Rainy Days = Reading Daze

update upon the completion of You Shall Know Our Velocity

 Actually, it's Rainy Days + no desire to watch football since the Chargers tanked it in the playoffs and crushed my Super Bowl hopes = lots of time for Reading...

my reading view, if the cat isn't crushing my chest

Five Stars: The Story of Edward Sawtelle -- picked it up several times in bookstores over the past year but something else always won out; my loss because I really enjoyed it all the way through (although I wouldn't have minded a happier ending).  Now I must reread Hamlet, and get a dog. 

3 Stars:  Road Dogs by Elmore Leonard, starring George Clooney/Jack Foley -- Leonard is one of my guilty pleasures grab a book from the Library shelf and devour it in an afternoon reads, and while this one had moments it wasn't his best. Kind of a weird, boring ending.

East, West -- short stories by Salman Rushdie

You Shall Know Our Velocity  -- still working on this one, and appreciating every page; Dave Eggers is one of my favorites and he's breaking my heart.

Okay, finished it last night, 4 Stars, and while I need to re-read the last few pages (is he better or worse? alive or dead?) I definitely put it in the "you should read this" category.  Although not so soon after reading The Mystic Art of Erasing All Signs of Death -- similar theme of young lives lost tragically and horribly -- and the spate of zombie books I've picked up lately.  Now I need something carefree and crime-free, humor and sex and not at all realistic...


I've also kicked off twenty-ten with a few good children's books , especially recommend The Girl Who Could Fly ...

 

 my other reading view, but it's been too c-c-cold (down to the 50's!) and we even got some hail, something the boys had never seen before.  I saved some in the freezer for them...

Also picked up a few good CDs: Randy Newman's "The Best Of...", Silversun Pickups "Carnavas", the "Reality Bites" soundtrack,  Morphine's "Cure For Pain" and the Hope For Haiti Now benefit album....

U.S. Presidents vs. The Super Bowls

Pitting the Presidents against the Super Bowls, leading up to this season's confluence: SBXXXXIV vs. Prez #44


funny, yet informative.

not sure "confluence' is the correct word...?

Best Songs -- Wild Card Weekend

1st round of "Best o' the Nineties Playoffs" losers include Take #52/John Doe, Don't Rock the Jukebox/Alam Jackson, Crying Game/Boy George, Daughter/Pearl Jam, All I Wanna Do/Sheryl Crow, Man in the Mirror/MJ, Last Goodbye/Jeff Buckley...

bounced in 2nd round:  Cool Like That/Digable Planets, Plush/STP, Only Wanna Be With You/Hootie etc, Bittersweet Symphony/Verve, Velvet Glove/RHChili Pepps...

R.I.P. Gumby & Pokey

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/01/art-clokey-the-creator-of-the-whimsical-clay-figure-gumby-died-in-his-sleep-friday-at-his-home-in-los-osos-calif-after-b.html

includes a few cool Gumby videos too

Best of the Decade(s) -- the Nineties

research for my Best of 90's list led me to this awesome post -- I was never that into videos, much rather be doing something else while listening to music, certainly not staring at the TV, but these are cool visuals to go with some great songs.

Locks for the 90's top 10 off the top of my head? Hmmm... Achy Breaky Heart, Mmmbop, Still I Rise, Interstate Love Song, Bittersweet Symphony, U can't Touch This ???

Even Flow, Nearly Lost You, The Humpty Dance, Black Velvet, Banned in the USA ???

1980's Top 10

1st round of cuts: Missing You, John Waite; Breakup Song, Greg Kihn; Sunglasses At Night, Corey Heart; Still of the Night, Whitesnake; Everyday Is Like Sunday, Morrisey...

2nd round: I Still haven't Found What I'm Looking For, U2; Love My Way, Psychedelic Furs; In Your Eyes, Peter Gabriel; Everybody Wants To Rule The World, Tears For Fears...

Final Results:

1. Back In Black -- AC/DC
2. I Melt With You -- Modern English
3. Radio Free Europe -- R.E.M.
4. Purple Rain -- Prince
5. Rock You Like A Hurricane -- Scorpions
6. Bad -- U2
7. Guitars, Cadillacs -- Dwight Yoakam
8. Higher Love -- Steve Winwood
9. Can't Hardly Wait -- The Replacements
10. Where The Streets Have No Name -- U2

ok, on to the 90's! Any suggestions?

Call me "Len" in 2010!

(Hmmm... weak. First Resolution is to come up with a better rhyme for "ten" and a catchier, more affirming motto.)

Starting the new year just like the old year began (and ended) -- not much more than a trip to Vons in the bank account and looking for work.  Dishes in the sink, newspaper tossed under the neighbor's car, family sleeping in, Emmylou Harris in my headphones, devising ways to knock off 10 lbs... and I wouldn't trade it for the world. Well, except for the job part, I'd really like one.

Happy NewYear!