "Singled Out."
  
• Best moment: Getting to spend a weekend with college friends. It's too bad no one has come up with a way to keep all the friendship benefits of college without the whole going to class thing, once you graduate. When you're working, you never get the same close contact with people. You can't go down the hall at 1 a.m. and knock on their door.
  
• Worst moment: Fighting back the remorseful, bitter tears of an afternoon without America's Favorite Snack Cake.
  
• Best decision: Uh, starting this blog. (Stop snickering.)
  
• Worst decision: Trusting that my dinner wouldn't explode on me. Would you believe I stepped on a sliver of glass yesterday? I'll never get all the glass swept up.
• Fake TV girlfriends I've claimed this month: Alicia Sacramone, Andrea from Danity Kane, and quite possibly Sarah Palin, Republican V.P. candidate.
  
  Quick blog thought: I've been fiddling with a bunch of crap on here lately. One thing I'm trying to decide is if I should keep doing the "Read more" formatting for posts so you can quickly skim down the main page and find what you want, or if I should post the entire body of each entry in its entirety so you don't have to click as much. What do you prefer? Anything else you like/don't like? (and don't say the writing quality, jag-off)
  
  Also- get excited. Like, pee your pants excited, except don't pee your pants because that will gross out others and leave a stain... There are some cool new blog features coming up in the next month-- a Q&A with a special guest blogger (details coming) is one example-- plus, with TV returning, there should be more TV play by plays. Commence peeing.