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What It Is: 11/8/10

What I’m reading: The Odyssey and the first book of Clyde Fans.

What I’m listening to: BLACKsummers’night, Boxer, Barking, High Violet, and a new Mad Mix I’m struggling with.

What I’m watching: The first week of season 1 of In Treatment (I’m intrigued enough to stick with it; also, I’m a huge mark for Gabriel Byrne, ever since Miller’s Crossing). On Saturday night, Amy & I tried giving Avatar a try on HBO. After 45 minutes, we were so bored we decided to take our chances with The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, which turned out to be a lot more entertaining and inventive.

What I’m drinking: Citadelle & Q-Tonic.

What Rufus & Otis are up to: Nothing exciting. They took a shorter-than-usual but vigorous hike up in Wawayanda on Sunday, and they were kinda bummed that there was no farmers’ market to visit on Saturday. Seriously, they seem to have figured out a 7-day week, and got all agitated when a Saturday morning went by without a trip down to the market. Poor boys.

Where I’m going: New Orleans, for the AAPS annual meeting.

What I’m happy about: I had an idea for a recurring podcast segment that I thought would be awesome. I shared it with a few potential interviewees and they were all thrilled by the idea.

What I’m sad about: Having to learn how to be a good audio interviewer in order to execute that aforementioned idea. For my day job, I do my interviews on the phone and then transcribe them for the magazine/website. I always shudder at the sound of my own voice and the vapidity of some of my questions, but then, maybe I’ll be more engaged when the topic is something I’m more interested in. And I can use a voice-distorter to sound like a kidnapper or something, instead of my occasionally “nasal wraith” voice.

What I’m worried about: Not following through with this awesome idea. It’s a recurring problem of mine. I’m hoping that I’ll overcome it by watching lots of In Treatment.

What I’m pondering: Going back to wearing glasses occasionally. I realize that my midlife crisis is manifesting itself in a desire to dress well (within a budget), which I think is a lot healthier than my dad’s version — buying a Corvette and a motorcycle and dating an 18-year-old hairdresser. So I’m thinking of buying a pair of these, because I need to look more bookish (?).

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What It Is: 11/1/10

What I’m reading: The Odyssey. Also, after reading this great Frank Santoro post, I reread Chester Brown’s Helder and Showing Helder. And I was feeling nostalgic for feeling nostalgic for superheroes, so I reread Grant Morrison & Frank Quietly’s Flex Mentallo mini-series. The ’90s sure were a funny time.

What I’m listening to: A bunch of Anthony Hamilton records. Whoa, nelly.

What I’m watching: Outside of American Splendor (on Halloween, because we didn’t get around to watching it on Harvey Pekar’s birthday earlier in October) not much of anything, besides some World Series games.

What I’m drinking: Fifty Pounds gin & Q-Tonic.

What I’m eating: A peach and blueberry pie. It’s the last one of Farmers’ Market season, which saddens me. It was my Saturday tradition (formerly our Saturday tradition, but Little Ms. Gluten-Free Diet can’t participate anymore), picking up a 5″ fruit pie from the Concklin Orchards stand for weekend devourification. The dogs will be sad/confused, too, since they somehow figured out the 7-day schedule and knew that Saturday mornings were when they get to promenade around the market and get love and affection from unsuspecting locals.

What Rufus & Otis are up to: They enjoyed some longish mid-week walks, courtesy of some unseasonably lovely weather. And when things started to cool down again, they still managed to get in another 5-mile grey-hike! Pix here! Spex here! And then, they got dressed up for Halloween . . .

Where I’m going: Back to Ithaca, even if I didn’t think too much of this essay.

What I’m happy about: Getting that first podcast out of the way. Also, discovering that Tyler Brule of Monocle has many of the same poor mannerisms that I do when conducting interviews/conversations: too many “um”s and “you know”s and a tendency to speak in full — and multiple — paragraphs.

What I’m sad about: That he’s much more successful than I’ll ever be. Also, that whole peach and blueberry pie thing.

What I’m worried about: Writing two articles in the next two days to wrap up my Nov/Dec issue. So, um, don’t call, okay?

What I’m pondering: Whether to consider the Odyssey in terms of a whole with the Iliad, or whether to contemplate the Iliad on its own, without considering Odysseus as an alternative to Achilles as Best of the Achaians.

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Late to the Pod-Party

Welcome to the inaugural Virtual Memories podcast! You can download it here: mp3 or AAC/m4a

I bought a UBS microphone in June 2006, so it’s clear that I intended to start a podcast more than four years ago. I’m just getting around to it now because I’m lazy. I’m pretty sure that boat had already sailed on this form back then, so now maybe it’s retro-hip or something.

Anyway, this installment is really just a proof-of-concept: some intro music, then a little literary reading from a wonderful book, followed by an explanation/apology. I just wanted to figure out how to edit and assemble audio clips in Garage Band. Next time out, I’ll work on mastering my voice-recording better. Also, I’ll work on sounding less wraith-like.

Once the technical stuff is ironed out, I hope to put together some good content for you, in the form of interviews/conversations, readings from favorite books, essays and/or poems, and maybe an accordion performance or two, once I learn how to play that instrument.

So enjoy Virtual Memories Radio! Now in MP3 or AAC!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: Spotify | TuneIn | RSS | More

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2010-2011 NBA Preview

For the second straight year, no team-by-team breakdown or NBA preview for you! I just don’t give enough of a crap about pro hoops anymore. Last year’s explanation holds up pretty well, especially when you add the silliness of the “Super Best Friends” gang assembling in Miami. I’m sure I’ll catch some games when there’s nothing else going on, but eh. Check back during the playoffs.

These are my only observations:

  1. Paul Westphal is a head coach?
  2. Chris Bosh was the “franchise player” on a Toronto team that averaged a 37-45 record during his career.
  3. I would actually root for the Celtics over the Heat in a playoff series.

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What It Is: 10/25/10

What I’m reading: Finished Never Let Me Go, read Charles Burns’ X’ed Out, and began Joe Sacco’s Footnotes in Gaza.

What I’m listening to: Barking, Walking Wounded, and a new Mad Mix I’m working on.

What I’m watching: Leaves of Grass, plus some football, some baseball, and Bored To Death and Eastbound & Down.

What I’m drinking: I’m outta limes, so I went with Amy’s gluten-free alternative: Bard’s sorghum malt beer.

What Rufus & Otis are up to: Taking a nice, energetic hike on Sunday, (pix here and spex here) and getting overstuffed on treats at Rusty’s on the way home.

Where I’m going: Nowhere! Why? You got somewhere you think I should go?

What I’m happy about: The autumn sensorium is just so beautiful. You can check out the first couple of pix from the hike to get an idea of the visuals.

What I’m sad about: The Yankees getting knocked out of the playoffs. On the other hand, I’m also happy about this because it means I won’t be staying up late watching World Series games. So it’s a wash.

What I’m worried about: Eating too much candy on Halloween.

What I’m pondering: Blowing off another NBA preview. The season starts tomorrow, so I’m guessing that’s less of a ponderment and more of a certainty.