This is going to be one of those long rambling posts which, I've found, that people usually read about half of then move on, missing something important or interesting (unlikely, I know, but even a blind squirrel finds a nut...) that appears about 3/4 of the way in. So pay attention, whydoncha? Here's my State of My Union address.
No time to write anything all day today, so sumimasen, everybody. Like I'm sure you were concerned. Anyways, I've been keeping my eyes and ears immersed in something for quite some time now! Of course, there was my usual Wednesday haul, along with the second Love Fights trade and AiT/PlanetLar's Demo Scriptbook, all of which shall be reviewed in due time. I'm sorry to report that I didn't get to finish Cryptonomicon; I had to return it to the library and I just wasn't getting enough quality serious reading time. I intend to pick up a paperback copy someday. I've also been reading the two Fantagraphics Peanuts collections I got for Christmas, and have been digging the hell out of them. I had forgotten how edgy and clever Schulz's work was back then, and how deft and tight his ink line was as well...decades of moribund, by-the-numbers 70's, 80's and 90's strips will do that to ya, I guess. And no, thank you, I wasn't around to read them back in 1952. I also recently completed Bryan Lee O'Malley's Lost at Sea; commentary will be forthcoming.
Musically, I got David Bowie's most recent release, Reality, and I gotta say that it's amazing. And wonderful. And wonderfully amazing. I thought 2002's Heathen was his best in over 20 years, and this one's every bit as good. I've also been listening a lot lately to Roger Glover's Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast, the CD of which I purchased for Mrs. Bacardi for Xmas. There are two instrumentals on that album that tend to get stuck in my head: the string-heavy "Dreams of Sir Bedivere" and the lovely "The Feast", a piano interlude before the big grande finale of the Dio-sung "Love Is All". It's a great little album, full of imagination and whimsy. I've written about it before, but I forget when. I've also had the Pentangle's Bert Jansch-sung version of the old traditional ballad "The Snows" in constant rotation in my cerebral iPod, as well as Bowie's "Everyone Says Hi" from Heathen and Slade's "Miles Out To Sea" from their Clap Your Feet, Stomp Your Hands elpee. And for some reason, I never get tired of listening to the Flaming Lips' Soft Bulletin, which is beginning to creep up on my Top 25 list that I've been threatening to lay on you, my wonderful readers, for nigh two years now.
On TV, it's been Carnivale, Alias, and I tried to get interested in the new ESPN series Tilt, which features JB Show fave Michael Madsen, but just haven't been able to get into it. And movies- holy crap. I'm way overdue for a Johnny B Heart Netflix post. Recently I've seen Neil Young's Greendale, as well as Shrek 2, Gangster No.1 with Michael McDowell, Whale Rider, The Punisher, The Seventh Seal, The Core, and Resident Evil: Apocalypse, to name but a few. What? It has Milla Jovovich, OK? Gimme a break.
Personally, I'm still stuck at the ULPJ; however, I did get a small raise over the holidays. At this rate, in about eight years, I'll be back to where I was two years ago, wage-wise. No prospects for anything better on the horizon, either. I know, I know, "Thou Shalt Not Whine", that's a commandment, right? I did recently get the opportunity to write a freelance piece for a magazine which many of you are, I'm sure, familiar with...but after one round of rewrites, I submitted my work and have heard nothing since. I did see where the publication has been solicited for March, so all I can hope is that my rewrite was sufficient and my byline will be intact. Of course, there's always the possibility that they couldn't use what I did, had someone rewrite it, and I will have toiled for naught. I'm supposed to be paid upon publication; we will see what we will see. When I'm sure it will appear, I'll go into details- I don't want to get caught out. I did some interesting interviews with some interesting people in the course of doing the article, and I hope I get the chance to share. In other personal news, my son got a new car a while back, which has a CD player already installed, so the one he had in his previous vehicle is now mine, and I'm gonna get it put in tomorrow morning. I've been without a CD player in my Blazer for far too long now. Heck, it's where I get to do the majority of my music listening! I just hope the darn thing still works...
I got some cash for my birthday last week, and I've been giving a lot of thought to sampling some manga lately (gasp!), along with finally getting a copy of Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life. I've been eyeballing Planetes. Thoughts/comments/recommendations, anybody?
In norts spews, my Falcons prepare to go play in the Philadelphia snow on Sunday. My god, if they win, and they certainly have a shot, they'll be in the SUPER BOWL! Twice in my lifetime! Never thought I'd ever see the day. Anyway, my Fearless Predictions will be along tomorrow. I haven't posted too much about other sports I follow lately; it's just beginning to get interesting in college basketball, and fortunately the two teams I follow, the Kentucky Wildcats and the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, are off to good starts. Pitchers and catchers report pretty soon, as well, so I'm kinda looking forward to that even though my White Sox will most likely stink. No hockey, so my fledgling love for the Calgary Flames has gone unrequited. Oh well.
OK, that's about all I can think of. Oyasumi nasai, y'all. More tomorrow, hopefully.
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