Reading:
I've been pretty lucky with my book choices so far this summer (with the exception of Bellow's "Seize the Day." Sorry but I just can't get into him). Highlights include
...perhaps the perfect summertime novel for liberals: Metafiction to the max, it traces the rise and fall of civilization via a journal, a collection of letters, a mystery, a movie bio/proposal, an interview and an oral history. It's fun, challenging, sad, ultimately uplifting and a total page-turner. I also loved
...which could best be described as
+
+
(oops, wrong Homer)
+
It was written by Steve Tesich, best known for his Oscar-winning original screenplay for Breaking Away, and was published after his death.
And: I'm almost finished with
A novel about free black slaveowners, 20 years before the Civil War. Absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking.
Watching:
Believe it or not, my wife and I have only seen one movie so far this summer...but it was a great one:
It had no superheroes and no explosions. However, there was some sex and a car chase involving a goldfish. Oh, and it had this:
))<>((For more, go here.
Viewing:
TV just doesn't seem the same without Lost and 24...we've yet to find any "Appointment TV" replacements this summer. The final season of Six Feet Under has been, more or less, a bummer. At this point, my wife and I are hoping that the entire Fisher family dies in a freak accident when the show finally comes to an end (it would be a fitting bookend to all of the freak accidents that have begun each episode). In the meantime, we've been filling our weekly TV-viewing requirements with, of course, The Daily Show, and the funniest hour on TV, Reno 911 & Stella (Tuesdays, 10-11p, Comedy Central):
Listening:
It hasn't been the strongest summer for new music. The new Brian Eno was disappointing; try his second collection of odds and sods, Curiosities 2, instead:
It's available here.
The only disc that's truly been rocking my world this summer is The Secret Machines' new ep, "The Road Leads Where It's Led"
It's mostly a collection of covers, but boy do these New Yorkers know how to cover. Check out their version of Dylan's Girl From the North Country.
Update: Picked up the new Bob Mould last week. It's not "Capital G" great, but good Bob is better than most people's best efforts. If you're a true fan, I suggest you buy the limited edition double disc boxed set:
(Disc 2 has 6 other new songs plus 3 remixes which lean more toward Bob's recent noodling with electronica. The 6 new ones make it worth the extra dough. Plus, you get extra artwork with half-naked pictures of Bob...not that there's anything wrong with that). Click the cover below for a sample from Disc 1:
Listening Accessory:
It's a waterproof case for my iPod. Click it if you're interested in buying one. It comes in handy, especially when you have a dog like this:
Eating:
Probably the main reason we don't get to many movies is because we prefer a slow, relaxing evening filled with good food as opposed to eating stale popcorn in the dark. And, fortunately, we've been blessed with a great new restaurant in our neighborhood:
Aroma, located at 36 E. 4th St. in the greatest city in the world. It's tiny so you might want to call ahead: 212-375-0100 (tell 'em "Neil" sent ya).
Drinking:
This will do:
Cheers! Enjoy the rest of your summer...
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