Amazon Prime — it’s magical, like Christmas!
Baby brother; Our very best monkey faces

Last Week’s Highlights

+ The usual Mixplate Monday.
+ Received some new camera gear. Too bad it was raining out almost every single day :(
+ Decided to (try to) speak French!
+ The return of “Pretty Little Liars”! It has completely replaced reality television as my TV guilty pleasure.
+ Shared five quick & easy ways to clean out your hard drive.
+ Yet another crazy busy week at the office. Will they every stop? (No).

Weekend Happenings

+ A bust at the craft store sale. I was so excited about the sale, but didn’t find anything!
+ Watching my lil boo, Honessty, again. In general, I’m not really into kids — but I lucked out with THEEE cutest niece & nephews :)
+ Oh, you know, just crashed a wedding. Haha. Congratulations, Angelina & Kanaʻi; thanks for having me!
+ Caught up on some “Bar Rescue” reruns.
+ Celebrated Father’s Day the best way we know how (and the way we celebrate almost every holiday) — all you can eat crab legs :) It’s a family joke at this point; we’re the crab killahs haha!
+ Finished “Top Of The Lake” on Netflix. It’s a mini-series with Peggy from “Mad Men” that’s gotten so much praise — but, honestly, I can’t figure out if I liked it or not. But I did watch all seven episodes, so I guess that says something.

On The Agenda

+ Hopefully carving out some time to work on a couple of projects that I’ve let slip through the cracks lately.
+ A fun photo shoot for work!
+ Playing with my new camera gear.
+ Bloom!
+ Cooking. I’m not sure what yet, but I’ve been spending a lot of money and eating a lot of extra calories eating lunch out everyday.
+ A big surprise for my little brother!

As of Today

+ Watching “The Take”. How come nobody told me my boyfriend Tom Hardy had an old TV show on Hulu??
+ Thankful for an amazing group of co-workers that have my back.
+ Drinking Crystal Light Energy in place of soda for caffeine.

& THAT’S A WRAP //

Life’s been more of the usual this last week. Hope you’re up to something a little more exciting :)

I WANNA KNOW //

What were your recent highlights? What are you up to?

is a weekly roundup of life’s happenings // From last week’s highlights (including Side Culture blog posts from the week that was) and weekend happenings, to this week’s agenda and today’s musings.

So I went into panic mode, and tried to think of quick, easy ways to free up some space on my hard drive so my download could continue. Here are the five things I did — and if you need to clean out your hard drive, quickly & easily, you can do them, too.

01, Photo Dump
I was kind of a hoarder when it came to photos; I kept every single one — blurry, heads chopped off, too dark to see anything, and all. So I made a quick pass through some of my biggest photo albums and got rid of the obvious crap. When I have more time, I’ll do this in more detail. (Also, since I got my DSLR, I’ve been shooting in both RAW and JPG. But I really don’t need both, so I got rid of the JPGs and just kept the RAW files).

02, Un-Duplicate iTunes
It’s so easy to get rid of your duplicates, iTunes does all the hard work of finding them for you. View > Show Duplicate Items. Boom.

03, Stream Music
Better yet… Did you know that you can stream any music you’ve purchased from the iTunes store? So I deleted my entire iTunes music library. Yup, everything — somewhere in the neighborhood of 16,000 songs. And when I want to listen to them, I just stream them via iTunes. But, honestly, since I signed up for Rdio, I hardly ever listen to music via iTunes anymore anyway.

04, Google Drive
Move your documents to the cloud, too. I love Pages and Numbers, Apple’s (infinitely better) versions of Microsoft Word and Excel — and when you have as many Pages and Numbers files as I do (freelance pitches and proposals, business plan drafts, design mock-ups, blog inspiration, personal projects, short stories and poetry, files from school or work a hundred years ago, etc.), you tend to waste some space unnecessarily. So I moved them. Some of them went to iCloud and some of them to Google Drive, either way they’re not taking up space on my computer anymore.

05, Unwanted Apps
Sometimes I do a little overkill in the App Store. I download all these games to play, organization systems to keep my life in check, photo editors, etc. Some of the apps I’ve actually used and am done with, but, realistically, I’m never even gonna open half of them anyway. So I chucked them, save for a select few.

Bonus
If all else fails, invest in an external hard drive (this 1TB My Passport one is only $79.99, and is on my wish list). With the amount of photos I’m taking these days, I’m gonna need one sooner rather than later.

PS: Don’t forget to empty the trash when you’re pau and get rid of that crap for good!

& THAT’S A WRAP //

The initial shock of my overflowing hard drive wore off pretty quickly, once I realized how quickly and easily I was able to free up a ton of space. Now go get your hard drive in order and let me know how you did it!

I WANNA KNOW //

How close are you to to the limits of your hard drive? What is clogging up space on your hard drive?

Original imagery via.

There’s no imagery here, no enlightened lesson that’s meant to come out of that phrase. The only thing it’s meant to convey is that — I’m learning French!

When I was in elementary school, my friend’s dad got a job in Tahiti and her family moved there. I loved Lilinoe, and I was so sad that she was gone. Losing friends is the hardest thing in the world when you’re nine! But through that experience I discovered that the people in Tahiti speak French — and I’ve wanted to learn to speak the language of love ever since.

I’ve been having serious wanderlust lately, and since I’m not going anywhere anytime soon, I figured I’d enroll myself in summer school, and try to learn something new and worldly. I have no illusions that I’m gonna magically be fluent in French by the end of the summer, but I’m already stoked about the fact that I can put together a sentence like “je mange une pomme rouge”. And maybe by the end of the summer, I’ll be able to write a (very short) blog post en français. Baby steps.

Bonjour!

& THAT’S A WRAP //

So if you’re looking for me this summer, chances are I’ll be squinting at my computer, speaking very slowly in the worst, American-ized version of French, looking a lot like a very unwell person talking to herself!

I WANNA KNOW //

What is one thing you’ve always wanted to learn how to do? What are you learning this summer?

Original imagery via.

Drinks & drag queens with Joyful & Sam (circa 2009); The tiniest little cherry tomato I ever did see
Not you! Come on, son; To celebrate his birthday: My godson greeting the world 4 years ago

Last Week’s Highlights

+ The usual Mixplate Monday
+ Tried to buy Adobe Photoshop Elements 11. And like a bonehead I accidentally copped the Windows version. Hopefully I can get this sorted with Adobe soon so I can start editing and creating like a pro!
+ Started the Doc Diaries series with Kumare
+ A day of lying in bed, feeling like crap :(
+ Listed the 5 iPhone apps I’m loving right now
+ Asahi Grill for lunch. Can’t believe it was the first time since my office moved to Ward — Asahi Grill is practically across the street!
+ Turned the lessons I learned from overweight luggage in NYC into 12 tips for packing light
+ Cleaning out my room and came across some old travel keepsakes. I want to see the world, you guys. All of it!

Weekend Happenings

+ Did some damage on Amazon. Looking forward to some new camera gear!
+ Spending tons of time with my family. It’s been a long time since I stayed up all night laughing with my little brother. Much needed.
+ Kiare’s grad party. Hawaiian food & Hawaiian music :)
+ “Game of Thrones” and “Mad Men”. I also started watching “The Killing”, liking it so far.
+ Made some headway on a work project. I hate working nights/weekends, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

On The Agenda

+ A lot of work. Somewhere in the range of a shit ton.
+ Continuing with my French lessons. Yay!
+ Transferring a bunch of files from my laptop to the cloud.
+ Anxiously awaiting my shipment of camera gear. I’ve been feeling so inspired to capture the world on film lately. You can expect my camera to be at my side on the regular.

As of Today

+ Unsubscribing // From a few shopping newsletters. I don’t need any more temptation to dump my bank account into material things.
+ Shampooing // My makeup brushes. They’re due for a deep cleaning.
+ Drinking // Water. I’m going to try to go the whole week without soda.

& THAT’S A WRAP //

Life’s been more of the usual this last week. Hope you’re up to something a little more exciting :)

I WANNA KNOW //

What were your recent highlights? What are you up to?

is a weekly roundup of life’s happenings // From last week’s highlights (including Side Culture blog posts from the week that was) and weekend happenings, to this week’s agenda and today’s musings.

1, Make a packing list. Take the time to sit down and be organized and thorough about it. I wrote out a rough itinerary of what we’d be doing each day, checked for dress codes, planned my outfits accordingly, and based my packing list around that. Then, and this is equally important, stick to the list. Pack with purpose. (Except underwear. Always pack extra underwear. You just never know.)

2, Do double duty wherever/whenever you can. My smartest outfit was a long houndstooth top with an elastic waistband. I wore it as a top during the day. At night I dropped the waist down (it fell a little above the knee) and threw on a belt to turn it into a dress. This kinda thing can be done a million ways — Pair a dress with a cardigan and flats during the day, then a clutch and heels at night. And double duty can be as simple as reusing a pair of jeans for a second outfit (I used to be opposed to wearing something more than once without washing it, but it can work. And you can do laundry). Try not to pack something unless it can be worn two different ways.

3, No one cares what you’re wearing. And sometimes you have to be practical before fashionable. Even in a fashion-forward city like NYC, I could’ve worn the same jeans and sweater seven days in a row and the only person to notice would’ve been my travel PIC, Dana. (Well, her and everyone on Instagram). If I were being as efficient as possible, I could’ve pared down my list by a ton. I wish I had thought of that before packing five scarves, four pairs of gloves and four beanies to coordinate with every outfit. (And then I ended up buying a pair of gloves I wore almost everyday, two beanies I wore most days and only, like, four new scarves. But that’s more about my shopping addiction than your practical packing needs). Next time I’m packing one or two scarves, one or two beanies, one pair of gloves, and maybe even only one coat.

4, Keep it casual. (This might be very specific to my vacation, but whatever). We were very much under the impression we had to get dolled up for evening Broadway shows and the ballet. And while a few people were dressed to the nines, most kept it pretty casual (jeans to the ballet). Plus I kept my coat or jacket on indoors a lot, which meant no one could see what the hell I was wearing anyway. Oh, and it’s dark, everyone is a stranger who I don’t know and will never see again, and they’re all paying attention to the stage and not my outfit haha (read: No one cares what you’re wearing). And visitors often get a pass on not being perfectly dressed for every occasion anyway. “Oh, but I’ll look like a total tourist!”. Wake up, Mary, you are one!

5, Only pack clothes you’re comfortable wearing. If you don’t feel good in it, or don’t think you’ll look good in it, you won’t wear it anyway. (More importantly, why did you buy it?)

6, Go easy on the makeup. (I could do a whole post on this, seriously). I couldn’t have fit all the makeup I packed into one bag if I tried (and I did). If you’re full-on obsessed with beauty products the way I am, you’ll feel my pain. But, realistically, we were on the go so much that I didn’t bother getting up early to primp in the morning the way I thought I would; most days it was the bare minimum. And, guess what? I look fabulous in the photos anyway! (I did put in a little more effort on days we went to TV tapings because, HELLO, WE MIGHT BE ON TV!) Clearly four eyeshadow palettes was a little overkill. PS: Think multipurpose. Shampoo and conditioner in one, blush/bronzer duos, palettes with eyeshadows and blushes, etc. PPS: I can’t believe I even have to say this, but don’t pack full-size toiletries! I didn’t realize people even did that. Save yourself the space and weight. And if you’re trynna go carry-on only, you’ll never get away with it anyway.

7, Shop as early as you can, and ship that shit home. Seriously. Buy the cookies and t-shirts for your family & coworkers on day one and get yourself to the nearest post office. My mom does it every time she travels and I need to start following her lead. This takes up zero extra space/weight in your luggage and is usually cheaper (flat rate, holla!) than paying for a second or overweight bag on your flight home.

8, Carry on the heavy stuff. It seems counterintuitive and inconvenient, but no one weighs your carry on. Load it up. Just make sure you can lift it above your head to put it in the overhead compartment.

9, Group like things together. Long-term I’d like to invest in a set of packing cubes (like these from Eagle Creek), but in the mean time I packed my smaller things (leggings, camisoles, accessories, unmentionables, etc.) with good old Ziplocs. It helped me stay organized and easily move things around in my suitcase to make them fit well. (This came in handy, big time, when I had to quickly transfer stuff out of my suitcase and into Dana’s and my carry on at the airport).

10, Just in case is not an excuse. If you really need something, but you don’t have it, you can buy it there. So go ahead and pack less than you need (especially if you’re a shopper like me). I’m bound to buy clothes and accessories anyway, so taking a few things off my packing list won’t ruin me.

11, Do you really need an iPhone and an iPad and a MacBook Pro? I thought I did, but I absolutely did not. I did need my phone for, well, everything. And I needed my iPad for the plane. But I didn’t need my laptop at all. I thought I would need it to take photos off my camera (so I didn’t run out of space on my memory card), or blog, or work, etc… but I didn’t do any of that. An iPad can do just about everything you need, plus it’s so much more convenient for travel and has better battery life anyway.

12, If all else fails, plan for a second piece of luggage. I sometimes travel with a (full) medium-size suitcase in an (otherwise empty) larger one. That way I have two suitcases worth of space on the way home. It might be even easier (definitely lighter) to pack a duffle bag that you can fold down small and tuck in your suitcase on the way over and pack full on the way home. It ain’t free, but $35 for a second bag is cheaper than $75 for an overweight first one.

& THAT’S A WRAP //

I’m gonna try to practice what I preach, and put these lessons to good use the next time I get off this rock. Hopefully I end up with luggage I can carry and check with no drama. I’ll let you know either way :)

I WANNA KNOW //

Are you a chronic overpacker like I am? What are your packing tips and tricks?

But I suppose if you’re alive in the year 2013, I’m not telling you something you don’t already know… so back to getting shit done. I’ve been high on five specific iPhone apps these days. These bad boys have been integral to managing my life lately, and I think you might love ‘em, too.

01, Mailbox
If you’re anything like me, you have a million emails in your inbox for a million different reasons — read this article after work, shop that discount on payday, respond her later. And if you do this like I do, you know it doesn’t work. Mailbox is the cure. It’s meant to help you do one thing: get your inbox to zero (you even get a pretty picture when you do!). And how does it do that? Beautifully (Mailbox has a great UI), easily (most functions are via swipe/gesture), and efficiently (assign emails to lists, file and delete with ease, and even schedule an email to come back to you later, when you have time to deal with it). Brilliant.

02, Lemon Wallet
I remember wanting to fill my wallet as a kid. With cash, sure, but also with cards galore! School ID, library card, OKC (and later MyTV; I could not wait to turn thirteen!), Sanrio punch cards — it was all part of wanting to feel like an adult and play the part in some small way. Fast forward to life as an adult, all I want to do is empty my wallet of all the crap and keep my purse as light as a feather. Lemon Wallet makes that possible by replacing my Hakubundo card wallet (probably in the neighborhood of 30-40 membership, discount and gift cards) with a virtual one. Anything that has a barcode that can be uploaded to the app and scanned in-store. I think it’s something like what Apple was trying to do with Passbook. Lemon also has the option for storing credit/debit card information, insurance cards and receipts, but I haven’t tested those features just yet. Even without them, the app is worth every penny. (Jk, it’s free!).

03, Red Stamp
Gone are the days of the “Happy Birthday” text message. Red Stamp is now the way I prefer to send holiday greetings, thank yous & even hellos. Their cards are cute and customizable, and you can even add photos to some of them.

04, A Beautiful Mess
A Beautiful Mess is one of the very first blogs I started reading four or five years ago. I watched ABM grow from Elsie’s personal blog to one curated by two sisters, a retail store front, dress collection, major brand collaborations — and now an A Beautiful Mess iPhone app! It’s a photo app with a range of filters, borders, frames, backgrounds, and text & image overlays. It’s the only app on this list that isn’t free, but it’s worth the 99-cents to support a fantastic app and bloggers I love. There are also additional features available for purchase. I’ve been able to resist the extra cuteness so far, but probably not for long :)

05, Any.Do
I am always looking for better ways to keep my life organized and on track. I’ve tried a thousand different productivity systems and a thousand apps, and I think I’ve finally settled on something. Enter Any.Do. It isn’t overly-complicated, but hits most of my must-have features: Sorting by project/context and date, designating priority items, setting reminders, repeating tasks, and it’s easy to edit tasks and details. Normally I prefer a companion app on my computer (sometimes it’s easier to manage a large volume of tasks on a big screen with a keyboard, while being able to maintain it and add/change on my phone as well), but Any.Do is user friendly and gets the job done. I think I can live without it (for now), but I hope a desktop or online app is coming soon!

& THAT’S A WRAP //

So there we have it, my iPhone app starting five — the ones that are proving to be crucial in helping me get shit done and keep my life from falling into various degrees of shambles.

I WANNA KNOW //

What are you favorite iPhone apps? How do you use technology to keep life organized?

How do you know what’s real? How do you know know what to believe in? These are questions I ask myself a lot these days, and questions explored in the documentary, “Kumare“.

This true story of a false prophet follows filmmaker Vikram Gandhi as he impersonates a yogi and starts a following of unsuspecting believers in Arizona. Armed with an accent, traditional garb and a scepter, Gandhi assumes the role of Kumare and spreads his “teachings” (including made up words, meditations, and yoga moves). What starts out as a parody of the yoga industry and an experiment on the gullible turns into genuine human connection over time — with people who come love him and respect him, and turn to him for comfort and guidance. Then he has to find a way to tell them the truth.

Despite, you know, creating a fake identity, flat-out lying to people’s faces, and stringing them along under very false, intimate circumstances, Kumare manages to offer a beautiful message, one I took to heart — the only guru you need is already inside of you.

& THAT’S A WRAP //

Did I gain any spiritual enlightenment watching “Kumare”? Well, no. But it’s still on the list of favourite documentaries I’ve seen this year. And it’s available on Netflix instant now.

PS: I actually found this film through the Pete Holmes podcast, “You Made It Weird”. It’s one of my faves, and the Vikram Gandhi episode is a good one, and a good companion to the documentary.

I WANNA KNOW //

What do you believe in? What documentaries have you seen/loved lately?

is a testament to my love for true stories on film // From documentary reviews, to all-time favourites, to those on my list of docs to see.

Honessty: I think it’s mine. Me: I think I need a new purse.

Last Week’s Highlights

+ Actually started blogging again: Mixplate Monday 5.27.13
+ Tried to throw a surprise birthday party for the boss. Being that he didn’t know it was happening, he dumped a crap-ton of work on us and the whole thing kind of came tumbling down haha. Still, the food was delicious, the warehouse boys killed it on the decorations, and we managed to get ourselves out of the office for a whole hour. And at least he was surprised!
+ Shared a few TV shows I found too late, and rejoiced in the fact that “Arrested Development” is back!
+ Took the first steps in getting involved with a Christian women’s conference that’s taking place later this month. At first I was hesitant to even buy a ticket, now I’m signing up to volunteer.
+ Had more than one ridiculous interruption at the office. Let’s hope this week is a little more normal.
+ Recounted the trials and tribulations of being a chronic overpacker, and flying with overweight luggage.
+ Other than work, I didn’t have a whole lot of time to do a whole lot of anything. (The only downfall of a three-day weekend is then trying to fit five days of work into four. Still worth it, though, haha!)
+ Oh, but I did watch “End of Watch” and “Flight” on Vdio.

Weekend Happenings

+ Hanging out with my favourite little girl (see above).
+ Pume’s grad party. And in Hawaiʻi, grad parties are about one thing: FOOD*! Kalua pig, squid lūʻau, poi, lomi salmon, smoked meat, beef stew, poke & ʻOPIHI. Plus dessert.
+ “Behind The Candelabra”; I’ve been waiting to watch that one.
+ Started to clean out my room. I’m gonna need more rubbish bags.
+ A couple of documentaries, that will appear on the blog soon.
+ Thai for lunch.
+ Thought a lot about travelling, and began researching opportunities to volunteer abroad (omg!).

On The Agenda

+ Testing out another productivity system. I’ve been liking what I got going right now, but I’m sure I can find something I like that’s free.
+ Working on a couple of key PR and marketing projects at work. Stoked, but feeling the pressure.
+ Celebrating my godson’s birthday (stop growing so fast!).

As of Today

+ Eating // Oatmeal for breakfast. I used to hate it, but now I crave it. And I hope this lasts ’cause I bought a Costco pack!
+ Hating // iPhone and iPad apps that don’t inform you they’re lite/demo apps only. If I’m only going to be allowed to do a tiny portion of what you’re advertising I can do, without in-app purchases, be nice enough to let a girl know.
+ Working // On an editorial calendar for Side Culture. I’ve already got more work than time, but I want so much to write more — and I need to get as organized as possible to make that happen.

*Grad parties are also about the graduate — congrats, Pume!

& THAT’S A WRAP //

Life’s been more of the usual this last week. Hope you’re up to something a little more exciting :)

I WANNA KNOW //

What were your recent highlights? What are you up to?

is a weekly roundup of life’s happenings // From last week’s highlights (including Side Culture blog posts from the week that was) and weekend happenings, to this week’s agenda and today’s musings.

I really thought I had it down this time. I started meticulously planning my vacation packing list more than a month ahead of time and overanalyzed it until it was perfect. I prepped early and got extra organized. Then I did what I always do: Threw in a bunch of extra stuff at the last-minute.

First I thought one extra of everything was a good idea — an extra pair of pants, top, jacket and dress. But then I remembered a couple of tops I bought specifically with this trip in mind and of course those had to go in, too. And then it was every single pair of leggings I own — they take up so little space, what’s the big deal? And I was gonna need al the warmth I could get!

Before I knew it, my Ellen Tracey 29″ spinner was packed to the gills. But it all fit (for now) and I managed to carry it down the stairs and down the hill to my car (it did almost get away from me rolling down that damn hill).

(Note to self: Next time finish everything before Dad leaves the house so he can carry it for you!)

So I made it to New York City and shopped with reckless abandon (as per usual); and on the second-to-the-last day of the trip, when I finally started organizing all my crap and started to pack for the trip home, I knew I was in trouble. And by then I didn’t have a lot of options. I miraculously managed to stuff everything into my bags (with an extra carry-on shopping bag that I was crossing my fingers wouldn’t be called out by the airline), but once my luggage hit the scale at the airport I was fucked.

13 lbs. of extra baggage was going to cost me $75.00. And, as a matter of principle, I was not about to pay that fee (also, did I mention I shopped with reckless abandon?). So I had to move stuff around a little — thankfully my friend Dana’s bag was underweight and I got to throw a few things in there (God bless her!), and I hand-carried a few other things I had to remove from my carry-on luggage to make room for more crap. I managed to get within 2.5 lbs. of the weight limit, and thankfully the counter agents let me stop there (I think they felt sorry for me after watching me crack open all my bags and scramble in the middle of the airport).

[Sidebar rant: Why did they making me go through this trouble? I appreciate that there are rules, but in this case the exact same amount of weight was getting on the plane, did it really matter which bag it was in?]

But it wasn’t completely over. After making it through security and to one of the farthest gates with all my crap, I couldn’t get everything to fit in the overhead bin on the plane! Try rearranging all your stuff with about six inches of wiggle room while a line of passengers ready to get to their seat forms behind you. I was so flustered, I felt so bad, and I’m pretty sure my pits started sweating. Sucks. And shout out to the flight attendant who made a wise ass remark instead of politely offering assistance!

And once we were finally on the ground Dana and I had to post up on the curb outside baggage claim at HNL to get my stuff back from her bags. Good times.

& THAT’S A WRAP //

Since then I’ve thought about all the packing mistakes I made and all the travelling I’d like to do in the future, and everything I’ve gleaned from this fiasco. So, next up in the chronicles of NYC 2013 is a list of lessons learned from my overweight luggage.

I WANNA KNOW //

Are you a chronic overpacker like I am? What’s your most ridiculous overpacking disaster?

Arrested Development

And now the story of a wealthy family who lost everything, and the one son who had no choice but to keep them all together… It’s Arrested Development.

Oh, “Arrested Development”, how you have captured my heart! I didn’t get around to watching the show until several years after it was already off the air, but I fell in love with it instantly — and by now I’ve seen every episode of the original series at least three times.

And while I was so happy the show and I had found each other, I knew that I (along with the rest of mankind) was cheated out of more of this genius television. But, thankfully, the show has been saved by the Internet. Literally. Seven years after it was (prematurely and entirely unjustly) taken off the air, Netflix has rounded up the cast and crew to bring the Bluths back for a fourth season. Don’t shed another tear, the entire new season is available on Netflix NOW! (And if you’ve spoken to me at all in the last month or so, it’s all I’ve been talking about.)

Definitely go back and watch the first three seasons if you haven’t seen them already (they’re all on Netflix and Hulu). It’s overflowing with brilliant acting by a stacked ensemble cast (Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, Michael Cera, David Cross, Portia de Rossi, Tony Hale, Alia Shawkat, Jeffrey Tambor, and Jessica Walter), an abundance of guest stars (especially in the new season) utter ridiculousness (in the best way possible; even when it’s completely ludicrous it’s still flawless), series-long hilarious running gags, and jokes on jokes on jokes. I could quote the show all day, and can die laughing at the slightest nuance. There are a million reasons why “Arrested Development” is a cult hit, and deserved to be resurrected.

The Wire

If I was more concerned with gripping HBO dramas that deal with drugs, crime, education and politics in urban Baltimore, I might’ve been on board with “The Wire” during it’s original run. At the time, though, I was a little more concerned with high school and MTV, so this one slipped by me. Since then, I’ve heard nothing but rave reviews, many even calling it the best television show ever. I even knew the names Omar Little and Stringer Bell before I’d watched the show and knew who they were. So I finally got around to it earlier this year — And it’s every bit as exceptional as people say it is. The characters are developed so richly, the story lines are fascinating, and some of the themes explored in the show are extraordinarily provocative. It’s real. And season four? (There are five.) That’s damn near perfection.

Plus the bonuses of Idris Elba (“RocknRolla” and “Luther” are also mandatory viewing material), Pablo Schreiber (marry me!), and insanely perfect & quotable dialogue. Oh, and one of my favorite, simple yet brilliant and expressive catchphrases of all time. I’m not exactly sure what you’re waiting for. Go watch “The Wire”. Now.

Party Down

“Party Down” follows a ragtag group of show biz has-beens and wannabes who work for a Hollywood catering company. The show manages to be smart and silly at the same, and stars some of my favorite indie comedy actors: Ken Marino (“Wet Hot American Summer”, “Burning Love” and “Childrens Hospital”), Lizzy Caplan (Janis in “Mean Girls” and “Bachelorette”), and Adam Scott (everything). It also features a pre-”Glee” Jane Lynch and a post-”Will & Grace” Megan Mullally. And it’s hilarious.

Better Off Ted

God bless not only Netflix, but whatever algorithm it is they use to recommend television shows and movies based on what I’ve previously watched and liked. I’m not sure I would have even heard of “Better Off Ted” without it. The show is centered around an R&D team at a very strange and robotic giant corporation. It’s quirky and absurd with eccentric but lovable characters, and overall it’s funny with a lot of heart.

United States of Tara

How Toni Colette is dripping with awards for her performance as Tara (and Alice, Buck, T, Gimme, Shoshana, Chicken and Bryce), I cannot comprehend. “United States of Tara” follows the Gregson family and watches as they cope with a matriarch who is living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple Personality Disorder). Family and love is almost always triumphant, but it’s a rocky road full of both heartache and hope — and lots of laughs. PS: Be warned that the series finale isn’t quite the ending I would have hoped for.

Bored To Death

I’m so high on “Bored To Death” right now. That could be because I binge-watched all three seasons over the long weekend, or it could be because it’s just that good.

So there’s a writer (Jason Schwartzman), who’s moonlighting as an unlicensed private detective, as advertised on Craigslist. And his two BFFs are a struggling comic book artist (Zach Galifianakis) and a wealthy but bored magazine publisher (Ted Danson). All three of them are stoners. This cast is incredible. The first season very hardboiled and has a very noir style. And while the later seasons focus a little more on comedy and character, it still has a very cinematic feel. Crossing my fingers this translates into a movie (it’s been a rumor since the show was cancelled).

& THAT’S A WRAP //

So Jah bless the Internet for leading me to and allowing me to watch these shows to which I was too late, and that might have been lost to me otherwise. Go watch them all!

I WANNA KNOW //

What are your favorite, but cancelled TV shows? What are your favorite shows to watch on Hulu or Netflix? I need recommendations!