First off, let me say that I genuinely enjoyed Speed Racer. The visuals were gorgeous and clever, and it was a treat to get some action in a way that didn’t involve watching people murder other people. I was grinning in delight on more than one occasion, something that movies rarely inspire. Let the nay-sayers say nay.

The Death Cab for Cutie concert was wonderful, as is their new album, Narrow Stairs. They played for a long time and made an awful lot of noise. Also wonderful is Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla’s solo album Field Manual. Both albums are worth a listen.

With all the distractions of life, it’s sometimes easy to forget that it’s a beautiful world. But it is a beautiful world, and it is beautiful right now.