TV
Most reality television shows leave me feeling pissy about humanity, but never keep me from going back for more. Restore your faith in humanity by getting completely lost into Big Brother Australia. It’s like the American show, to a point, but the difference is that these Australians are really funny, really caring and really likable. The show is so huge in Australia that a new episode comes out every freaking day. You don’t just watch this show; you kind of live it alongside the housemates. Episodes are uploaded daily to the show’s YouTube page.
MUSIC
All of you kiddos who are all like “blah, libraries are boring” are missing out on something pretty awesome. Through the Spokane Library’s Freegal service, all library cardholders in good standing can download three free songs per week. And it’s not like your choices are John Tesh and Mannheim Steamroller: Freegal draws from more than 3 million songs and 11,000 record labels. It’s a great way to download that track you heard at the gym, or the Bon Jovi song you’re ashamed to love. Check it out at spokanelibrary.org.
If your mailbox is like mine — full of people asking for my money, my vote, my canned goods — then you might want to sign up for the awesome, cooking nerd’s Turntable Kitchen subscription to make it more fun to get the mail. Once a month, a cute little package shows up on your doorstep filled with recipes, a mystery ingredient (things often hard to find around Spokane) and a 7-inch vinyl record. Past boxes have surprised subscribers with salt-packed capers, gourmet chocolates, dried chiles and records ranging from experimental rock to the most adorable folk. Sign up at turntablekitchen.com.